This poem reflects on when and where the poet lost his childhood. In four stanzas, he explores moments of realization that marked psychological and emotional transitions to adulthood, such as losing faith in adults, gaining independent thought, and childhood becoming a distant memory. The refrain questions when his childhood went, suggesting it slipped away gradually through these experiences rather than at any one moment.

1. Childhood
by Markus Natten

2. Analysis
In this poem, the poet, Markus Natten wonders when and where
he lost his childhood. In this quest to find the moment he grew
up, Markus highlights the innocence and faith he lost even as he
gained rational individuality.
Adolescence is usually a confusing time for a child who is unable
to immediately come to terms with the physical, hormonal and
psychological changes in his or her personality. He no longer feels
like a child but is not quite ready to call himself an adult either.

3. He believes that he has lost the innocence and purity of his
childhood to some unknown and unforgettable place.
Through his poem, “Childhood”, the readers are confronted with
a question as to when and where have we lost our childhood. The
answers lead to self discovery.
The poet feels disappointed because he thinks being a child
was better than being an adult. A child’s life is peaceful and
really sweet while an adult’s character is very complicated.

4. THE REFRAIN
The refrain of any poem
s/are line (s) that repeat at
regular intervals throughout
the poem. The refrain often
carries the central message of
the poem. The two lines which
do so in this poem are:
When did my childhood go?....
Was that the day!
The first line (which is a
question) identifies the central
theme of the poem, that is, the
attempt to identify when
exactly the poet lost his
childhood.
The second line begins with a
question word but ends with
an exclamation. Hence, it is no
more a mere question.
Rhetorical in nature, this line
brings out the poet's sense of
realisation.

5. 1st Stanza
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!

6. The poet is curious to know when he lost his
childhood. He tries to find out the answer of his
own question.

7. He feels it was perhaps that day when he discovered
the theories of Heaven and Hell and that Geography
did not provide him any information about the
existence of such place.

8. Education has made the poet look at the world different
with more of reason and logic.
The poet feels that he had probably lost his childhood when
he had acquired a rational thinking towards his surroundings

9. 2nd Stanza
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!

10. In this stanza, the poet figures out that the adults around
him did not practice what they usually preached.
They taught others to be loving and caring when they
themselves were violent and mean.

11. This is when the child lost his trust and faith in the adults.
The poet realizes that probably the loss of faith and trust
might have been the major steps towards losing his
childhood.

12. 3rd Stanza
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 my alone,
Was that the day!

13. As he grew up, the poet realised that his mind was unique,
could form its own opinions and could take its own decisions.
He gained a sense of individuality which set him free from the
prejudiced opinions of others around him. His own
experiences shaped his thoughts now and he realised that this
might have been the time he lost his childhood innocence
completely.

14. 4th Stanza
Where did my childhood go?
It went to some forgotten
place,
That’s hidden in an infant’s
face,
That’s all I know.

15. In the final stanza, the poet changes his question. From
wondering at what point in time, he had lost his childhood,
the poet now wonders where it went.
The last three lines may be interpreted in two ways.
The poet claims that his childhood is nothing more than a long
lost memory. He recalls his infancy and believes that his true
childhood resides there, in that infant's face, and that
innocence cannot resurface in this lifetime.

16. The poet believes that his childhood has become nothing more
than a memory for him but has become the reality of some
other infant. Innocence is a cyclical process where lost from
one person, it travels to another, finding residence there.
Thus, till date, adults can easily recall and seem to almost
relive their own childhood, through an infant in their lives.

17. THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS PRESENTATION.
CREDITS:
•SIYA PRABHUDESAI
•TANIA DOURADO
•CHRYSTAL DOURADO