CHILDHOOD - BLOG 3

CHILDHOOD

 In this period we are going to discuss some Reference to Context Questions of the poem “Childhood”. Before we go deep into the poem let us revise the learning objectives.

Learning objectives

The students will be able to

Ø  understand, 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

Before discussing the reference to context questions, let us have a brief summary of the poem.

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.

Reference to Context Questions

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

1.      What is the age of the poet?
The poet is an adult.

2.      What is the poet’s mood?
The poet is sad and helpless. He is lamenting that he has been stripped off of his childhood’s innocence.

3.      Why does the poet suspect science in connection with his losing his childhood?
The poet blames science for his losing his childhood. As a child he had strong belief in God and Heaven which he had learnt in his catechism/moral training classes. But when he attended school, teachers told him that Heaven was not found in Geography so he concluded that Heaven and God were just lies.

4.      What did the poet realize when he was twelve years?
At the age of twelve, the poet learnt that Hell and Heaven were not real but mere stories and that science didn’t support the existence of Hell and heaven.

When did my childhood go?
Was it the time I realized 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!

1.      Name the poem and the poet

The name of the poem is Childhood and the poet is Markus Natten

2. What did the poet realize about adults?
The poet used to believe that his elders were sincere about relationship and love. But later he realized that their love was not real. He saw that the adults were only talking about love but never loved anyone.

3. How did adults ‘seem’ to the poet when he was a child? 
When the poet was a child adults seemed to him as messengers and poets of love. He heard them singing love songs and talking endlessly about love and romance.

4. Why does the poet think that he had lost his childhood?
The poet, Markus Natten, believes that he has lost his childhood. He believes so because he has lost the innocence and purity of his childhood. When he was a child, he used to believe in the existence of Hell and Heaven. He also believed that adults had real love. In his childhood he didn’t have any egoistic attitude.

HAPPY LEARNING