Colored Toys
When I bring to you colored toys, my child,
I understand why there is such a play of colors on clouds, on water,
and why flowers are painted in tints
---when I give colored toys to you, my child.
When I sing to make you dance
I truly now why there is music in leaves,
and why waves send their chorus of voices to the heart of the listening earth
---when I sing to make you dance.
When I bring sweet things to your greedy hands
I know why there is honey in the cup of the flowers
and why fruits are secretly filled with sweet juice
---when I bring sweet things to your greedy hands.
When I kiss your face to make you smile, my darling,
I surely understand what pleasure streams from the sky in morning light,
and what delight that is that is which the summer breeze brings to my body
---when I kiss you to make you smile.
How does the first stanza fit into the overall structure of the poem and contribute to the development of the theme?
It introduces a setting that involves the speaker and a child making observations.
It establishes a relationship between parents and children that is repeated in the poem.
It presents a contrast with what the speaker later reveals about nature.
It establishes a pattern in which the speaker gains a particular perspective.