“The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” What does this mean? This proverb comes from an 1865 poem titled “What Rules the World” by William Ross Wallace. It means that a mother’s nurturing profoundly influences her child’s moral, spiritual, and intellectual development. Her child will, in turn, influence the future of the world. To quote the third stanza: Woman, how divine your mission Here upon our natal sod! Keep, oh, keep the young heart open Always to the breath