The Poor Orphan Child

My feet they are sore, and my limbs they are weary;

Long is the way, and the mountains are wild;

Soon will the twilight close moonless and dreary

Over the path of the poor orphan child.

Why did they send me so far and lonely,

Up where the moors spread and grey rocks are piled?

Men are hard-hearted, and kind angels only

Watch o’er the steps of a poor orphan child

Yet distant and soft the night breeze is blowing,

Clouds there are none, and clear stars beam mild,

God, in His mercy, protection is showing,

Comfort and hope to the poor orphan child.

So begins the song that Bessie sings to Jane as she recovers from her fit. The song does nothing to improve Jane’s mood, and it is not difficult to see why--the song is not a happy one. Besides being a sad song, it also tells the story of a sad life, and not just any life at that. The song directly parallels everything that happens to Jane throughout her childhood.

The first stanza calls to mind the long walks Jane took to and from church in the winter. In the frigid darkness, the students of Lowood had to walk miles every week as a part of their curriculum, making their feet sore and their limbs weary. The twilight closing also symbolizes the end of life, which many students faced as a result of the cold. Without proper health care and without any home to return to, many poor orphan children faced moonless, dreary deaths.

The second stanza is reminiscent of Mr. Brocklehurst, the most hard-hearted man portrayed thus far in the book. The school he runs is far and lonely from any other source of life, and it is strict and confining, with many students forced into cruel and unusual punishments for things that they cannot control. When he sees Jane and humiliates her in front of the entire school, she is avoided like the plague, ignored and shunned until the past fades into the past. Alone and angry, there are only kind angels watching over her steps.

Finally, the third stanza follows the path of her growing up. There is light at the end of the tunnel; the school is reformed, and after a time, she leaves for better prospects. Besides that, when students all around her are being punished and ridiculed, she is lauded and praised. When students are dying, she stays alive. Jane would not think so, as she doesn’t think much of God and religion, but many would say that, in this way, God is protecting her. As her life improves, clouds and breeze begin to fade away.

Bessie does not appear to have any sort of fortune-telling powers. She is just an aging governess with a propensity for singing sad songs to herself and to her children. However, this song in particular was sung at just the right time. As Jane listened, she was suddenly a witness to her own future, although no one--not even the readers--realized.