“The hand that cradles the cradle” is an idiom referring to a woman’s influence on children and potentially the world. It can be used positively or negatively, with mothers often having a large influence on how their children are raised and developing their morals, manners, work ethic, and belief systems. The saying has been used in film and song titles and originates from William Ross Wallace’s poem “The hand that shakes the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”
Simply put, “the hand that cradles the cradle” is an idiom that refers to women and, more specifically, their influence on children and potentially the world. Traditionally, a woman is the parent who is closest to her child during his developmental years, and consequently provides some level of influence for the child. Thus, the phrase typically refers to a woman’s influence on a certain subject. Sometimes, the saying is used in a positive way, sometimes it’s used in a negative way. Some say “the hand that cradles the cradle rules the world,” which is similar to the full title of a William Ross Wallace poem, is the full saying.
Generally, the saying is used positively and favorably. Some believe that because mothers often have a large influence on how their children are raised, they also have an influence on how the world works or develops. The influence a mother might have on her child can extend to everything from morals and manners to work ethic and belief systems. The woman’s influence can be strong, often so strong that the results of her influence can extend far beyond her lifetime. Thus, the woman, and more specifically the mother, is thought to be quite powerful.
However, the saying can also be used in a negative way. For example, people might use the saying if they are referring to the upbringing or childhood of a misbehaving child or a criminal adult. If the person’s upbringing, or even specifically the person’s mother, is thought to have contributed to the person’s negative behavior, people might use the saying to express that belief.
Like many idiomatic expressions used in popular culture, “the hand that cradles the cradle” has been used in both film and song titles. Perhaps the most significant use of this idiom is as the title of William Ross Wallace’s 1865 poem. The full title, which is a version of what some believe to be the full version of the saying, is “The hand that shakes the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” Unlike some of the more negative explanations of the saying, Wallace’s poetry is generally seen as emphasizing mothers in a favorable light. Some believe this poem may be the origin of the saying as we know it today.
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