Father and Child

Father and Child - meaning Summary

Judgment and Tenderness Clashing

The poem presents a brief exchange about social condemnation and private feeling. The speaker declares that a woman is ostracized for being associated with a man who carries a terrible reputation. She responds not with denial but with an intimate, sensory defense, praising his beautiful hair and cold eyes. The contrast highlights how communal judgment can coexist uneasily with individual attraction and affection.