Holy Thursday
by William Blake
Is this a holy thing to see
In a rich and fruitful land,
Babes reduced to misery
Fed with cold and usurous hand?
Is that trembling cry a song?
Can it be a song of joy?
And so many children poor?
It is a land of poverty!
And their sun does never shine.
And their fields are bleak & bare.
And their ways are fill'd with thorns.
It is eternal winter there.
For where-e’er the sun does shine,
And where-e’er the rain does fall:
Babe can never hunger there,
Nor poverty the mind appall.
by William Blake
Is this a holy thing to see
In a rich and fruitful land,
Babes reduced to misery
Fed with cold and usurous hand?
Is that trembling cry a song?
Can it be a song of joy?
And so many children poor?
It is a land of poverty!
And their sun does never shine.
And their fields are bleak & bare.
And their ways are fill'd with thorns.
It is eternal winter there.
For where-e’er the sun does shine,
And where-e’er the rain does fall:
Babe can never hunger there,
Nor poverty the mind appall.
Read more about this poem here:
www.sparknotes.com/poetry/blake/section7.rhtml
Some facts we should all be aware of
www.sparknotes.com/poetry/blake/section7.rhtml
Some facts we should all be aware of
World Hunger and Poverty: How They Fit Together
- 963 million people across the world are hungry.
- Every day, almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes-one child every five seconds.
- In essence, hunger is the most extreme form of poverty, where individuals or families cannot afford to meet their most basic need for food.
- Hunger manifests itself in many ways other than starvation and famine. Most poor people who battle hunger deal with chronic undernourishment and vitamin or mineral deficiencies, which result in stunted growth, weakness and heightened susceptibility to illness.
- Countries in which a large portion of the population battles hunger daily are usually poor and often lack the social safety nets we enjoy, such as soup kitchens, food stamps, and job training programs. When a family that lives in a poor country cannot grow enough food or earn enough money to buy food, there is nowhere to turn for help.
Facts and Figures on Hunger and Poverty
- In 2005, almost 1.4 billion people lived below the international poverty line, earning less than $1.25 per day.
- Among this group of poor people, many have problems obtaining adequate, nutritious food for themselves and their families. As a result, 947 million people in the developing world are undernourished. They consume less than the minimum amount of calories essential for sound health and growth.
- Undernourishment negatively affects people’s health, productivity, sense of hope and overall well-being. A lack of food can stunt growth, slow thinking, sap energy, hinder fetal development and contribute to mental retardation.
- Economically, the constant securing of food consumes valuable time and energy of poor people, allowing less time for work and earning income.
- Socially, the lack of food erodes relationships and feeds shame so that those most in need of support are often least able to call on it.
Related links
- World Food Programme: Fighting hunger worldwide
- Hunger map: the geography of hunger
- Freerice.com: For each correct answer to these vocabulary questions 10 grains of rice are donated through the UN World Food Program to help end world hunger
- Collection of resources for students and teachers about the biggest risk to global health
- Learn more about this bloggers' movement and join the cause
- Related post and video on a student's blog:
- More posts about this topic and Bono's older, yet thought provoking You Tube video Make Poverty History
- Read Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist online or download the ebook to take a glimpse at a world of cruelty and poverty and a child's misfortunes in it
Students are welcome to express their feelings about this crucial situation through their comments, having reflected on the above sad world facts.
and this is true here in the Philippines, my country!so sad!help us!
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