The exact words
“For the hand that rocks the cradle Is the hand that rules the world.”William Ross Wallace, “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle Is the Hand That Rules the World” (1865), refrain
✓ VerifiedFound in a primary source: the original book, speech transcript, letter or recording.
What people get wrong
Common reading
An old proverb with no known author.
An old proverb with no known author.
Closer to the original
It is often quoted as an anonymous saying, but it comes from a specific poem by William Ross Wallace, published in 1865.
It is often quoted as an anonymous saying, but it comes from a specific poem by William Ross Wallace, published in 1865.
Timeline
- 1865The American poet William Ross Wallace publishes a poem in praise of mothers. Each stanza ends with the refrain that gives it its title.
- Late 1800sThe refrain spreads quickly in sermons and speeches and becomes a proverb, often quoted without Wallace's name.
- 1992A thriller film borrows the first half of the line as its title, giving it a sinister twist.
Use it in a speech
A poet once wrote that the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world. Mom, you've been running our little world for years. Happy Mother's Day.
~9 secondsto say aloud
Pauseafter “rules the world”
Best spotthe Mother's Day toast or card
William Ross Wallace's claim that “the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world” was meant as praise, but it also says a great deal about how little else women were allowed to rule in 1865.
~11 secondsto say aloud
Pausenone needed in writing
Best spotopening sentence
Questions people ask
Who said “the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world”?
The American poet William Ross Wallace, in a poem published in 1865.
What does it mean?
That mothers, by raising children, shape the future more powerfully than rulers do.
Cite this quote
These cite the original source directly, so you can use them in an essay or paper. Always check your teacher's required style.
MLAWallace, William Ross. ““The Hand That Rocks the Cradle Is the Hand That Rules the World”.” 1865. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hand_That_Rocks_the_Cradle_(poem).
APAWallace, W. R. (1865). “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle Is the Hand That Rules the World”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hand_That_Rocks_the_Cradle_(poem)
CHICAGOWilliam Ross Wallace, ““The Hand That Rocks the Cradle Is the Hand That Rules the World”,” 1865.
IN TEXT (APA)(Wallace, 1865)