Stephen Spender’s poem “My Parents Kept Me from Children who were Rough” revolves around the central theme suggested by the title. The verb ‘keep’ in this context denotes the act of preventing. However, upon closer examination, it becomes apparent that ‘keep’ also carries negative undertones similar to the term ‘illegitimate keep,’ suggesting an illegal confinement. This implies that the parents were adamant in forbidding the speaker from mingling with such individuals, indicative of the speaker’s desire to befriend them.
He presents the children as primarily “rough”. This means that they appear and act in a rough manner. The title suggests that if these children were not rough, their parents would not hesitate to let their child befriend them. These street children spoke with the same aggression and impulsiveness as when they threw stones. Their language was aggressive, impulsive, and unprocessed. Throwing stones is often done to provoke, chase away, or show contempt towards someone. Therefore, one can infer that their choice of words was consistently abusive.
They wore ripped dresses, not because it was stylish, but because they were extremely poor. Their clothes were not fashionable patches, but rather rags that showcased their legs. Unlike those who purposely showed off their thighs for fashion or commercial purposes, these children had no other option but to reveal theirs. Their aimless wandering in the streets labeled them as “street kids”. Despite their circumstances, they were physically strong and energetic.
They explored every corner of the area while running, getting undressed by the streams and ascending cliffs. Since they were far away from society’s contrived manners, they had no reservations about getting naked. Moreover, they displayed no restraints as they had nothing to risk. The speaker is more concerned about their aggressive conduct than the combined fierceness of five tigers. The expressions “jerking hands,” “knees tight on my arms,” and so on emphasize their animalistic behavior. The speaker remarks that their muscles were as strong as iron, possibly suggesting their unwavering bravery.
The speaker was filled with dread by the boys who imitated his lisp and taunted him in a public place. They scorned him by pointing at him, which implied mocking. The use of the word “salt” suggests that their remarks were saucy and spicy. It could also symbolize rubbing salt on a wound. These street kids worsened the speaker’s feelings of inferiority as they taunted his speech impediment and labeled it as a handicap.
Described as lithe, the children were characterized by their suppleness, flexibility, and agility. This quality allowed them to unexpectedly spring out from behind hedges, highlighting their volatile and unpredictable nature. The speaker compares them to dogs that would “bark at our world”. The use of “our” pronoun is discriminatory, as it establishes a distinction between different worlds. Consequently, the speaker’s discriminatory attitude is unintentionally displayed. In response, the children threw mud at the speaker.
The phrase “to sling mud” refers to the act of damaging someone’s reputation by saying unpleasant things about them. In the face of mud-slinging, the speaker chooses to avoid confrontation by pretending to smile and looking away. The speaker doesn’t expect any expressions of love or forgiveness from those who sling mud, but only a simple smile as a gesture of appreciation. Despite wanting to forgive them, the speaker realizes that they never smile in return. If they had smiled, the speaker would have forgiven them, but unfortunately, they never did.
