and, unlike the celebrated herd in the poem, they were not forty children conducting themselves as one, but every child was conducting itself like forty.

Summary

This quote suggests that the children being referred to are not behaving as a cohesive group like the herd in the poem. Instead, each child is acting independently and with the energy and intensity of forty children. It emphasizes that individuality and unique behavior is present among these children, and they are not conforming to the unified actions of a traditional herd.

Topics