Children in the Darkness
There are children in the darkness
Who have not seen the light
There are children in the darkness
Who someone will teach to fight

Chalk and blackboards will not be
To this door there is no key
From this life they can not flee
And these children are not free

Could we simply light a candle
Could we give them half a chance
Could we teach them how to read
Could we teach them how to dance

Or will a war consume them
Their body and their soul
Will their life and blood be poured
Down some endless thirsty hole

Back into the darkness
From which there is no flight
Back into the darkness
Into which there shines no light

by Henry M Bechtold

Children in the Darkness - The author refers to the children in the darkness
There are children in the darkness - The author implicates that there are children in the darkness
Who have not seen the light - have not seen the light refers to the fact that they did not know that peace is good, has been suffering but not enjoying their lige
There are children in the darkness – The author again emphasis on the children in the darkness
Who someone will teach to fight - The author tells us that these children will be thought to fight.

Chalk and blackboards will not be – this sentence refers to the fact that these children are not thought using chalk and blackboards, referring to the fact that they are not thought knowledge but how to fight. Foreshadowed in the first stanza.
To this door there is no key - This door refers to the door between freedom and suffering, and the author said that these children cannot escape from suffering.
From this life they can not flee – the author said that the children cannot run away from the life of misery that they are suffering now.
And these children are not free – Thus, these children are not free.

Could we simply light a candle – the light is a symbol of kindness. This sentence refers to giving them kindness
Could we give them half a chance – In this sentence, the author wanted the reader to give them a chance
Could we teach them how to read – In this sentence, the author wanted the reader to teach the children to read, an opposite of fighting that the children are thought from young
Could we teach them how to dance – In this sentence, the author wanted the reader to teach these children to dance , which is also the opposite of fighting. This and the above sentence are the freedom or light that the author refers to.
Or will a war consume them – OR is the alternative that the author gives, telling that if not , the children will be consumed by war.
Their body and their soul ¬– both their body and soul, meaning that they will become numb towards death and be a killing machine, consumed by war.
Will their life and blood be poured – During war, death occurs every day, thus, the author pitied the death of these terrorist who were once children and now brought up with the wrong values and is killed.
Down some endless thirsty hole ¬ - thirsty hole , in my opinion is war. Down some endless thirsty hole would refers to the fact that these children are engulfed by war.

Back into the darkness – this sentence means that the children are back Into the darkness that they were once into. Darkness is refers to war, pain, ignorance.
From which there is no flight - flight refers to fleeing, no flight means that there are no escape, referring back to the first few sentences.
Back into the darkness – the author emphasis this sentence again.
Into which there shines no light – shines no light, where light symbolise peace and freedom, this sentence refers to the fact that the life that these children are living has not peace and freedom.
Point of view:
The point of view of this author is that there are children in this world that is not thought, they could not find a job and grow up only to fight. I think that these children are referring to the children in middle east where they were brought to become terrorist, but not thought why they must fight, they are not free to decide their fate, but forced to join the war. The author believes that they deserve a chance to learn just like other children do.
Evidence:
The author repeated use of children in the darkness.
Elaboration:
The author use darkness as a symbol of war, pain and captivity. When the author said that the children are children of the darkness, it infers that the children of pain and captivity. And in 3rd stanza, the author introduced light, which represent freedom and a normal life. The author wanted to bring awareness that if we could give half a chance to them, they will be freed from their pain.
Situation and setting:
In the middle east, terrorist area.
Evidence:
The author said, the children were taught to fight but not thought to dance, or sing. And he said that these children were not free.
Elaboration:
The only place where children were thought to fight Is the terrorist area as the children were need to join the war. And of course, they were not free as they need to accomplish certain task that cost their life. In which, only terrorism.
Personal response:
I think that this poem is really interesting and brought out a side that the terrorist that none of us has seen.
Evidence:
The use of children
Elaboration:
The author knows that everyone was once a children, including the terrorist. He is asking the world, before they accuse the terrorist of what they had done, they did not judge themselves. Because if they had given the terrorist a chance when they were young, when they were thought to read or sing, they would not have become a terrorist. Mostly, people hated terrorist for killing people, but most of the time, the terrorist dies too. (E.G. suicide bomber). This shows that these terrorists were thought the wrong information when they were young. Thus, we must give children of the middle east chance to get a bright future, and sent them free for terrorism.