The Prayer before Birth..

                                     Poem :  The Prayer before Birth.

                -         Louis MacNeice

                                                                                                                                                      

“The prayer before Birth” – the poem is with full of emotions and feelings of child who yet not born but has feared to come this world. The poet describes very beautifully whole poem in 8 stanzas. From the first stanza, poet imagine about child as a character who is not born yet has many kinds of fears and problems to survive in this world . Child wants to live happy life when he comes. While reading the poem, reader may surprise that….

“ Does Child know the reality of the world ?"

“ How he can give such strong arguments ?”

 Let’s see the detail discussion and child’s maturity…….

Child is not born now and yet has fear that may be no one is there to listen. But.. he says that he wants that everyone hears him because in the world there are so many evil- devil spirit to destroy him and sucks his blood . but.. at least , he wants that somebody has to there to hear him , protect him. Here, evil and devil spirit is compare with -- animals . like…… Small insects, Bats and Rats. These all are animal who sucks  the blood.

           

Next, Child wants consolation for his  good life. Because he knows that world has so many hard competition and human race. And it is not easy for him . sometimes , it may be caught him and he has to do the work which he don’t want to do. Sometime , he has to drink and does so many things by forcefully without his desire.  He must do wrong things also to prove himself as wise or being wise. And then many men rack and annoys him and possible that he falls down in the dug of blood. He knows that so many vices are there so  , he begs consolations from the world  to live good life in the world.

Childhood is only the phase of human life that everyone wants to live again. Innocence is the similarity of childhood. Poet describes the beautiful natural atmosphere as child likes. Child wants to play with Dandle- the weather is very cool and fresh that time. Trees grow and small grass also grow for him and wants to talk with them so that he can enjoy and feel all natural things from the heart which provides real happiness of the life.

                       

Sky is always beautiful natural things child has desired that it sings for him and a white light or birds also create the new atmosphere and feelings in our mind. We can guide ourselves , the same way child wants to guide himself with brightly .like……"White light.”

Fourth stanza describes that  Child beds the pardon because he thinks that when he comes in the world , he will do any kind of sins and crime , also. He may speaks bad words and people disgust him for that words. So , please forgive him. All people have different thoughts and views. So,

“How and what people think about him ?"

Coming in this world , he will do many treason like.. crime.  If he wants to leave the bad works, he can’t leave with his bad luck.  He wants to leave that bad works , it may be traitors and kills himself to leave that bad situation.

“ Practice make man perfect.”

Poet says that , child has to do practice . he takes part in all games and takes a long stick with him. He has to hear the messages of old men and also follow their suggestions. Sometimes, strong and powerful people force him  to do work according to their point of view. High mountain thrown him means that… people who have power and position can fire him and thrown him away and lovers laugh on him….means he must learn everything to live a life because life has to go on………he has to handle every situations.

 Beautiful white waves of Sea seems him like… Silly man . Desert calls him and leads towards the ruin . in the world, the beggar refuses him and disgusts him. All gifts and his children give him cruse because that time they do not stay with them for him. Child has fear to leave under suppression. He request to listen him because people have power and  force to other. Men behave like.. “God”. And they think themselves as “ God Almighty “ .

 Next stanza, Child implies that man who has a power and lot of strength who rule over the weak and destroy their humanity and good behaviour. Here, poet uses the word “Lethal Automaton “   for killing and very dangerous feeling. They would make him in between the machine’s cog as a one thing and they throw one who against him completely and his all quality. In the poem, the word used for it, 

“ Dissipate and entirety.”

 In this world ,he blows like…. Thistle – which fluttering here and there in cold atmosphere. Where as we can not put water in our palm. We can’t catch anyone’s life, too. Child says that he also spills like…. Water. At the end of the poem, Child wants to be aware from people who save him to be a hard stone . and if any one can’t stop it, he wishes to kill him before his birth.

Reading the poem, we may feel the sympathy for the child. Child knows the reality of the life to live in this world.  It is not easy to live being good in this world. There are so many rules and regulation to follow . child knows the philosophy of life .  sometimes , he has to face bad situations and to be the bad also, because only being good there is nothing to get fro the life. Many people feels jealousy and wants to fall down him and then even he has to stand there.

 Child also knows that life has to go on… but in this beautiful world , there are some good people also and has faith on them that they save him , stand for him when he needs them. So, he does pray before birth and also, say that if no one can does this for him , please kills him in the womb of mother before taking birth in the world.