Analysis and Interpretation Questions
Which of the following best summarizes the theme of the poem?
Imagination is limited by age.
Growing old is a universal fear, even though it feels unique to the individual.
Growing up means letting go of the carefree innocence of childhood.
Nature reflects the human cycle of life.
What is the theme of this poem?
Why does the boy feel sick in the first stanza?
What shows that the boy was happy when he was a child?
The boy is anxious about his future. How do we know it?
Why is becoming ten a milestone for the boy?
Read lines 5-7: “a kind of measles of the spirit, / a mumps of the psyche, / a disfiguring chicken pox of the soul.” What does this description show about the speaker's attitude towards aging?
The speaker feels physically nauseated by age and older people.
The speaker compares his feelings about growing up to sickness, suggesting that he does not have a positive outlook on it.
The speaker likens aging to sickness, believing it to be a physically difficult process.
The speaker fears aging because he associates it with sickness and dying.
Have you experienced a similar situation? Explain.