CHILDHOOD - BLOG 1

                       

CHILDHOOD 

                 - Marcus Natten  

Good morning dear students. believe that your are well and safe.
Today we are going to learn a new poem which is very simple.Before we go to the poem let us have an idea about the learning objectives of this lesson

Learning objectives

The students will be able to

Ø  recognise, enjoy and appreciate different genre of English writings 

Ø   Know about the poet and his contributions

Ø  Enhance vocabulary

Ø   Have better understanding of rhyme scheme and other poetic devices

Ø   Know that Childhood is a bliss

Ø   Think when and where has the childhood gone

Ø  know how childhood is innocence while maturity leads to individuality, rationalism and gaining understanding of hypocrisy

READ THE POEM GIVEN BELOW

Introduction to the Poem

Childhood is written by Marcus Natten. In this poem, the poet thinks over his lost childhood. He wonders about the moment where he lost the innocence and realized that the world is not what he seemed it to be. He recalls when his thoughts changed and he realized the hypocrisy of the people around him. He finally settled down to the idea that his childhood went to some forgotten place and is hidden in the face of an innocent infant.

SUMMARY

In the poem, the poet wonders when he lost his childhood and the innocence he had. He became conscious that he no longer sees the world as he did earlier and he can sense the hypocrisy in people. He recalled many instances in his life when he could have lost his childhood. He wondered if it was the day he ceased to be eleven or he realized that Hell and Heaven didn’t exist in this world and no one could find them in the geography.

Next, he talks about the possibility when he realized that adults are not what they seemed to be and they are hypocrites. They talk and preach of love but their actions don’t say so. Was it the day when he realized that his mind was his own and capable of producing his own thoughts. No one could own that and he is an individual with his particular personality.

In the last stanza, he talks about the whereabouts of his childhood. He concludes that it had gone to some forgotten place and it can only be found in the innocent face of an infant.
Today we will deal with first two stanzas

Childhood Poem and Explanation

When did my childhood go?
Was it the day I ceased to be eleven,
Was it the time I realised that Hell and Heaven,
Could not be found in Geography,
And therefore could not be,
Was that the day!

Ceased – come to an end

In the above lines, the poet wonders about when his childhood came to an end. He asked himself was it the day he was no longer eleven years old? Was it the day when he realized that Hell and Heaven existed and yet could not be found in geography or on the map. He realized they are imaginary places that actually do not exist in this world.

When did my childhood go?
Was it the time I realised that adults were not
all they seemed to be,
They talked of love and preached of love,
But did not act so lovingly,
Was that the day!

Preached – talked or spoken

In the above stanza, the poet again repeats the same question about when did his childhood go? He wonders about the day when he started seeing the world with a new perception that adults are hypocrites and are not how they seemed to be. The adults who talked of love and preached of love, never behaved so lovingly. They are double-faced in reality. Was that the day when his childhood go?