IF I WERE IN CHARGE OF THE WORLD - JUDITH VIORST
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IF I WERE IN CHARGE
OF THE WORLD –
JUDITH VIORST
If I were in
charge of the world
I’d cancel
oatmeal,
Monday
mornings,
Allergy shots, and also Sara Steinberg.
If I were in
charge of the world
There’d be
brighter nights lights,
Healthier
hamsters, and
Basketball baskets forty eight inches lower
If I were in
charge of the world
You wouldn’t have lonely.
You wouldn’t
have clean.
You wouldn’t
have bedtimes.
Or “Don’t punch
your sister.”
You wouldn’t even have sisters.
If I were in
charge of the world
A chocolate
sundae with whipped cream and nuts would be a vegetable
All 007 movies
would be G,
And a person
who sometimes forgot to brush,
And sometimes
forgot to flush,
Would still be
allowed to be
In charge of the world
The Mastermind Behind The Poem:
(I am sure everyone is wondering who is the creator of this lovely poem. Well, you don't have to wait no more. Drumroll, please.)
The sweet lady in the picture is Judith Viorst, the poet of the poem, If I Were In Charge Of The World. She is an American writer, newspaper journalist, and psychoanalysis researcher.
A Short Introduction
Of The Poem:
(It will be short like the child in the poem… hehe… no offence to the kid. I just want to loosen up before I start to shoot my shot and be in charge of this article. Let’s get started!)
The
poem, “If I Were In Charge Of The World”, written by Judith Viorst, consists of
four stanza, ranging from four to seven line in each stanza. It is written from
the perspective of a small child; he refers to himself in first person: using “I”
to identify himself.
He
is frustrated with the way the world treats him; restricts him from doing his
favourite activities and forces him to do things he doesn’t want to do. If he
were in charge, he would follow his desires and change certain things to make
his life easier. Overall, this simple poem is very sweet and adorable; it
reminds the readers of their childhood and how they used to grumble over small
things that were considered huge back then.
Breaking The
Poem Into Little Pieces:
(Imagine a delicious chocolate chip biscuit that is bigger than your palm. You cannot eat it in one bite… well you can, but you will choke. So, what do you do? You break it into little pieces, so that it is easier for you to eat it. It is the same with the poem. I broke it down into little pieces and explained it in my own words, so that it is easier to understand. Enjoy ~)
If
I were in charge of the world
I’d
cancel oatmeal,
Monday
mornings,
Allergy
shots, and also Sara Steinberg.
In the first stanza of the poem,
the poet states that the child wants to get rid of certain things if he were in
charge of the world.
Firstly, the child wishes to
‘cancel’ oatmeal. I believe he eats oatmeal for breakfast daily; he does not
like to eat it, however, it is forced upon him by his parents. It is not a
surprise for the child to hate eating it, as most children have a strong
objection to being fed oatmeal. This is due to the fact that oatmeal is not
appealing to the eye of the children and tastes plain on the tongue: it is a
big bowl of flavourless mushy porridge of oats.
Next, the child is not happy with
Monday mornings. Monday mornings indicate the end of the weekend and the start
of school days. No children want to give up their leisure time - watching
television, playing games on their parents’ phone, hanging out with their
friends, staying up past their usual bedtime - for school because they need to
wake up early, complete their homework and they are restricted from activities
that will distract them from their education.
Furthermore, the child despises
allergy shots; albeit the shots are beneficial to him in reducing his allergy
symptoms, however he has a strong negative feeling towards it and wishes to
stop receiving it. One cannot blame the child for his hatred of allergy shots.
This is because, children are especially and extremely afraid of needles as
their skins are unused to being pricked with something sharp. Looking at the
long and sharp needle used for the allergy shot, it is not a surprise that he
hates it because the child’s Trypanophobia is at its peak. Plus, the side effects after having an allergy
shot include redness and swell at the site of the injection; it is not the
most comfortable situation for the child to be in.
Sara Steinberg is someone that the child does not like or is annoyed with. The most plausible answer to who is Sara Steinberg is she is a licensed psychologist who works with children, teenagers, adults and families. I believe that the child does not like attending the therapy with her and would avoid it at all cost if he were in charge of the world. Although therapy provides one with the opportunity to change for the better, the society still looks down on people who attend it; they believe that the only people who are not in the right minds require therapy. It could be that the child could feel that people perceive him as different and he feels bothered to go to therapy. Another possible reason could be that the child just doesn't like Sara Steinberg as a human being, thus he wants to get rid of her.
STANZA 2
If
I were in charge of the world
There’d
be brighter nights lights,
Healthier
hamsters, and
Basketball
baskets forty eight inches lower.
In the second stanza of the poem, the
readers are able to find out more about the child’s personality and the changes
he would make if he were in charge of the world.
First of all, the child wishes to
have brighter lights at night. There are different meanings for ‘Nights
Lights’. It could be referred to as bright lights at night festivals, the ones
produced by lanterns and fairy lights. It could also refer to the city lights
at night, for instance, the lights from the many cars that are moving in a
snail-paced on the busy road, office buildings and shopping centres; they lit
up the city nightlife. This implies that the child loves the night scene and
hopes that the lights at night will be brighter for his entertainment.
On the other hand, ‘Nights Lights’
could also refer to the small light fixture, usually electrical, that people
use at night for emergency or to relieve fear of the dark. This meaning of
‘Nights Lights’ makes more sense because
most children are afraid of the dark. The child who is scared of the dark believes
that his current nightlight is not sufficient and bright enough to fight the
darkness, so he imagines that if he were the one who is managing everything, he
would find nightlights that are brighter than his current ones, to brighten up
his room and help him sleep soundly at night.
Other than cats and dogs, hamsters
are also one of the most wanted pets for children. This is because a hamster is
so tiny and cute; it fits right in one’s hand. Unfortunately, hamsters’
lifespan is short. Usually, once coming to a new house, hamsters die very
quickly from numerous causes such as the lack of nutrients or bacterial
infection. Clearly, the child had once been the owner of hamsters and most, if
not all, died within a short period of time. He must have loved his hamsters
dearly because if he had the power, he would have wished for his hamsters to
live a long, healthy life.
The child is someone who enjoys playing basketball during his spare time. However, the normal height of the basketball baskets makes it hard for the child to shoot. If he were the one in control, he would have cut off 121.92 cm from the normal height; the basketball baskets would have been shorter. Consequently, he does not need to spend too much effort trying to shoot the ball in the basket.
STANZA 3
If
I were in charge of the world
You
wouldn’t have lonely.
You
wouldn’t have clean.
You
wouldn’t have bedtimes.
Or
“Don’t punch your sister.”
You
wouldn’t even have sisters.
In the third stanza of the poem,
the poet describes that the child does not like to be instructed or nagged. He
believes that if he were in charge of the world, nobody would tell him what to
do; he is free to do what his heart desires.
Lonely is such a miserable word. It
is unfortunate that the child has to go through loneliness to understand the
meaning of lonely and to wish for it to never happen to others. One may wonder,
what is the reason behind his wanting to do away with ‘lonely’ in this world?
Is it because he does not want others to suffer like he did? One could only
imagine the causes of his loneliness. It could be the parents’ fault: they are
too busy with their work; to bring food on the table that they left the child
feeling ignored; no one close to him is spending time to understand what is spinning
around his mind, and maybe that is why he had to go to therapy and meet Sara
Steinberg (From Stanza 1). Other than that, it could be that the child is
having a hard time fitting in at school, which leads to him feeling lonely,
even though he is surrounded with children his age. Overall, it is clear that
the child is lonely, knows the pain of loneliness and if he were in charge, he
would get rid of the causes of loneliness and the emotion of loneliness to ensure
no one will be lonely again.
It becomes less serious as the line
goes down in Stanza 3. Moving on from the serious topic – loneliness, the poet
shows the childish side of the child in the next couple of lines.
If the child were the one running
the world, ‘clean’ would be thrown out of the window. It is not a surprise that
children love to get dirty – playing in the rain, jumping on puddles and mud,
rolling on the wet grass, touching everything they see and if there is nobody
around, keeping an eye on them, they might even put anything in their mouth:
they are curious creatures. The opposite of dirty is clean. So, taking a bath
is out of the question for the children; they feel like their effort to get
dirty will be wasted if they washed it away. Overall, the child does not want
to be told to clean and he speaks for the children all over the world that if
he were in a position of power, the act of cleaning would not exist in this
world.
In addition, he loathes the idea of
going to bed on time. After all, there are so many things he could do or
continue doing, see or continue seeing, hear or continue hearing and eat or
continue eating, for instance, watching movies while eating popcorn. Having a
set time to sleep, the child is restricted from doing activities he enjoys the
most. He is forced to sleep early and wake up on time; the bedtime will be even
stricter when it is on the weekdays because it is school days. If he were the
one calling the shots, he would get rid of bedtimes and let everyone sleep
whenever they want to.
Next,
the poet describes the child as someone who doesn’t like to be scolded, even if
he were the one at fault. He is a cheeky kid who likes to mess around with his
sister, however, he could be a bit rough at times; it is all fun and games
until someone cries. Bothering his sister comes with a consequence: an earful
lecture from his parents. At the end, he places the blame of his action on his
sister; he believes if sisters do not exist in the first place, he will not be
in that situation. If he were in charge, nobody would scold him of his rough
play. As a matter of fact, there would not be a reason to scold him in the first
place because if he were responsible, he would make sure that there are no
sisters.
STANZA 4
If
I were in charge of the world
A
chocolate sundae with whipped cream and nuts would be a vegetable
All
007 movies would be G,
And
a person who sometimes forgot to brush,
And
sometimes forgot to flush,
Would
still be allowed to be
In
charge of the world
In
the last stanza, the child wishes to change the perspective on certain things that
are perceived as bad for children. This is to allow the child to indulge in his
favourite activities without restriction and to be what he wants to be without
having to follow any guidelines.
It
is a common knowledge that children have a sweet tooth and prefer to eat colourful,
sugary food; it is attractive to the eye and a delight on the tongue. However, eating
too much sugar is not healthy.Thus, parents took it upon themselves to be
responsible for their children’s diet by restricting children’s sugar intake
and forcing them to eat healthily by putting more vegetables on their plates. If
the child in the poem has the ability to change people’s mind, he would make
people believe that a chocolate sundae with whipped cream and nuts is a healthy
food. If the dessert is considered as a vegetable, his parents would not
restrict him from eating it, instead they would encourage him to eat more; he
could eat it everyday, if he wants to.
Next,
the child loves to watch James Bond movies. Unfortunately, the rating of the
movies is PG-13; he is required to watch it with his parents as some of the
scenes in the movies are not appropriate for children under 13. The parents may
not allow him to watch the movies by himself but they are not always free to
accompany him to watch it; they have to go to work. So, the child may rarely
get the chance to watch the movies. If he were the one who is in control of the
world, he would make sure that his favourite action movies are suitable for
everyone to watch. Then, he can watch it any time he wants without having to
wait for his parents’ permission.
Finally,
if he were the one in charge, there would not be any guidelines or restrictions
to being the one on top. Plus, it would be alright for someone who manages the
world to forget certain things sometimes, for instance, forgetting to flush the
toilet after doing one’s business or forgetting to brush one’s teeth before
going to bed, because nobody is perfect; children are human too. It is
inevitable for them to forget sometimes. The child wants to create a world that
is understanding and forgiving; to not be so strict to someone who wants to be
in charge.
Closing Curtains
(Our time together is coming to an end. I will leave you with my final thoughts on the poem.)
The
poem, “If I Were In Charge Of The World” will always have a special place in my
heart. I am glad that this poem is one of the chosen five to represent my group’s
theme, Children’s Literary Works. One may wonder, what are the requirements in
picking the right poem that is suitable to the theme?
First
of all, the poem should be suitable for children. Clearly, “If I Were In Charge
Of The World” kicks this one out of the park; the poem is perfect for children.
It is written from a child’s perspective. It
talks about the changes the child would make if he were in charge. The reason
behind his desire for a change is due to the fact that the child is frustrated
with his current situation; there are too many restrictions and guidelines.
Children
are able to relate with him because they are also facing the same situation as
him. Similarly, they have Monday blues and strict bedtimes. Plus, the child is
not the only one who is having a hard time trying to shoot because the
basketball baskets are too high; children all over the world also struggle
trying to play basketball with those tall baskets.
They
also wish that their favourite dessert could be counted as a healthy food, so
that the children can eat more of it without receiving sharp glares from their
parents. Sometimes, they also forget to flush after using the toilet and brush
their teeth before going to sleep.
It is nice for the children to have someone that
they can relate to, so that they do not feel lonely. Oh, would you look at that?
It seems that the child’s wish to get rid of loneliness is achievable; he is not
even in charge of the world yet. That’s awesome!
Furthermore,
this poem encourages the children to think of the changes they would make if
they were the one in charge of the world. This enhances their critical thinking.
Overall, this poem leaves a positive impact on the children.
Next,
although children’s literary works mainly focus on children, we believe that the
poem should have an impact on adults as well; they should be able to gain
something from it, after all, one is never too old to learn.
“If I Were In Charge Of The World” is a sweet and
simple poem can be enjoyed by adults. It awakens the readers’ buried memories
of their childhood and reminds them of their train of thoughts and innocent
desires during their most peaceful moment of their life; a time when they do
not have responsibilities. Reading this poem, one can get a sense of youth and
travel back in time where everything was easier.
If
one notices, the changes that the child wants to make, may not be beneficial to
him. In fact, it may actually do him more harm than good. After all, rules are there
to guide and keep one safe, but it can be very restrictive and one can feel
suffocated with it.
As
a child, one would not notice anything wrong with the child’s desire; blinded
with wanting to have fun. One would even support the child because everything
he stated is relatable – dessert should be considered as healthy.
Nevertheless,
when one reaches adulthood, one is able to differentiate right from wrong and have
a greater understanding of the world. One will find that the child’s wishes in
the poem are childish. However, what can one learn from this poem?
One
can learn to be more understanding of children. Growing up, it seems that one
sheds the shell of a child in one’s heart, forgetting one’s reasons of action and
the way one’s thinking when younger. This leads to one not being able to
understand the children when one is older. Thus, forcing the children to do
something they don’t want to do, even if it is beneficial to them is the norm. For
instance, oatmeal. Children hate it. However, they are forced to eat it. If
they refuse, they are nagged until their ears fall off; they will be told that
they are not being appreciative enough and that other people are having it
worse. Nobody asks the children, why don’t they like oatmeal? When one is able
to find the causes, one can easily track down the solutions. If one has the
ability to understand children, then one would realise that the children hates oatmeal
because it is bland. Therefore, one can fix the issue by decorating the plate
to make it look feasible to the eye or add in fruits to the mix to make it
sweeter. The world would be a better place if we all took time to understand each
other.
In
a nutshell, I hope everyone had a good time reading the poem, “If I Were In
Charge Of The World” written by Judith Viorst and gain a better understanding
of it after reading this article. This poem is suitable for the young ones, so don’t
be shy to recommend it to your friends and family.
Have
a lovely day. Thank you!
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