Homework Part B

Is this brief poem satiric? Does it contain any verbal irony or is the poet making a matter-of-fact statement in words that mean just what they say?
I do believe the poem is satirical in essence. The poem is evidently a verbal irony and situational irony because the children should be playing while the men work in the mill. Children deserve a childhood experience, whereas the men, who have garnered childhood memories generallynegotiate the responsibility of supporting their family.
This poem dates before the enactment of legislation against child labour. Is it still a good poem or is it out of date?
Even though the enactment of legislation against child labour occurs before this poem, child labour still viciously exists. Factories and agriculural industries in many countries are reputable in hiring cheap child labour to support the normal functioning of their plant. Countries such as India, Indonesia and China, to which provide cheap labour often employ children.