Analysis Of On Turning Ten By Billy Collins

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In the poem “On Turning Ten” by Billy Collins, imagery and movement is used to display the sadness of a little boy who is turning ten and does not want to grow up.
The overall theme of the poem shows sadness and humor. The boy in the poem is very depressed about getting older, but there is some irony in the sadness that the boy is experiencing. He acts like getting older is a sickness. "The whole idea of it makes me feel like im coming down with somthing" (1-2). Collins does acknowledge that is hard for anyone to leave their childhood, and that it is not an enjoyable experience. However, Collins was not turning ten when he was writing the poem. Its seems as though he is making fun of how depressed the boy feels because he still has his whole life ahead of him. The little guy is not even close to being mature, and thats what is so ironic about the boy being sad. He acts like he will never have fun again, and that life will never be the same. Others would most likely agree with Collins that the boy is being over dramatic. …show more content…

The imagery used by Collins shows how an imagination slowly fades as a person ages."At four I was an arabian wizard. I could make myself invisable by drinking a glass of milk a certain way. At seven I was a soldier, at nine a prince" (13-16). Even though the boy is using his imagination, it is clear that each year he gets older his imagination becomes less fictional and more real. At each age his dreams become more realistic. The order of being a wizard, being invisible, and becoming a prince show how the boy has matured. Now as he looks back, he feels as though he is completely mature and all his dreams must come to an

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