- Theme: The poem reflects on a deeper, more sorrowful kind of orphanhood, not of those who have lost their parents, but of children who are neglected emotionally and physically by their living parents due to the distractions of modern life.
- Contrast with traditional orphans: Guest contrasts the commonly recognized orphans—those who have lost both parents—with the “orphans of the living,” children who are physically present but emotionally abandoned due to their parents’ priorities, such as ambition or selfish desires.
- Critique of modern life: The poem criticizes parents who, absorbed in their own ambitions or material pursuits, neglect to nurture their children emotionally, leaving them to be cared for by strangers like nannies and nurses.
- Emotional neglect: The “orphans of the living” are children who lack the love, care, and attention that should come from their parents, making their situation even sadder than that of children without parents at all.
- Poetic imagery: Guest uses simple, yet poignant language to paint a picture of how ambition and the pursuit of personal desires can rob children of the emotional foundation that every child needs.
- Message: The poem calls attention to the emotional abandonment happening in many homes, urging readers to reflect on the true needs of children and the consequences of neglecting their role as parents.
Orphans of the Living” by Edgar A. Guest
Faith & Reason Nexus 
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