Infantile Influence
By Victor Hugo
The child comes toddling in, and young and old
With smiling eyes its smiling eyes behold,
And artless, babyish joy;
A playful welcome greets it through the room,
The saddest brow unfolds its wrinkled gloom,
To greet the happy boy.
If June with flowers has spangled all the ground,
Or winter bleak the flickering hearth around
Draws close the circling seat;
The child still sheds a never-failing light;
We call; Mamma with mingled joy and fright
Watches its tottering feet.
Perhaps at eve as round the fire we draw,
We speak of heaven, or poetry, or law,
Or politics, or prayer;
The child comes in, 'tis now all smiles and play,
Farewell to grave discourse and poet's lay,
Philosophy and care.
When fancy wakes, but sense in heaviest sleep
Lies steeped, and like the sobs of them that weep
The dark stream sinks and swells,
The dawn, like Pharos gleaming o'er the sea,
Bursts forth, and sudden wakes the minstrelsy
Of birds and chiming bells;
Thou art my dawn; my soul is as the field,
Where sweetest flowers their balmy perfumes yield
When breathed upon by thee,
Of forest, where thy voice like zephyr plays,
And morn pours out its flood of golden rays,
When thy sweet smile I see.
Oh, sweetest eyes, like founts of liquid blue;
And little hands that evil never knew,
Pure as the new-formed snow;
Thy feet are still unstained by this world's mire,
Thy golden locks like aureole of fire
Circle thy cherub brow!
Dove of our ark, thine angel spirit flies
On azure wings forth from thy beaming eyes.
Though weak thine infant feet,
What strange amaze this new and strange world gives
To thy sweet virgin soul, that spotless lives
In virgin body sweet.
Oh, gentle face, radiant with happy smile,
And eager prattling tongue that knows no guile,
Quick changing tears and bliss;
Thy soul expands to catch this new world's light,
Thy mazed eyes to drink each wondrous sight,
Thy lips to taste the kiss.
Oh, God! bless me and mine, and these I love,
And e'en my foes that still triumphant prove
Victors by force or guile;
A flowerless summer may we never see,
Or nest of bird bereft, or hive of bee,
Or home of infant's smile.
With smiling eyes its smiling eyes behold,
And artless, babyish joy;
A playful welcome greets it through the room,
The saddest brow unfolds its wrinkled gloom,
To greet the happy boy.
If June with flowers has spangled all the ground,
Or winter bleak the flickering hearth around
Draws close the circling seat;
The child still sheds a never-failing light;
We call; Mamma with mingled joy and fright
Watches its tottering feet.
Perhaps at eve as round the fire we draw,
We speak of heaven, or poetry, or law,
Or politics, or prayer;
The child comes in, 'tis now all smiles and play,
Farewell to grave discourse and poet's lay,
Philosophy and care.
When fancy wakes, but sense in heaviest sleep
Lies steeped, and like the sobs of them that weep
The dark stream sinks and swells,
The dawn, like Pharos gleaming o'er the sea,
Bursts forth, and sudden wakes the minstrelsy
Of birds and chiming bells;
Thou art my dawn; my soul is as the field,
Where sweetest flowers their balmy perfumes yield
When breathed upon by thee,
Of forest, where thy voice like zephyr plays,
And morn pours out its flood of golden rays,
When thy sweet smile I see.
Oh, sweetest eyes, like founts of liquid blue;
And little hands that evil never knew,
Pure as the new-formed snow;
Thy feet are still unstained by this world's mire,
Thy golden locks like aureole of fire
Circle thy cherub brow!
Dove of our ark, thine angel spirit flies
On azure wings forth from thy beaming eyes.
Though weak thine infant feet,
What strange amaze this new and strange world gives
To thy sweet virgin soul, that spotless lives
In virgin body sweet.
Oh, gentle face, radiant with happy smile,
And eager prattling tongue that knows no guile,
Quick changing tears and bliss;
Thy soul expands to catch this new world's light,
Thy mazed eyes to drink each wondrous sight,
Thy lips to taste the kiss.
Oh, God! bless me and mine, and these I love,
And e'en my foes that still triumphant prove
Victors by force or guile;
A flowerless summer may we never see,
Or nest of bird bereft, or hive of bee,
Or home of infant's smile.
Poem Analysis:
Victor Hugo’s Infantile Influence is a deeply affectionate meditation on the innocence, purity, and transformative power of a young child. Written with warmth and philosophical insight, the poem is more than a sentimental portrait of early childhood — it is a statement about the moral and emotional influence a child exerts on the adult world. Through richly detailed imagery and a reverent tone, Hugo captures the spiritual essence of childhood and its role in elevating the human heart.
1. The Child as a Source of Joy
The opening stanza introduces the child entering a room, instantly lighting up the atmosphere. The phrase “young and old / With smiling eyes its smiling eyes behold” reflects the universal joy that children inspire. Hugo emphasizes the disarming power of “artless, babyish joy”, which gently unknots the “saddest brow” and dissolves adult concerns.
Here, the child functions almost like a healing presence — emotionally restorative, innocent, and incapable of causing harm. This portrayal is consistent with Romantic ideals of the child as a symbol of purity and spiritual grace.
2. Eternal Radiance Amid Life’s Seasons
The second stanza presents the child as a constant source of light, regardless of external conditions. Whether it’s “June with flowers” or “winter bleak”, the child’s presence is likened to “a never-failing light.” This image suggests that the inner radiance of childhood transcends time, age, and even the natural world’s cycles.
Hugo contrasts the carefree joy of the child with the nervous concern of “Mamma,” who watches its “tottering feet.” This moment adds a layer of realism — parental anxiety — while highlighting how the child is simultaneously a cause of joy and responsibility.
3. Disruption and Delight
The third stanza humorously shows how a child’s presence can dissolve the most serious adult conversations. As adults discuss “heaven, or poetry, or law,” the child arrives and shifts the energy entirely: “Farewell to grave discourse and poet’s lay, / Philosophy and care.”
This contrast between solemn adult thought and spontaneous childlike joy underscores Hugo’s larger message: that wisdom is not only found in books or debates, but also in the purity and spontaneity of a child’s spirit. The child becomes a quiet force that humbles even the most elevated ideas.
4. The Child as a Spiritual Dawn
In one of the poem’s most lyrical stanzas, Hugo invokes the imagery of dawn and music to describe the child’s presence. Like the “Pharos gleaming o’er the sea” (a lighthouse), the child is a guiding light that “wakes the minstrelsy / Of birds and chiming bells.” This metaphor elevates the child to the level of a spiritual or cosmic force — a new day, a new beginning, a source of music and meaning.
Calling the child “my dawn”, Hugo expresses how the child rejuvenates the adult spirit. The adult soul is likened to a field where flowers bloom under the breath of the child — a vivid metaphor for innocence awakening beauty in a jaded world.
5. Innocence Embodied
The next stanzas dwell on the child’s physical and spiritual purity. The eyes are “like founts of liquid blue”, the hands are “pure as the new-formed snow,” and the golden hair forms an “aureole of fire”, evoking a saintly or angelic image.
Hugo's spiritual elevation of the child continues with comparisons to a “dove of our ark” and a “cherub”. These biblical and celestial images highlight how the child, though physically fragile, embodies a divine presence that contrasts with the corruption of the adult world. The child has not yet been stained by “this world’s mire” and remains untouched by vice.
6. Wonder and Awakening
The child’s amazement at the world is portrayed with tenderness: “What strange amaze this new and strange world gives / To thy sweet virgin soul…” Hugo celebrates this state of unknowing wonder, emphasizing the freshness with which a child experiences life.
He captures the contrast between emotional extremes — the “eager prattling tongue” and the “quick changing tears and bliss” — portraying a soul in the process of awakening, stretching out to absorb sensation, affection, and knowledge.
7. A Prayer for Protection and Innocence
The poem ends in a humble and heartfelt prayer: “Oh, God! bless me and mine, and these I love…” Hugo asks for divine protection not only for loved ones but also for his enemies. He connects this prayer to the central image of the child by asking that we never witness a world without flowers, bird nests, bee hives — or “home of infant’s smile.”
This final line places the child’s smile at the heart of a flourishing, peaceful world. It represents life’s most precious joys — fragile, pure, and in need of protection.
The Child as Moral Compass and Light
Infantile Influence is a poetic celebration of childhood as both sacred and transformative. For Victor Hugo, the child is not merely a subject of affection — the child is a symbol of hope, moral clarity, and divine influence. In a world weighed down by politics, pain, and philosophy, the child offers lightness, renewal, and love.
Hugo’s Romantic vision reflects his belief that the soul, at its purest, is most visible in children — and that adults, through their presence, may recover lost innocence and a deeper connection to the divine. This poem, both tender and profound, affirms the eternal influence of the innocent in a complex and often troubled world.