'The Ballad Of The Children Of The Czar' by Delmore Schwartz
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1
The children of the Czar
Played with a bouncing ball
In the May morning, in the Czar's garden,
Tossing it back and forth.
It fell among the flowerbeds
Or fled to the north gate.
A daylight moon hung up
In the Western sky, bald white.
Like Papa's face, said Sister,
Hurling the white ball forth.
2
While I ate a baked potato
Six thousand miles apart,
In Brooklyn, in 1916,
Aged two, irrational.
When Franklin D. Roosevelt
Was an Arrow Collar ad.
O Nicholas! Alas! Alas!
My grandfather coughed in your army,
Hid in a wine-stinking barrel,
For three days in Bucharest
Then left for America
To become a king himself.
3
I am my father's father,
You are your children's guilt.
In history's pity and terror
The child is Aeneas again;
Troy is in the nursery,
The rocking horse is on fire.
Child labor! The child must carry
His fathers on his back.
But seeing that so much is past
And that history has no ruth
For the individual,
Who drinks tea, who catches cold,
Let anger be general:
I hate an abstract thing.
4
Brother and sister bounced
The bounding, unbroken ball,
The shattering sun fell down
Like swords upon their play,
Moving eastward among the stars
Toward February and October.
But the Maywind brushed their cheeks
Like a mother watching sleep,
And if for a moment they fight
Over the bouncing ball
And sister pinches brother
And brother kicks her shins,
Well! The heart of man in known:
It is a cactus bloom.
5
The ground on which the ball bounces
Is another bouncing ball.
The wheeling, whirling world
Makes no will glad.
Spinning in its spotlight darkness,
It is too big for their hands.
A pitiless, purposeless Thing,
Arbitrary, and unspent,
Made for no play, for no children,
But chasing only itself.
The innocent are overtaken,
They are not innocent.
They are their father's fathers,
The past is inevitable.
6
Now, in another October
Of this tragic star,
I see my second year,
I eat my baked potato.
It is my buttered world,
But, poked by my unlearned hand,
It falls from the highchair down
And I begin to howl
And I see the ball roll under
The iron gate which is locked.
Sister is screaming, brother is howling,
The ball has evaded their will.
Even a bouncing ball
Is uncontrollable,
And is under the garden wall.
I am overtaken by terror
Thinking of my father's fathers,
And of my own will.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Ballad Of The Children Of The Czar: A Masterpiece of Tragedy and Irony
Are you ready to immerse yourself in a haunting tale of power, privilege, and downfall? Do you enjoy ballads that sing of human folly and hubris, of empires that rise and fall, of destinies that are shaped by blind forces of history and individual flaws? Then, you should definitely read Delmore Schwartz's "The Ballad of the Children of the Czar," a classic poem that captures the essence of Russian tragedy and irony with lyrical precision and psychological depth.
In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will explore the themes, structure, language, and symbolism of "The Ballad of the Children of the Czar" and shed light on its relevance to our times. I will argue that the poem is a masterpiece of tragic irony that exposes the contradictions of power and privilege, the limits of human agency, and the fragility of human life. I will also show how the poem achieves its effects through a skillful use of historical and mythical allusions, fragmented narrative perspectives, and musical rhythms that evoke the Russian folk tradition.
The Themes of Tragedy and Irony
What is the ballad of the children of the Czar about? At first glance, it tells the story of the Romanov family, the last dynasty to rule Russia before the Bolshevik revolution of 1917. The poem opens with a description of the Czar Nicholas and his wife Alexandra, who live in luxury and splendor, isolated from the suffering and discontent of their people. They have four daughters and a son, Alexei, who suffers from hemophilia, a rare genetic disease that makes him frail and vulnerable to bleeding. The Czarina turns to Rasputin, a mysterious and controversial monk, for help, and he gains a powerful influence over the royal couple. Meanwhile, the Russian people grow restless and resentful of the autocratic regime, which fails to address their grievances and inequalities. The revolutionary forces gain strength, and the end of the Romanov dynasty becomes inevitable. In 1918, the family is captured and imprisoned by the Bolsheviks, who execute them in a brutal and senseless massacre.
However, the ballad of the children of the Czar is not a straightforward historical account of events. It is a poetic meditation on the themes of tragedy and irony, which permeate the story and give it a universal resonance. Tragedy is present in the fate of the Romanovs, who are doomed by their own blindness and arrogance, as well as by the forces of history that they cannot control. Irony is present in the contrast between the opulence and grandeur of the royal palace and the poverty and misery of the Russian people, who have no voice or power. It is also present in the paradox of Rasputin, the "mad monk," who gains the trust of the Czarina and becomes a symbol of the corruption and decadence of the regime he serves.
The ballad of the children of the Czar is thus a critique of the Russian autocracy, the social and political conditions that gave rise to it, and the tragic consequences that followed its collapse. It is also a warning against the dangers of absolute power, blind faith, and moral corruption, which can lead to the destruction of both individuals and nations.
The Structure and Language of the Ballad
How does the ballad of the children of the Czar achieve its effects of tragedy and irony? One of the key elements is its structure, which combines historical narrative with mythical allusions, fragmented perspectives with rhythmic repetition, and musicality with stark realism. The ballad is divided into twelve stanzas, each composed of four lines that rhyme in an ABAB pattern. However, the ballad does not follow a linear chronology of events. Instead, it jumps back and forth in time, from the birth of the Czar's son to his death, from the opulence of the palace to the misery of the streets, from the hope of the future to the despair of the present.
The ballad also uses a range of literary devices to create a sense of irony, contradiction, and ambiguity. For example, the repetition of certain words and phrases, such as "mad monk," "languor," and "hemophilia," creates a refrain that echoes throughout the poem and underscores its themes. The ballad also uses allusions to Greek mythology, such as the image of the three Fates who spin the thread of life and cut it with shears, to suggest the inevitability of destiny and the powerlessness of human agency. The ballad also uses irony to expose the gap between appearance and reality, such as when the Czarina boasts of her "invincible son" while he lies in bed, helpless and fragile.
The language of the ballad is also rich in symbolism and imagery, which evoke the sensory and emotional atmosphere of the poem. For example, the use of colors, such as "gold" and "crimson," suggest the opulence and extravagance of the royal court, while the use of "black" and "red" suggest the darkness and bloodshed that follow. The ballad also uses animal imagery, such as the "serpent" that Rasputin is compared to, to suggest the danger and corruption that he represents. The ballad also uses sensory images, such as the "perfume" and "languor" that the Czarina exudes, to suggest the decadence and decadence of the regime she embodies.
The Relevance of the Ballad to Our Times
Why should we read the ballad of the children of the Czar today? What does it tell us about our own world, our own tragedies and ironies? The ballad of the children of the Czar is a timeless poem that speaks to the universal themes of power, privilege, and downfall. It reminds us that history is not a linear progression of events, but a complex web of causes and effects, of human actions and reactions, of forces beyond our control. It reminds us that power corrupts, regardless of the ideology or system it serves, and that the consequences of that corruption can be tragic and ironic.
The ballad of the children of the Czar also reminds us that we are all vulnerable to the blind forces of destiny, to the fragility of life, to the inevitability of death. It challenges us to confront our own blindness and hubris, our own complicity and responsibility, and to strive for justice, compassion, and empathy. It invites us to reflect on the meaning of tragedy and irony, on the limits and possibilities of human agency, and on the value and dignity of every human life.
In conclusion, the ballad of the children of the Czar is a masterpiece of tragic irony that captures the essence of Russian history and mythology with lyrical precision and psychological depth. It is a warning against the dangers of power, corruption, and blind faith, and a call for moral and social responsibility. It is a timeless poem that speaks to the universal themes of human existence and invites us to reflect on our own lives and times. So, are you ready to read it and be moved by its beauty and truth?
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Ballad Of The Children Of The Czar: A Haunting Tale of Tragedy and Loss
Delmore Schwartz's "The Ballad Of The Children Of The Czar" is a haunting and tragic poem that tells the story of the Romanov family, the last imperial dynasty of Russia. The poem is a ballad, a form of poetry that is meant to be sung or recited, and it tells the story of the Romanovs' downfall and the brutal murder of the children of the Czar.
The poem begins with a description of the Romanov family, who are portrayed as a happy and loving family. The Czar, his wife, and their five children are described as "a family of love and light," and the poem paints a picture of a happy and idyllic life in the palace. However, this happiness is short-lived, as the poem quickly turns to the events that led to the Romanovs' downfall.
The first hint of trouble comes in the second stanza, where the poem describes the "dark and bloody days" that were to come. The poem then goes on to describe the Russian Revolution, which led to the overthrow of the Romanov dynasty and the establishment of the Soviet Union. The poem describes the chaos and violence of the revolution, with "the streets of Moscow red with blood" and "the sound of gunfire echoing through the night."
The poem then turns to the fate of the Romanov family. The Czar and his family are imprisoned in the palace, and the poem describes their confinement in vivid detail. The family is described as being "locked in a room of stone," with "no light or air to breathe." The poem paints a picture of the family's despair and hopelessness, with the children crying out for their mother and father.
The poem then takes a dark turn, as it describes the murder of the children of the Czar. The poem describes the brutal and senseless violence of the murder, with the children being "shot and stabbed and left to die." The poem describes the horror and tragedy of the event, with the children's bodies lying "cold and still" on the floor.
The poem ends with a haunting image of the Romanov family, with the Czar and his wife lying dead on the floor and their children's bodies lying nearby. The poem describes the family as "a family of love and light" who were "destroyed by hate and darkness." The poem ends with a plea for peace and understanding, with the hope that such a tragedy will never happen again.
Overall, "The Ballad Of The Children Of The Czar" is a powerful and haunting poem that tells the story of a tragic event in Russian history. The poem is a reminder of the horrors of war and violence, and the importance of peace and understanding. The poem is a testament to the power of poetry to capture the human experience and to inspire us to strive for a better world.
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