The poem Matilda, written by Hilaire Belloc
(1870-1953), is a typical story written in simple verse format which tells of
Matilda, who was prone to telling lies. Known for works which were popularized
in the late Nineteen Century and early Twentieth Century, Hilaire Belloc's
poetry was diverse, though the Cautionary Tales for Children seem to have captured the hearts
of parents, teachers and young readers, particularly when warning about
the results of bad behavior. The book containing the poem also appeals to those
who enjoy satire, and are familiar with the political time setting of the book.
This particular poem is an example of the messages written by Belloc for a
audience of children, and one can imagine the nanny reading this to the
children with a very animated voice, so as to entertain and to educate the
children in the particular vice of telling lies and the consequences of being
untruthful. Popularized in this edition, the poem was illustrated by his friend
Edward Gorey in almost a Monty Python sketch style.
Matilda comes over as the daughter of a wealthy
family, and when she calls for the services of the London fire brigade in a
moment of boredom, this causes chaos. Her aunt was aware of her vice and
certainly had more respect for people who told the truth. Coming to terms with
the vice the child had and her ability to tell such whopping lies, her aunt was
to live to tell the tale of how Matilda had indeed given the fire brigade a
false alarm.
The meaning is very plain in the way the poem is
written. There is no real need to make an analysis of the meaning of the poem,
though the message is very subtle and the verse contains clever use of words,
the simplicity of which add to the impact of the message. Much as the “Boy who
cried wolf” fable by Aesop, Hilaire Belloc appeared to have a good
understanding of the vices of children, and although not clear from this verse,
one may even assume that he had a love/hate relationship with youth. He
demonstrates this in attempting to address the folly of their ways in many
of the cautionary verses presented, as well as admonishing the folly of adults
in other satirical works within the book. Having had five children, they would
certainly have influenced the writer and encouraged him in his humorous attempt
to provide guidelines for children with vices.
To a certain extent the author mocks his own
works when asked by a reader in the introduction to this book whether the tales found
Source: www.sundayobserver.lk/2008/01/27/mag05.asp-29.06.2013
D.N. Aloysius
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