How Do the Writers Present Aspects of Childhood in the Three Poems You Have Studied?
Within all of the three poems we have studied, UA Fanthorpe’s half past two, DH lawrence’s Piano and Stephen Spenders, there are aspects of childhood being described and conveyed. However each poem conveys them in a different manner, but there are some similarities as well.
Firstly I will talk about what each poem is about and what attitude and themes they possess compared to the other two.
In the poem half past two by UA fanthorpe a boy is given detention for an unspecified misdemeanour, and is later on forgotten by his teacher. The boy however has no concept of proper time, and therefore drifts off into a sort of daydream. This is hinted in stanza 7, which says
“Into the smell of old chrysanthemums on her desk,
Into the silent noise his hangnail made
Into the air outside the window into ever”
The attitude expressed by this poem is a light one and the theme of childlike ignorance, innocence and punishment is quite prominent. This is effectively shown as UA Fanthorpe relies on her experience as a teacher to describe the whole poem through the eyes of the boy, and not from an adult. Which helps give you hands on experience of what is happening in the poem.
The theme of childlike ignorance and innocence is further carried on due to quotes such as
“He was too scared of being wicked to remind her.” Which portray how scared children normal are when they get into some sort of trouble.
And
“he knew gettinguptime, timeyouwereofftime, timtogohomenowtime and TVtime” This shows his childlike characteristics, as there are many comma’s putting forth a list like effect, and also he uses enjambment as an effective tool.
In Piano by DH Lawrence the theme is a little different to that of half past two. In piano a grown man (the speaker) is proud to be an adult; however he remembers his childhood and becomes very nostalgic. He then proceeds to struggle between his desire to become a child again or to remain a man. This is apparent in line 11 when the speaker
Firstly I will talk about what each poem is about and what attitude and themes they possess compared to the other two.
In the poem half past two by UA fanthorpe a boy is given detention for an unspecified misdemeanour, and is later on forgotten by his teacher. The boy however has no concept of proper time, and therefore drifts off into a sort of daydream. This is hinted in stanza 7, which says
“Into the smell of old chrysanthemums on her desk,
Into the silent noise his hangnail made
Into the air outside the window into ever”
The attitude expressed by this poem is a light one and the theme of childlike ignorance, innocence and punishment is quite prominent. This is effectively shown as UA Fanthorpe relies on her experience as a teacher to describe the whole poem through the eyes of the boy, and not from an adult. Which helps give you hands on experience of what is happening in the poem.
The theme of childlike ignorance and innocence is further carried on due to quotes such as
“He was too scared of being wicked to remind her.” Which portray how scared children normal are when they get into some sort of trouble.
And
“he knew gettinguptime, timeyouwereofftime, timtogohomenowtime and TVtime” This shows his childlike characteristics, as there are many comma’s putting forth a list like effect, and also he uses enjambment as an effective tool.
In Piano by DH Lawrence the theme is a little different to that of half past two. In piano a grown man (the speaker) is proud to be an adult; however he remembers his childhood and becomes very nostalgic. He then proceeds to struggle between his desire to become a child again or to remain a man. This is apparent in line 11 when the speaker
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