On Turning Ten Summary
"On Turning Ten" by Billy Collins is a poem that addresses the idea of aging in a depressing and frustrating manner. At first sight, one would never suspect this poem revolves around the theme of death. Yet, it goes beyond literal death and focuses on the death of childhood. Written in the first person, this poem depicts the period of juvenescence as a time of innocence, imagination, creativity, and fantasies. Throughout the stanzas, Collins explores the idea of growing up and leaving childhood behind through the use of literary devices, such as hyperbole, metaphor, and tone. By using several literary devices, the author is able to create a reflective mood, which allows the reader to analyze the speaker 's feelings, regarding the process of …show more content…
Collins further uses literary devices in the third stanza to explore the speaker 's thoughts and ideas. First, he creates a juxtaposition between childlike and complex rhetorical language, by saying, "Back then it never fell so solemnly / against the side of my tree house" (19-20). The first line of the quote sets a serious tone, followed by the next line, which has a more childlike perspective and reminds the reader that he 's simply talking about the "afternoon light" (18). In addition, Collins says, "and my bicycle never leaned against the garage / as it does today, / all the dark blue speed drained out of it" (21-23), using another juxtaposition in the same stanza. He incorporates the idea of childlike innocence and complex language to convey the speaker 's emotions. When the bicycle is mentioned, the author uses personification that lend to the seriousness, then again, the reader understands that the poem is speaking of one who owns and rides a bike. Besides juxtaposition, this stanza showcases Collins ' best representation of imagery, through the lines mentioned before. Thanks to the use of imagery, the audience is able to connect to the poem, since all of us possess childhood memories. Such examples like the blue bike and the "tree house" (20), lend to the idea of the reader being able to close into the poem and having strong connection. Every single person have their own experiences and memories from the past. Therefore, Collins allows one to understand the poem and its message by writing common childhood
Summary Of The Names By Billy Collins
474 Words | 2 PagesTherefore Collins expressed various examples throughout the poem. “When I peer into the woods, I see a thick tangle where letters are hidden. As in a puzzle concocted for children.” The narrator compares letters that are hidden in a puzzle that was made are children. In a similar fashion Collins writes “Names lifted from a hat Or balanced on the tip of the tongue.”
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Pathos In Janice E. Fein's A New Perspective
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Nostalgia Billy Collins Analysis
691 Words | 3 PagesCollins opens up with this to show how important his lover is to him, by doing this he sets the tone of the poem. People tend to do this as well, often people tell each other how important or valuable they are to them to create a sense of love. Collins refers to Shakespeare when he compares a woman to his favorite season (1). As humans, love is a natural thing, and Collins makes that very prominent in the way he flatters his lover so easily. This is relatable because when people love each other they often say sweet complements.
Comparison Of Billy Collins 'Hanging Fire And' On Turning Ten
214 Words | 1 PagesIt is wholly recurrent to blindly skim through a detailed piece of literature and be unconscious to the likeness it shares with other pieces of literature. I am surely guilty of this ignorant practice, however. As I was reading “Hanging Fire” by Audre Lorde and “On Turning Ten” by Billy Collins, I didn’t truly perceive the connection right away. The obvious was already divulged in my mind; they’re both in the points of views of children. They, however, both have a mutual theme; growing up brings uncertainty and disappointment.
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Gospel Sam Sax Analysis
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Poem Analysis: On Turning Ten By Billy Collins
629 Words | 3 PagesRevision of “On Turning Ten” Essay Growing up and living in the adult world requires responsibility, knowledge, and independence. A poem by Billy Collins, “On Turning Ten,” describes a young child as he attempts to grasp the concept of growing up and facing the harsh reality of adult life. The narrator uses a melancholy tone to argue that adult life is challenging, and the best way to cope with these challenges is to reminisce about young childhood memories. The young narrator is convinced that adult life will not be much fun.
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