Poetry · Chapter
The Naughty Child explained
A brief moralistic poem contrasting the fate of a disobedient child who drowns after venturing to cut flowers with the good children who survive and thrive in a nice town.
What happens
A brief moralistic poem contrasting the fate of a disobedient child who drowns after venturing to cut flowers with the good children who survive and thrive in a nice town.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional peak occurs in the final line, "Tell them to leave you alone!..."—a raw, defiant outburst that s…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Death and Mortality
The naughty child's death by drowning serves as a stark warning about the consequences of disobedience.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The narrator recounts the cautionary tale of the naughty child.
Key passages
“The naughty child Who ventured to go cut flowers, Fell into the mill-pond And was drowned.”
A disobedient child who went to pick flowers fell into a mill pond and died.
The central event of the poem illustrating the peril of naughtiness.
“But the good children all Are living yet, Nice folks now In a very nice town.”
In contrast, the well-behaved children are still alive and have become respectable citizens in a pleasant town.
The moral conclusion rewarding obedience.
