15. How does the speaker describe the characteristics of children in ‘On Children'? Explain.
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Answer:
Kahlil Gibran is a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist. He is best known for his great work “The Prophet.” This poem “On Children” is a selection from “The Prophet,” which is a critique of the expectations of the parents about their children. The prophet while preaching a woman, who sought to know how much one must be possessive of one’s children, firmly makes the statement above. According to him, they are the wonderful creations of Life. Parents are just the means; children come through them. Though they are with their parents, yet they do not belong to them. They have their own thoughts and identities. So, the prophet asks parents to give the children just their love. He stresses on the point that parents only house their bodies whereas their souls live in the house of tomorrow. Parents should rather try to become like the children than moulding them. Thus, the prophet says that children do not belong to their parents.
:This is from the poem, “On Children” written by Kahlil Gibran, a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist. He is best known for his great work “The Prophet.” This poem “On Children” is a selection from “The Prophet,” which is a critique of the expectations of the parents about their children. The poet surprises the parents through his words, “Your children are not your children.” He then continues to explain what should be the attitude of parents towards their children. He says that parents are only the means in the life of children. They don’t belong to the parents. They are rather the most beautiful creation of Life itself. The responsibilities of parents lie in giving unconditional love to children and not changing their thoughts. Since the souls of the children belong to the future, parents cannot control them. Like bows in the hands of the Archer, they should take the pain happily to bend and send the children into the future. God loves those responsible parents who take all the pain to remain stable. Thus, this poem is not just about children and their independent ideas; it is also about a much better attitude of parents towards their children and a new perspective about the responsibility of parents.
HOPE IT HELPS
Answer:
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you. They have their own thoughts. The speaker wants to make the parents aware that a child is a gift from the abundance of existence and it is eternal life itself.