Summary of Childhood
Norwegian poet Marcus Natten portrays the longing for his lost childhood beautifully in his poem ‘Childhood.’ He is unable to recall exactly when he stopped being a child. He falls back on various speculations to explain the loss of his childhood innocence. He cites a number of events in his life that might have led to the loss of his childhood – his turning twelve years old, learning more about the world at school, the discovery of the hypocrisy of adults, etc. Childhood Class 11 summary will give a detailed understanding of the poem stanza by stanza. Go through it for better comprehension and a critical analysis of the poem. You can find the summaries of other Class 11 Hornbill chapters at BYJU’S CBSE Summary. You can also go to CBSE Notes for learning materials on various CBSE Class 11 English topics.
CBSE Class 11 English Childhood Summary
The poet laments the loss of his childhood in his poem ‘Childhood.’ He tries to recall the exact time when he lost the pure joys of childhood. The poet lends voice to his meandering thoughts on this sense of loss through the poem. The way he repeats the question, ‘When did my childhood go?’ accentuates his longing for something precious he lost in his journey to adulthood. Throughout the poem, he shares various thoughts and emotions connected with its main theme – the loss of innocence.
The poet wonders why and when he lost his childhood. He imagines he could have lost it when he turned twelve. He is quoting this certain stage of life because the start of the twelfth year usually marks the beginning of adolescence, which further leads to youthhood and adulthood. He cites this as one possible reason for his loss. But his musings do not stop here. He says he probably lost the innocence of his childhood when he learned that hell and heaven were not real. He never learned about these concepts in the Geography lessons at school and hence, stopped believing in them.
People generally form stereotypes about certain things that feed their thinking and imagination. He remembered how he viewed an adult when he was a child. He viewed them as caring, understanding and responsible individuals. His beliefs were shattered when he discovered that adults were also capable of being uncaring, inconsiderate and ignorant of other people’s pain and suffering. This is a turning point in his life, and he cites it as an event that was responsible for his transition into an adult from a child.
The poet rues the loss of his childhood again. This time, he mentions self-realisation as the reason behind it. He blames the day when he knew that he had a mind of his own – the day he realised that he was unique as an individual and could think and create on his own terms and choices. He learned that he was capable of producing thoughts and decisions that were completely his own. No one could have any control or authority over his thoughts, memories or experiences.
Finally, the poet concludes that his childhood is irretrievably lost. He comes to terms with the fact that the innocence he seeks can be found only in the happy face of an infant. Once we are exposed to the knowledge and reality of the world, we lose the innocent way of viewing the world as a wonderful place with endless possibilities.
Conclusion of Childhood
Markus Natten is nostalgic about his childhood days when things were simpler and possibilities were endless. Childhood Class 11 summary gives us a brief idea of how the poet develops a longing for those days of the past when everything seemed simple and alluring. His constant inquiry into reasons for his lost childhood shows a feeling of longing towards the younger years of his life. He is troubled by the burden of responsibilities of adulthood and the many uneasy things he has to deal with in order to live his life. He craves the old days of childhood when there was harmony, happiness and excitement all the time.
A detailed understanding of the poem can help students critically analyse and appreciate the poem. Students can refer to our website for further information and content related to the Class 11 English subject for better understanding and preparation for CBSE board exams. They can also access topics like grammar and writing in English.
