“Children of Wealth in Your Warm Nursery”: Elizabeth Daryush
Alison Goyings
Elizabeth Daryush has tackled a topic unlike any of the prior poets that we have
analyzed: wealth. As a common theme within the poems that we read of hers, I tend to
wonder where her resentment has come from in regards to the affluent population.
“Children of Wealth in Your Warm Nursery” reveals Daryush’s concern towards the
wealthy population as, according to the poem, children of this lifestyle will grow up to be
artificial, ignorant and not prepared for real world dangers (line 11). Her poem explicitly
states that these people are unable to feel the wickedness of winter, which, in this context,
most likely symbolizes the harshness, or “cruel truths” of the real world (line 6). Instead,
the families live a life of luxury, which is symbolized as a double pane window that protects
them from the world. So, who is the poem directed towards and what is the purpose of it?
This poem appears to be directed towards parents who cause their children to miss
out on life’s joys by using wealth as a means for protection. In other words, too much
money can cause more harm than good when children lack the necessary opportunities to
learn through “trial-and-error.” Instead, Daryush encourages parents to allow their
children to go “to [the] elemental wrong” and experience what the real world has to offer
through mistakes (line 9). This experience will give the children the necessary knowledge
to survive in difficult times, and will be a parents’ greatest protection for their children.
Therefore, instead of being resentful towards the affluent population, I believe that
Daryush is actually doing them a favor by peeling back the superficial layers of material
wealth to instill knowledge for a successful future.