Question

summary of childhood

Answer 1

$\bf\huge\color{red}{SUMMARY;}$

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.

Answer 2

Answer:

The poet regrets having lost the innocence that he had as a child. He feels that after he turned twelve, he realized that hell and heaven did not exist as had been taught to him. He rationalized his thoughts and drew his own conclusions. He ceased to have faith in people and became a little more skeptical.  

The poet could have lost his childhood when he realized that adults were hypocritical. He understood that although they sermonized on the need to be loving, yet they did not follow that dictum. They did not love the people around them. Their love was merely a facade.

Perhaps, he lost his childhood when he became more individualistic. He refused to share what was his. He learnt to think for himself. It was at that point of time that he learnt to assert himself.

The poet knows that he has lost his childhood and he laments its loss. He is saddened by the fact that he cannot regain it. He knows, with certainty, childhood can be found still, veiled, in a young child's face.