Hand that rocks the cradle rules the world meaning

In 1865, William Ross Wallace wrote a poem, “What Rules the World.” According to The Free Dictionary, it later became known as “The Hand that Rules the World.” The poem’s refrain, “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world” has become an often-repeated proverb.


The hand that rocks the cradle refers to the

influence mothers have on children

.


Mothers guide their children’s overall growth.


Social

Emotional

Physical

Mental

Spiritual


Think about the power in that position.


The hand that rocks the cradle applies to more than biological mothers.


Some of the most influential include:


Foster mothers

Adoptive mothers

Mothers-in-law

Stepmothers

Grandmothers

Other relatives

Friends

Neighbors

Teachers

Anyone who assumes a mother’s role, formal or informal



This Mother’s Day, thank the mothers in your life.


I am so grateful for the positive influence of my mother plus several others in informal mother roles. Many now live in heaven, but their impact remains.

“Her children arise and call her blessed” (Proverbs 31:28 NIV).

What mothers would you add to the list I made. Please comment.

Thanks to Debbie Tapscott for the suggestion and to


Motherhood is often a thankless job. We do not get big accolades or congratulations. Despite that, mothers have incredible power in this world.






William Ross Wallace wrote a beautiful poem
that outlines the significance of the role of a mother titled
The Hand that Rocks the Cradle Is the Hand that Rules the World
. The title of the poem says it all. Mothers have a significant positive impact on the world. Not just our individual children, but the world.

While this is a sentiment dear to our hearts as humans and perhaps even something we will quote with warm fuzzies, how much is it truly believed by society as a whole?



When I was a senior in college, I had some professors who really were encouraging me to go on to get a Master’s Degree. Let me say, this is without a doubt a dream of mine. I love school. I love learning. I thrived in a university setting. I was named the most outstanding graduate in my department.

While one professor was very encouraging and respectful of my decisions, another one completely scoffed at me.You see, my goal was to be a stay at home mom. My professor made it clear that she thought I would be completely wasting my talents and abilit

This Quote Means: ‘The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world’



What is the full quote and where does it come from?



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“For the hand that rocks the cradle// Is the hand that rules the world,” is the refrain in Wallace’s poem, and also its title. Even though the poem, first published in 1865, is rarely remembered today, the refrain itself has become a popular way of highlighting the impact of motherhood.

The poem goes:

Mothers first to guide the streamlets,
From them souls unresting grow—
Grow on for the good or evil,
Sunshine streamed or evil hurled,
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

The line’s near-universal imagery of a ‘hand rocking the cradle’, an act which soothes and comforts an infant, is a simple yet powerful method of evoking mother figures in the minds of readers or listeners. The next line, which is almost the opposite of the first in its grandness (‘the hand that rules the world’) connects maternal intimacy to a state of power that can change the world itself.


What does the quote mean?


Simply put, the quote says that women have great power in influencing t

hand that rocks the cradle, the


the hand that rocks the cradle (rules the world)


proverb
Mothers ultimately have the greatest power in the world because they influence the way their children develop and the things they do when they grow up. It's important that we offer mothers every support we can. After all, the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.

See also: cradle, hand, rock, that

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

hand that rocks the cradle, the

A mother is a powerful influence, a thought derived from this phrase’s completion: “is the hand that rules the world.” It comes from a poem by William Ross Wallace, “The Hand that Rules the World” (1865), and has been quoted ever since. A British schoolmistress’s change on it makes for a humorous mixed metaphor: “The hand that rocks the cradle kicked the bucket.” A more sinister interpretation is given in the 1992 motion picture
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle,
about a demented nanny seeking revenge for the death of her husband.

See also: hand, rock, that

The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer

See also: