Read the poem “Good and Bad Children” by Robert Louis Stevenson. In 100 to 150 words, describe the tone and meaning of the poem.

Children, you are very little,
And your bones are very brittle;
If you would grow great and stately,
You must try to walk sedately.

You must still be bright and quiet,
And content with simple diet;
And remain, through all bewild'ring,
Innocent and honest children.

Happy hearts and happy faces,
Happy play in grassy places—
That was how, in ancient ages,
Children grew to kings and sages.

But the unkind and the unruly,
And the sort who eat unduly,
They must never hope for glory—
Theirs is quite a different story!

Cruel children, crying babies,
All grew up as geese and gabies [foolish people],
Hated, as their age increases,
By their nephews and their nieces.


Respuesta :

Answer:

The tone of the poem is stern and instructive. The speaker gives advice to children about good and bad habits. He encourages them to pick up good habits by saying that they are characteristic of great people. He also warns them that if they pick up bad habits, they will be disliked as adults. He uses words such as "Cruel children," "crying babies," and “geese and gabies” to create a negative image of bad children. Through these negative images he encourages children to avoid bad habits.

Explanation:

Answer:

The tone of the poem is stern and instructive. The speaker gives advice to children about good and bad habits. He encourages them to pick up good habits by saying that they are characteristic of great people. He also warns them that if they pick up bad habits, they will be disliked as adults. He uses words such as "Cruel children," "crying babies," and “geese and gabies” to create a negative image of bad children. Through these negative images he encourages children to avoid bad habits.

Explanation: