Explain how the repetition of the question ‘When did my childhood go?’ reflects the longing and confusion felt by the poet, in Childhood?
Refer to the given lines, from the poem - 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!
Answer as written by the student:
The repetition of the question ‘When did my childhood go?’ reflects the longing and confusion felt by the poet in Childhood.
- It shows that the poet is not sure about the exact moment or event that marked the end of his innocence and the beginning of his maturity.
- He tries to recall different possibilities , such as his age, his realization of the non-existence of Hell and Heaven, his change of perception of the world, and his awareness of his own mind.
- He uses the rhetorical question to express his nostalgia for his lost childhood and his frustration with his adult life.
- He also uses the exclamation mark at the end of the question to emphasize his emotion and to create a contrast with the calm and silent nature of the poem.
Step-by-Step explanation of the answer :
To answer this question, we need to do the following steps:
- Identify the main idea of the question, which is how the repetition of the question ‘When did my childhood go?’ reflects the longing and confusion felt by the poet in Childhood.
- Define the term repetition, and explain how it is used in poetry.
- Find examples of the repetition of the question in the poem, and analyze how they contribute to the main idea of the question.
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