“On Turning Ten”
Analysis
The poem on Turning Ten by Billy Collins, was written in 1996 and is about
leaving the childhood behind and growing up. Having to mature and stop the own
imagination. Turning a two digit number was presented very sad in the poem. Whereas
still being a one (one digit number) was a lot easier, not caring about what other say,
playing with the imaginary friend and playing in a tree house. But turning ten changes
everything.
The poem is set up in one stanza where the lines are small, then big and then
small again. There are 14 sentences and 32 lines, some of them are long, but others are
very short so that the reader will think about these in particularly. There is no rhythm
scheme, but there is a cadence which links the single lines. The tone of the poem is sad,
due to the word choice which Collins chose “dark blue speed drained out of it” The color
blue is a melancholic color which gives a feeling of sadness and drained is a very ruff and
harsh word for a ten year old to use.
Billy Collins audience is anyone who is willing to look back into their childhood. It is for
people who want to remember their childhood and who lived through the same as Collins
did. He lets the audience close into the poem by using imagery which reminds the reader
of their own childhood. Such as the blue bike, the tree house, wanting to be a wizard or
pirate, these are all memories from many childhoods. Giving examples of all of the
different magical and heroic figures that he wanted to be, lets the reader connect because
many of the readers have had the same dreams and beliefs as children.
Collins starts the poem with stating what he is feeling to let the audience be touched. He
uses images like “reading in bad light” and “measles” which are things which happen
during the childhood and mixes these with words which are developed and don’t really fit
into this childhood theme. “a kind of measles of the spirit” or “a disfiguring chicken pox
of the soul”. Also that he uses images as chickenpox, which usually only happen once in
a childhood, can be linked to starting to grow up. If the chicken pox has come, children
think that they are turning older and maturing. On one side he is very unhappy that he has
to grow up “its time to say good-bye to my imaginary friends” but on the other hand he
seems to be a bit happy about finally growing up “the beautiful complexity introduced by
two”.
Just by reading the poem, it seems as if the child has already matured a lot.
Because he is thinking about all of these things, whereas he could just be playing with
friends. But he is sitting in bed and thinking about something very important to him. “But
I can lie on my bad and remember every digit” He does things which are actually very
grown up, like “But now I am mostly at the window watching the late afternoon light”.
He does not need to change anything anymore because the way that he acts he is already
very mature, that is one of the messages that the author wants to bring in this poem.
Collins wants to say with this poem that it is hard leaving the childhood behind and
starting to mature. However since he was not turning ten years old as he was writing this
poem, there is a certain irony to it. It shows that even at any age it is possible to feel like
having to leave the childhood behind. Or an aspect of life, because there is more
responsibility which to be taken, when having a family for example.
This poem deals with the realities of growing up, as he refers to 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 last line of this poem alludes to Shelley's Ode to the West Wind and in the poem
Collins is mocking Shelley. It is not about the complexity of becoming older but saying
that Shelley was not old enough to look back it is just as insane as a 10 year old looking
back on their life when the majority want to be older.
This poem shows the reality of becoming older. it is not as exciting as it may
seem because it is quite depressing to think that you cannot be a child anymore. not only
do others expect more of you because you are now "mature", but you expect more of
yourself too. it is no longer okay to have an imaginary friend when you are ten. oh no,
that is no longer "cool". in addition your imagination starts to escape you and you no
longer find the fun it playing with action heroes or Barbie and Ken. soon enough people
expect you to have a boyfriend or girlfriend (you're eleven years old!!!)and you start to
give into peer pressure. now you hardly recognize your childhood. it is gone from your
grasp and can no longer be retrieved from the depths of your soul. Billy Collins truly
portrays this sadness and great loss terrifically with his amazing poetic abilities.
1st Stanza
- references to sickness. negative connotations
2nd Stanza
-2nd & 3rd lines = nostalgic yearning
last four lines = humourous childlike dreams and images
3rd Stanza
-more serious tine contrasts with previous stanza
4th stanza
-repitition of "time"
Conclusion...
-makes reader reflect on own life and childhood
-ironic mature tone. strange for a child to think this way
-gives new perspective on aging and how old is old
-aging has nothing to do with age, more the extent of the general outlook on life.