Summary

The poem reflects on the potential for innocence in childhood to transform into malevolence in adulthood, questioning the origins of societal ills.

Abstract

The poem "Cynical" presents a contemplative and unsettling perspective on the innocence of children, suggesting that within them may lie the seeds of future societal destruction. The author observes children in educational settings and perceives the latent potential for them to grow into individuals capable of perpetrating war, racism, authoritarianism, and other atrocities. This introspection leads to a broader inquiry into the responsibility for such outcomes, questioning whether blame lies with institutions like schools and churches, societal structures like patriarchy and capitalism, or more abstract forces such as genetics, culture, or ideology. The poem is a meditation on the complex interplay of factors that shape human development and the tragic possibilities inherent in the human condition.

Opinions

The author sees the potential for the worst traits in humanity, such as racism and authoritarianism, in the faces of innocent children.
There is a suggestion that early childhood may hold the roots of future destructive behaviors, including those of war criminals and dictators.
The poem questions whether it is possible to identify and alter these negative potentials in children.
It ponders whether historical figures known for their atrocities, like Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin, exhibited early signs of their future actions.
The author muses on the various entities that could be held accountable for the development of such negative traits in individuals, ranging from parents and teachers to broader societal structures and ideologies.
The poem implies a sense of helplessness or uncertainty in pinpointing the exact cause of evil in the world, highlighting the complexity of human nature and societal influences.

Cynical

A poem.

I come here at the pre-primary

And the daycare every day.

I look at the children and their faces,

And I see death, destruction, war, riots and hunger.

These boys and girls, these toddlers,

To whom we smile and wave our hands;

Whom we see struggling to stand and walk,

And follow their teachers’ lead,

Maybe carrying the worst racist traits

And the worst authoritarian tendencies.

Are they would be war criminals? Dictators?

Frauds? Rapists? Mass murderers? Mafia dons?

How do we know?

How will we change that?

Did Adolf’s mother know better

When she gazed at the innocent smile

And confused, curious eyes of her son,

The future demon of Birkenau?

Could Joseph’s dad see the vision of the gulags

In the twinkles of the little Joe’s eyes?

Whom should we blame for it?

Whose fault is it?

The school? The Church?

The patriarchy? The generals?

The king? The ministers?

The bureaucrats? The bankers?

The industrialists? The landed aristocracy?

The merchants? The colonialists?

God? Gene? Culture? Society? Ideology? The economy?

March 07, 2021