Explore The Theme Of Parenting in The Poems `Little Boy Crying‘ and `The Toys‘.
             `Little Boy Crying ‘ is written by Merryn Morris. He comes from Kingston, Jamaica, and was born in 1937. `Little Boy Crying ‘ is written in the 20th century. `The Toys ‘ was written in the 19th century. It was written by Coventry Patmore (1823-1896). He was a very religious individual. Initially an Anglican, he converted to Catholicism. Inspired by his new religion, he wrote some of his best poetry.
             The psychology of love is illustrated in his use of original language.
             The poems `Little Boy Crying ‘ and `The Toys ‘ are both about parenthood, and on how parents have to punish their children but don't like doing it. Both children are disciplined by receiving a slap. The children then try to make their parents feel sorry for them, but the parents need to stay firm to show discipline and teach their sons a lesson.
             In the poems `The Toys ‘ and `Little Boy Crying ‘ a father has disciplined his son for a misdemeanour. The boys appear to react differently to the `quick slap struck ‘ with differing behaviour.
             The son in `The Toys ‘ is sent to bed with ' hard words and un kissed ‘ while the other boy stands, cries and shakes `with three year old frustration ‘ hating his father. The reactions of the fathers are similar because they both feel guilty and upset for what has happened `kissing away his tears left others of my own ‘ (The Toys),
             `This fierce man longs to lift you, curb your sadness with piggy-back or bull-fight, anything ‘ (Little Boy Crying).
             Both fathers are upset, and didn't want to punish their children, but had to, so they learn that they cannot do what they want and don't do it again. In `Little Boy Crying ‘ the father wants to comfort his son and feels sorry for him, but he stays firm. In `The Toys ‘ he feels sorr...