Address to a Child During a Boisterous Winter Evening - Dorothy Woodsworth

1. With close reference to the text, explain how the wind is compared to an active and mischievous child.

• "He tosses about in every bare tree"
• The wind is restless and energetic

• "But how he will come, and whither he goes, / There’s never a scholar in England knows." 
• The wind goes everywhere and nobody knows where it is

• "And rings a sharp 'larum"
• The wind likes making loud noises to disturb others

• "Sometimes he'll hide in the cave of a rock," // "Yet seek him - and what shall you find in his place? / Nothing but silence and empty space"
• The wind likes to hide from others (hide and seek)
• Also, the wind likes to play pranks

• "in a corner, a heap of dry leaves, / That he's left,"
• The wind likes leaving things around

• "he has been there, and made a great rout,"
• The wind is destructive

• "And growls as if he would fix his claws"
• The wind likes to pretend to be other things
• In this case, a fearsome animal such as a wolf

• "He may knock at the door - we'll not let him in. / May drive at the windows - we'll laugh at his din."
• The wind is obstinate and does not know when to give up or when it is beaten

• "Let him seek his own home, wherever it be;"
• Poet implies that the wind is lonely and wants attention as well as love
• Explains why the wind misbehaves 

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2. Children should be taught and treated with care. Discuss with close reference to the text.

• "But let him range around; he does us no harm"
• Children should be allowed to express themselves as long as they do not harm others

• "He may work his own will, but what shall we care?"
• In contrast, care should be given to children especially when they throw tantrums

• "He may knock at the door - we'll not let him in; / May drive at the windows - we'll laugh at his din;"
• Children should be taught with passive methods (allowing the children to realize their own mistakes)
• Patience must be used with children

• "Let him seek his own home, wherever it be;"
• In contrast, children should not have to fight for love; they should be given attention
• Alternatively, children should be allowed to pursue their own passions and interests

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*UPDATE* Line-by-line interpretation

What way does the wind come? What way does he go?

Where does the wind come from and go to?z

He rides over the water, and over the snow,

He goes over water and over snow
Through wood, and through vale; and o'er rocky height,

He also goes through forests, valleys and mountains
Which the goat cannot climb, takes his sounding flight;

Mountains so steep even the goat cannot climb, is where he takes flight
He tosses about in every bare tree,

As if you look up, you plainly may see;

You can find him in the midst of the leafless trees (the trees are "leafless" because the wind probably blew them away. The adjective emphasizes upon the naughtiness/destructiveness of wind). And if you look up, you can easily see him [tossing the leaves]
But how he will come, and whither he goes,
There never a scholar in England knows.

Nobody in England knows how he comes and where he goes, not even the intellectuals

He will suddenly stop in a cunning nook,
And ring a sharp 'larum; but, if you should look,

He will suddenly disappear into a corner and alarm you with a sharp sound; if you attempt to find him
There's nothing to see but a cushion of snow,

You'll find nothing but a pile of snow
Round as a pillow, and whiter than milk
And softer than if it were covered with silk.

The snow pile is round as a pillow, whiter than milk and softer than if it were to be covered with silk
Sometimes he'll hide in the cave of a rock,
Then whistle as shrill as the buzzard cock;

Sometimes, he will hide in a cave and make a shrill sound like a buzzard cock
- Yet seek him, and what shall you find in that place?
Nothing but silence and empty space;

However if you attempt to find him, you'll find nothing but silence and empty space
Save, in a corner, a heap of dry leaves,
That's he's left, for a bed, to beggars or thieves!

except, a pile of dried leaves as if a bed for beggars or thieves

As soon as 'tis daylight tomorrow, with me
You shall go to the orchard, and then you will see

In the morning, come with me to the orchard and see
That he has been there, and made a great rout,
And cracked the branches, and strewn them about;

that he has ravaged the orchard: he broke the branches and thrown them everywhere
Heaven grant that he spare but that one upright twig
That looked up at the sky so proud and big

Pray that God makes him spare that small tree that looked upwards to the sky feeling proud and big
All last summer, as well you know,
Studded with apples, a beautiful show!

These trees, throughout the summers, are full of apples and make a beautiful scene

Hark! over the roof he makes a pause,
And growls as if he would fix his claws

The wind is on the roof and makes a growling sound as if he were an animal
Right in the slates, and with a huge rattle
Drive them down, like men in a battle:

He will rattle and blow the tiles down the roof, like men charging into battle
- But let him range round; he does us no harm,

It's alright to let him blow around for he cannot hurt us
We build up the fire, we're snug and warm;

We have a fire; we are snug and warm

Untouched by his breath see the candle shines bright,
And burns with a clear and steady light.

The wind cannot blow out the candle light and it shines brightly. (Note that the candle is finally something the wind cannot destroy/blow)

Books have we to read, but that half-stifled knell,

We have books to read. But the muffled bell ("knell" is a funeral bell. The use of this negative, depressing diction hints that the children are sad that the day has ended and they have to go back home for dinner and bed)

Alas! 'tis the sound of the eight o'clock bell.

Signals that it is eight o'clock
- Come, now we'll to bed! and when we are there

He may work his own will, and what shall be care?

We are off to bed and when we are in bed, he can exert all his might but we shan't care
He may knock at the door - we'll not let him in;
May drive at the windows - we'll laugh at his din;

He may blow at the door and the windows but we will not open them. Instead, we will laugh at his futile efforts.
Let him seek his own home wherever it be;

Let him find his own home, wherever it may be
Here's a cozie warm house for Edward and me. 

This cozy house is for Edward and I

(Requested by Edelyn)

Hope this helps ^^