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Childhood
Childhood
Childhood
About the Author
Introduction
Summary
The poem Childhood begins with the poet pondering over ‘when’ was it
that he lost his childhood. He wonders if it was the time when he crossed
the age of eleven or the time when he started realizing that there is no real
existence of heaven and hell as they could not be geographically located in
maps.
The poet asks if he lost his childhood when he realised that he has a mind
of his own or that he can choose his own way, guided by his mind now
capable of producing thoughts and opinions that are different from other
people.
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Central Idea
In this poem the poet thinks deeply over the question of his lost childhood.
Childhood is a stage of innocence in which the child believes others and
loves unconditionally. The poet has tried to identify some stages of his life
when his thoughts and perceptions of the world changed. The poem
describes the first step to maturity or loss of childhood when one is able to
think logically and rationally. Forming one’s own opinion and not getting
influenced by others is also a sign of maturity or loss of childhood.
The poem also hints at the hypocrisy prevalent in our society, where
people pretend to be nice to each other but in reality, they do not like each
other.
Explanation
Stanza 1
Word Meanings:
go – end
ceased to be – stopped being
realised – understood
Explanation:
The poet wonders when he lost his childhood. He reflects that perhaps it
was the day when he crossed the age of eleven. Maybe it was the stage
when he realised that the concepts of Hell and Heaven, about which he had
been taught since “his childhood, did not exist in reality. Geography
textbooks did not give the location of any such places. The poet realises
that he might have lost his childhood when he gained his rational outlook
due to getting educated.
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Stanza 2
Word Meanings:
seemed – appeared
preached – taught
act – behave
lovingly – with compassion or love for others
Explanation:
in this Stanza, the poet reflects that maybe the loss of childhood occurred
when he was able to see through the hypocrisy of adults. These people
followed double standards, actually following, and preaching different
standards of behaviour. They told the poet to be loving and caring;
however, they themselves were argumentative, violent, and discourteous.
Their behaviour was a far cry from the love they sermonised about and
advocated so reverently to the child. Perhaps, says the poet, recognising
broken trust was a major step towards adulthood.
Stanza 3
Word Meanings:
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producing – creating
thoughts – views, opinions coming from the poet’s mind
Explanation:
The poet asks the same question again and again but with different
options. He is trying to guess when he actually lost his childhood. Perhaps,
it was the day when he realised that his mind could think independently,
forming his own opinions and being able to take his own decisions.
He gained a sense of individuality, which set him free from the
preconceived opinions of others. His own individual opinions and
experiences shape his thoughts now and he realised that this might have
been the time when he lost his childhood innocence completely.
Stanza 4
Word Meanings:
forgotten – unremembered
hidden – concealed, kept out of sight
infant – small child
Explanation:
In this Stanza the poet changes his question. The poet now wonders where
his childhood has gone. He reflects that may be his childhood has gone to
an unremembered place.
The poet also says that childhood can be found in the innocent face of a
child who does not have any pretensions and rationality and who trusts
others unconditionally. In other words, a small child is full of innocence
and there one can find one’s own childhood.
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Textual Questions
I. Think it Out
Individuality—stanza 3
Rationalism—stanza 1
Hypocrisy—stanza 2
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Question 4. What do you think are the most poetic lines? Why?
Answer: The most poetic lines in the poem are
Where did my childhood go?
It went to some forgotten place,
That’s hidden in an infant’s face,
These poignant lines explain beautifully what most adults feel. These lines
take us back to the innocent world of an infant where the poet thinks his
childhood seems to be lying hidden. Naturally, the pure and unadulterated
childhood will never come back to us, though we can find it in an infant’s
face.
I. Read the extract given below and answer any two of the questions that
follow.
Question 1. At what age does the poet think he lost his childhood ?
(a) After he crossed the age of eleven
(b) After he crossed the age of twelve
(c) After he crossed the age of ten
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II. Read the extract given below and answer any two of the questions that
follow.
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III. Read the extract given below and answer any two of the questions that
follow.
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IV. Read the extract given below and answer any two of the questions that
follow.
Question 2. Where does the poet think that his childhood is hidden?
(a) He thinks that it is hidden in a cat’s face
(b) He thinks that it is hidden in a boy’s face
(c) He thinks that it is hidden in an infant’s face
(d) He thinks that it is hidden beneath his face
Answer: (c) He thinks that it is hidden in an infant’s face
Question 1. What question does the poet ask again and again in this poem?
Answer: In this poem the poet is really confused. He asks the question
again and again ‘when did my childhood go?’
Question 2. The poet has discussed two stages of life – childhood and
adulthood. How do we differentiate one from another?
Answer: Childhood has been considered by the poet as a blissful period in
one’s life, where a child trusts everyone.
Adulthood is marked by rational and creative thoughts, ability to perceive
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and differentiate and learn new things. In this stage of life, one also learns
to be double faced and crafty.
Question 3. What did the poet realise when he crossed the age of eleven
years?
Answer: When the poet crossed the age of eleven years, he realised that he
had lost his childhood and had developed a mind of his own. He also
found out the non-existence of Hell and Heaven.
Question 4. How did the poet conclude that Hell and Heaven were
imaginary places?
Answer: The poet concluded that Hell and Heaven were imaginary places
because Geography books contain names of places, but there is no mention
of places like Hell or Heaven in these books.
Question 5. How did adults seem to the poet when he was a child?
Answer: As a child, the poet considered all the adults as an epitome of
love and sincerity. He believed that their love was true, and they were
ready to do anything for, their loved ones.
Question 6. Bring out the hypocrisy that the adults exhibit with regard to
love.
Answer: As the poet grew up, he could make out the double standards
followed by adults. He realised that though adults preached of love and
talked of love, their behaviour was totally different and full of
manipulation. They were all hypocrites who behaved differently from the
way they talked.
Question 7. What did the poet notice about independent thinking? How
important was this discovery?
Answer: The poet discovered that he was different from others and could
think independently. He could have his own opinions without getting
influenced by anyone else. This discovery was very important to him as it
revealed to him his abilities for independent thinking and decision taking.
Question 8. What is the poet trying to convey when he says that childhood
is hidden in an infant’s face?
Answer: The poet says an infant is really innocent as he trusts everyone
and does not try to fool others. The poet brings out this fact by contrasting
it with the behaviour of adults, who become manipulative and are
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Question 11. How does the poem expose man and present him in true
colours?
Answer: According to the poet, childhood symbolises innocence, purity,
softness, and love. As a child grows up, these qualities start receding. Man
adheres to lying, shrewdness, cunningness, and hypocrisy.
Adults preach about truth and honesty but themselves practise hatred and
lying. The simplicity and honesty of childhood evaporates the moment
man crosses the threshold of innocent childhood.
Question 1. Write an article in about 150 words about childhood and the
process of growing up.
Answer:
Childhood
by Dhruvil Chauhan
When I was a child the world seemed to be a place of joy and happiness to
me. There was nothing worth worrying about. Whenever I cried,
somebody consoled me. When I did not like to sit alone, I was always in
somebody’s arms. My mother always looked after me. These are my most
cherished memories and I believe that looking at a child playing and
enjoying childhood makes me somewhat nostalgic.
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