"Comin' Thro' the Rye"

"Comin' Thro' the Rye" is a poem written by Robert Burns that is more widely known as a traditional children's song. Holden hears this song sung while walking down the street and also tells his sister that when he hears the tune he imagines all the children are running in the rye near a cliff, and wishes that he could have the duty of catching them if they fell off. The tune serves as the ultimate symbol for Holden's firm desire to safeguard the innocence of children and is the part of the novel from which its title is derived.

"'You know that song 'If a body catch a body comin' through the rye'? I'd like — '

'It's 'If a body meet a body coming through the rye'!' old Phoebe said. 'It's a poem. By Robert Burns.'

'I know it's a poem by Robert Burns.'

She was right, though. It is 'If a body meet a body coming through the rye.' I didn't know it then, though.

'I thought it was 'If a body catch a body,'' I said. 'Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around — nobody big, I mean — except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff — I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy.'"