"On Turning Ten" Essay

742 Words3 Pages
“On Turning Ten” Essay The character is turning ten, and he fells like he have to put his whole childhood behind him, because he is growing up, so he doesn’t need all the things he used to have before. It gives new perspective on aging and how it feels when becoming old. Why can it be that he feels this way? Maybe it’s because of our society is putting too much of attention on the goods things of being older. He shows his objection of leaving childhood’s “greatness” and entering the “grownup-years” of difficulties. You can really see, that he doesn’t wants to be a grownup. He compares that of turning ten as a disease, similar to chicken pox, because sooner or later, we all get it. We all must grow up, leave our simple and happy lives behind and accept the real world and it's burdens that follow coming of age. The tone of the poem sounds like he’s frustrated and maybe a little angry about him growing. “It is time to say goodbye to my imaginary friends, time to turn the first big number. It seems only yesterday I used to believe there was nothing under my skin but light. If you cut me I could shine.” – This is the most obvious symbol in the text - from child to adult. In the start of the poem, he starts telling us how sick he feels like he’s “coming down with something”. He uses images like “reading in bad light” and “measles” which are things that normally happens during the childhood. In the end, it’s like the character has finally come to the acceptance that there is no going back to his childhood. And it can have that effect that the reader reflects on the events on her/his life. After you’ve read the poem, you start to think that the child is actually very mature. He is thinking more about all of his problems about him being one year older. Instead of thinking inside, sitting by the window, he could be playing with his friends and enjoy it while it last.
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