The Toys

Introduction Of Author

Coventry Patmore, in full Coventry Kersey Dighton Patmore, (born July 23, 1823, Woodford, Essex,
England—died November 26, 1896, Limington, Hampshire), English poet and essayist whose best poetry
is in The Unknown Eros, and Other Odes, containing mystical odes of divine love and of married love,
which he saw as a reflection of Christ’s love for the soul.

After his father fled to France to escape his creditors, Patmore obtained a position in the library of the
British Museum, London, and worked there for 19 years. He published a vast novel in verse, telling the
story of two marriages, beginning in the 1850s with The Angel in the House, consisting of The Betrothal
(1854) and The Espousals (1856), and continuing with The Victories of Love (1863), consisting of Faithful
for Ever (1860) and The Victories of Love (1863).

The Unknown Eros appeared in 1877 but, despite the originality of the poems, was not widely
appreciated. Amelia (1878) virtually ended Patmore’s poetic output, and in later years he concentrated
on essays—original and provocative—on literature, art, philosophy, and politics, chiefly for the St.
James’s Gazette and later partly collected in Principle in Art (1889) and Religio Poetae (1893). His last
work was a collection of aphorisms, The Rod, the Root, and the Flower (1895). Patmore’s seminal study
of English Metrical Law (1857) was greatly admired by Gerard Manley Hopkins.

THE TOYS Question/Answers

Q 1) Who wrote the poem “The Toys”?

The beautiful and inspiring poem “The Toys” was composed by Coventry Patmore. He was an English
poet and had a religious bend of a mind deeply associated with the everyday happenings of life. His
publications are the angel in the House and The Unknown Eros and other Odes.

Q 2) What incident did the poet describe in the poem “The Toys”?

The poet, Coventry Patmore described his personal experience by explaining the incident which had
been occurred between his son and him. The incident related to the disobedience of his son and
kindness of him after striking his son and sent him away without the usual kisses for his seventh-time
disobedience.

Q 3) Why did the poet visit his son’s bedroom and what did he find?
The poet visited his son’s bedroom after the incident when he struck him so he realized that there was
no one who could show sympathy to him because his mother who was much patient, was dead. He
feared that grief should hinder his son’ sleep so he visited his son’s bedroom to see. He found his son in
a deep slumber but his eyelids as darkened and eyelashes were wet that was the proof that he had been
sobbing for a long time.

Q 4) What effect did the poet have of son’s weeping?

When the poet visited his son’s bedroom after the incident when he struck him he found his son in a
deep slumber but his son’s eyelids were darkened and eyelashes were wet that was the proof that he
had been sobbing for a long time. Seeing him he felt much grieved and felt remorse for his act of
unkindness knowing that his mother was not with him who could show more sympathy and patience
than to him. He kissed away his son’s tears while he himself wept.

Q 5) What toys did the child keep in his bedroom to play with?

When the poet visited his son’s bedroom after scolded him so he found some items as the toys which his
son kept in his reach to make comfort his sad heart. That toys including a box of counters, a red-veined
stone, a piece of rubbed glass, six or seven shells, a bottle of bluebells and two French copper coins were
arranged neatly on the nearest table.

Q 6) What did the poet realize after having scolded his son?

The poet after having scolded his son realized the fatherly relationship of God to a man. He prayed to
God and wept at that night that we, human being always neglect the command of the God like an
innocent and disobedient child who never realize what is good for him or not and runs after the worldly
objects just to gain timely comfort and satisfaction but the God always shows his mercy and forgiveness
to His mankind.

Q 7) How did the poet compare the toys with the world?

The poet compared the toys with the world because we, human beings think that the worldly desires
and worldly deeds provide us never-ending pleasure, comfort, and satisfaction but in actual we neglect
the command of the God like an innocent and disobedient child who never realize what is good for him
or not and runs after the worldly objects.

Q 8) What message did the poet convey to his readers? How did he convey?

The poet “Coventry Patmore” gave us the message of God’s mercy and His forgiveness. He explained the
fatherly relationship of God to a man. He enlightened that God always shows His pity and mercy on His
mankind in spite of all sort of disobedience. He always remains open the option of the forgiveness for
everyone and welcomes His mankind if the person calls Him for the forgiveness because of great love for
His human beings. The poet conveyed that message by explaining his own incident which had been
occurred in his daily life between his younger son and him.

Q 9) What religious lesson does Coventry Patmore give in the poem “The Toys”?

Coventry Patmore simply wanted to communicate a religious message of forgiveness in his poem “The
Toys” by the incident which was in between the father and his son. When the son not only disobeyed his
father but also disrespectfully spoke to him so the father annoyed on him and used harsh words but
after some time he visited his bedroom and found him in sleeping so he forgave his son. After that, he
realized that if he could forgive his son for his mistakes so our God might forgive us because He loves us
more than a person who loves his child.

Q 10) Why does Patmore give the title ‘The Toys’ to his poem?

The poet, Coventry Patmore gives the title ‘The Toys’ to his poem because of the idea of the human’s
desire to get the materialistic things by neglecting the commands given by his God like a disobedient
child who can never understand what things are suitable and or not. The word ‘toys’ represent the
worldly materialistic things.