"Casbianca" (The boy who would not Flee)

The poem “Casabianca” by Felicia Hemans contains some explicit images in her poem. One of such image is the wind blowing the boy’s hair while he stands on the burning deck waiting for his father in the surrounding fire. However, the image that seems to dominate or stay constant throughout the poem is when the boy is standing on the burning deck, while people are trying to escape from harm, he is calling to his father to say the words so that he can leave the deck.

The first reaction of the boy is not running to a safer place, but to wait until the words telling him to leave come from his father’s mouth; he barely even moved a muscle even though fire is spreading around him. This image of staying and waiting for the response of his father shows faithfulness and obedience. The poem implied that the father told the boy to stay put until he was told to leave before the deck was caught on fire. Knowing that the boy would not leave without his father’s words, I believe the author is implying that faithfulness and obedience are a crucial part of life. We, humans, build our society by following the laws and rules; we are strong because of these rules. However, if we were to disobey and neglect the laws, then society and countries would not last. The civilized place where we once live peacefully will become a place of chaos and savages.

The reason why the boy would not budge from his spot is because he does not want to live knowing that he had disobey the person who raised him his whole live. Disobeying his father would be the same as betraying and abandoning his father. Children often believe that breaking the rule is fun and harmless, but how can we become the person that can tell what is right and what is wrong today by disobeying our parents and others? While people often feels that by disobeying, they are more independence as a person and that is a good thing. However, not only will disobeying cause yourself guilt, but disobeying will cause you to take a different path when everyone else is following another path. In other words, you will be isolated and alone from everyone else. This is what I believe the images of the poem “Casabianca” is showing.