In this poem, the poet is disappointed and puzzled by the loss of his childhood. He wanted to know when was the moment he became a grown-up and lost the innocence of an infant. He expresses his confusion by asking that when and where did his childhood go.

1. ANIL KUMAR
POETRY
BOOK MADE BY
HORNBILL
CHILDHOOD
BY MARCUS NATTEN

2. INTRODUCTION
THE POET IS
DISAPPOINTED AND
PUZZLED BY THE LOSS
OF HIS CHILDHOOD. HE
WANTED TO KNOW
WHEN WAS THE
MOMENT HE BECAME A
GROWN-UP AND LOST
THE INNOCENCE OF AN
INFANT. HE EXPRESSES
HIS CONFUSION BY
ASKING THAT WHEN AND
WHERE DID HIS
CHILDHOOD GO.

3. EXPLANATION

4. 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!
POET WONDERS ABOUT WHEN HIS CHILDHOOD
CAME TO AN END.
HE ASKED HIMSELF WAS IT THE DAY HE WAS NO
LONGER ELEVEN YEARS OLD?
WAS IT THE DAY WHEN HE REALIZED THAT HELL
AND HEAVEN ARE IMAGINARY PLACES THAT
ACTUALLY DO NOT EXIST IN THIS WORLD.

5. WHEN DID MY CHILDHOOD GO?
WAS IT THE TIME I REALISED
THAT ADULTS WERE NOT
ALL THEY SEEMED TO BE,
THEY TALKED OF LOVE AND
PREACHED OF LOVE,
BUT DID NOT ACT SO LOVINGLY,
WAS THAT THE DAY!
HE WONDERS ABOUT THE DAY WHEN HE STARTED
SEEING THE WORLD WITH A NEW PERCEPTION THAT
ADULTS ARE HYPOCRITES AND ARE NOT HOW THEY
SEEMED TO BE.
THE ADULTS WHO TALKED OF LOVE AND PREACHED
OF LOVE AND YET NEVER BEHAVED SO LOVINGLY.
THEY ARE DOUBLE-FACED IN REALITY.
WAS THAT THE DAY WHEN HIS CHILDHOOD GO?

6. WHEN DID MY CHILDHOOD GO?
WAS IT WHEN I FOUND MY MIND WAS REALLY
MINE,
TO USE WHICHEVER WAY I CHOOSE,
PRODUCING THOUGHTS THAT WERE NOT
THOSE OF OTHER PEOPLE
BUT MY OWN, AND MINE ALONE
WAS THAT THE DAY!
POET WONDERS ABOUT THE DAY HE REALIZED THAT
HIS MIND WAS HIS OWN AND COULD USE IT THE WAY
HE WANTS.
WHEN HE REALIZED THAT HE COULD PRODUCE HIS
OWN THOUGHTS WHICH WERE NOT BOUND BY
ANYONE.
WHEN HE SENSED HIS OWN INDIVIDUALITY AND A
SEPARATE PERSONALITY. WAS THAT THE DAY HE
LOST HIS CHILDHOOD?

7. WHERE DID MY CHILDHOOD
GO?
IT WENT TO SOME
FORGOTTEN PLACE,
THAT’S HIDDEN IN AN
INFANT’S FACE,
THAT’S ALL I KNOW.
POET REMORSES ABOUT HIS LOST CHILDHOOD.
HE CONCLUDES THAT HIS CHILDHOOD HAD GONE
TO SOME FORGOTTEN PLACE WHICH WILL NEVER
COME BACK.
HE CHERISHED HIS INNOCENCE WHICH VANISHED
NOW AND COULD BE ONLY SEEN IN A BABY’S FACE.

8. Rhyme Scheme
Stanza 1 -- ABBCCD
Stanza 2 -- ABCDEF
Stanza 3 -- ABCDEF
Stanza 4 -- ABBA

9. Poetic Devices
Refrain - A phrase/verse repeated at
intervals throughout a song or poem.
”Where did my childhood go?/Was that the
day?”
Antithesis - ”Hell and Heaven”
Alliteration - ”my mind/whichever way”
Inversion - When subject-verb order is
reversed. ”To use whichever way? I choose.”
Anaphora - ”That’s..... That's ”

10. Theme
Transformation of
innocence turning
into experience.
Transformation of
Childhood into
hypocrisy,
Individuality and
rational mind.

11. THANK YOU AND HAVE A CUTE AND LOVELY FUTURE AHEAD