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What is the theme in "The Children of the Poor" by Gwendolyn Brooks?

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A theme in "The Children of the Poor" is a deep maternal love and fear for children who don't have access to wealth or power.
The speaker of the poem recognizes that children bring worry because love makes a person vulnerable. This is expressed when she says that people without children can leave easier and less stressful lives; they don't know what it is to constantly fret over their children. However, they don't know the deep love that comes with having children either.
She is worried about her children. She loves them and fears that she has nothing good to give them. The world is hard and difficult; not everyone will be able to succeed when there is so much evil and danger. However, she knows that she can teach them about the world and help them survive it while they're young.
She makes it clear that even deeply held religious beliefs should be considered more like loose rules to live by. While their faith is important, it's also important that they're able to live in the real world. They should judge situations and rules not only by their religious faith but also with skepticism and intelligence. Then they can interpret and reinterpret their faith to work with the world when such changes are needed.
Her fear is that the children will never be able to achieve justice and live good lives for themselves. At that point, all that's left is a universal death, which will happen to everyone, rich or poor. Before that comes, she wants them to be able to survive, even if it means being hard and fighting against an uncaring world.

The Children of the Poor

What is the theme in "The Children of the Poor" by Gwendolyn Brooks?

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