Final answer:
In "Cry of the Children", children lament their premature proximity to death and suffering due to the hardships of child labour, contrasting their situation with the natural progression of life experienced by the elderly.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem "Cry of the Children," the children are described as longing to be distant from suffering and the harsh realities of their laborious lives. Unlike the old, who are closer to the grave and have lived full lives, these young children feel they should be far from the end, indicating they wish to be a long time away from death, which is synonymous in the poem with suffering. The children see the old man as being close to death and imply that they, due to their youth, should be a great distance from such a fate.
The poem makes social commentary on the plight of child labourers during the Industrial Revolution, highlighting the physical and emotional toll it takes on them. The children's protest in the poem reflects the broader anti-child labour movement of the time, which was characterized by advocacy for reduced working hours, opportunities for education, and time for children to play.