Prayer befor Birth

                                 

        

 The poem “Prayer before Birth” is written by the Irish poet Louis Macneice (1907 - 1963) at the height of the Second World War. In the poem, Louis Macneice expresses his fear at what the world's tyranny can do to the innocence of a child and blames the human race "for the sins that in me the world shall commit". The poem also contains many religious themes and overtones through the use of double-imagery; the child could be seen as a metaphor for Christ, making reference to certain themes and events said to have occurred during his ministry on earth. This poem is written for a child who at not born and he must be in the womb of the mother and before facing world the child prays to God. The poem in that sense is a prayer of unborn child who is yet to come in the world.

 

Analysis of the poem:

 

        In the very first line of the very first stanza the unborn child urges to God 

                             “I am not yet born; o hear me.”  

                           

 In this line we find that the child request to God that initially to listen what he has complaining. Then the child prays to the god to protect him from ‘blood sucking’ and from those who may appear to like ghoul because not only the appearance but also the deeds of such devil like person. He wants God not to late such person ‘come near to him’. 

       Again in the starting of the second stanza the unborn child request to the God ‘to console him’. Then the child expresses his fear regarding ‘tall walls’ built by men. With the reference of tall walls the poet and the child refers to the sad rules and regulation of society. Then the child urges to the God to protect from ‘wise lies’ utter by cruel people of society.

      In the third stanza of the poem the child request to the God ‘to provide’ him water that can purifies his sins, grass that can grow for him, tree that can talk with him, and also sky that can sense for him and to gaudy for him. Then the child also request to the God to provide him birds and light.

     Than the child ask for forgiveness for his sins that will cultivate in him by the time. To forgive him for his words and also thought then the child ask for forgiveness for the treason that many and engendered in him with the course of the time. He also asks forgiveness for his unconsciously committed such a thing that god should forgive him.

      The unborn child then ask God ‘to rehearse’ him for the parts. He has to play cause and the action. He must have to take when alders ‘lecture’ him bureaucrats, and make him a mature person when official person hector him. He again request god to rehearse him. When desert call him a doom and ‘when bagger refuses his gift’ and also ‘when his own child curse him.

      Then in the next stanza the child again request god to hear him. He request god not to let come near to him. A person who things he is God and who is a beast because those who things they can request god are of extreme proved in them and especially such person make others to do forbidden things she such persons too do not heisted to do the things that are against nature. 

     In the last stanza the child request god ‘to fill him’. The child has requested to god to fill him with strength against those who freeze his humanity. To give him strength to fight against those who drag him to do the things which can be prove to be lethal to give him strength to fight against those who may despite his eternity. Again he urges to give him strength to survive himself when he is in such a hands that hold him like water and spill him. 

       In the last two line the child urgest to god 

                “Let them not make me a Stone and

               Let them not spill me otherwise kill me”.     

  If ultimately to survive in the selfish and cruel world he has become like a stone than he request god to kill him not to late him witness the cruelty and selfishness of the world and we part of it rather then he would choose to die.

        Thus in the poem prayer before birth expresses the emotions of unborn child who is varied regarding his present and future who does not want anyone else around him to influence his virtues in negative way. The child also says if any such crimes or sins are going to happen ever after his birth than he request god to kill him in the womb only.