Billy Collins Response Q&A's

What is Collins trying to say with this poem? How does he capture childhood and the process of growing up? What makes this poem effective? How does this fit into your own life experience?

Billy Collins poem Analyzing on Turning Ten captures childhood and the process of growing up by taking the stance of a ten year old that is explaining or talking to an adult about what it is like to age one to ten. It is clear that he as the author is talking to an adult or superior is found in the second paragraph “You tell me it is too early to be looking back, but that is because you have forgotten, the perfect simplicity of being one, and the beautiful complexity introduced by two.”

                Collins also talks about the things that have changed over time. For example in the third paragraph when he says “Back then it never fell so solemnly, against the side of my tree house and my bicycle never leaned against the garage, as it does today”. Here he is talking about how now that he is older he never rides his bike or plays in his tree house.

                When I read, “It is time to say good-bye to my imaginary friends, time to turn the first big number”. I remembered when I was about to turn ten years old. I clearly remember thinking it was a huge deal because it was double digits and how that would make me a big kid. I remember thinking that now that I was a “big kid” it was time to act like one and I could no longer do things that little kids did or say just as Collins thought. “…and my bicycle never leaned against the garage, as it does today”. I can easily relate to this pome, I know when I think back to when I was going to be a 6^th grader, thinking how we were so cool because we were going to be the oldest kids in the school. Or the time when I got my first cellphone I thought I was more than old enough to get one but even now looking back I think I was so young then. I think it is almost ironic that throughout our lives everyone is so focused on being “old enough or too old” for X, Y and Z that most people never appreciate or enjoy their youth while they have it and then once people are in there later years they resent their wrinkles.