Childhood

 

Childhood

 I used to think that grown –up people chose,
To have stiff backs and wrinkles round their nose,
And veins like small fat snakes on either hand, 
On purpose to be grand.
Till through the banister I watched one day
My great-aunt Etty’s friend who was going away,
And how her onyx beads had come unstrung.
I saw her grope to find them as they rolled;
And then I knew that she was helplessly old,
As I was helplessly young.

 Frances Cornford

She was an English poet.  She was the daughter of Francis Darwin the botanist. She was born on 30^th march 1886.   She was brought up in Cambridge, and was educated in private.  After her death she was buried at the Parish of the Ascension Burial Ground in Cambridge.   She is well known for her work “To a Fat Lady Seen from a Train” she was the granddaughter of Charles Darwin, her works include “Spring Morning” (1915), “Autumn Midnight (1923) “Different Days” (1928) etc.  She was awarded the Queen’s Medal for Poetry in 1959.   Many of her works express her love and respects for traditions.

 Summary of the poem

It was published in 1948 in “Travelling Home.”   It’s about the child’s life among the world of adults.  It’s a looking the past and the present as a child.  It describes how great aunt Etty’s friend

struggles to pick up her unstrung beads as she was old.  The poem is about natural process of human life.  The life cycle from childhood to old age is well described in this poem.  The physical changes from childhood to old age are due to the nature life cycle of man.  No one desires to be old but it’s a life process everyone has to undergo. There is no control over the natural process.  It’s a clear straightforward poem about the different stages of human life.

 Detail analysis of the poem

“I used to think that grown –up people chose,
To have stiff backs and wrinkles round their nose,
And veins like small fat snakes on either hand,
On purpose to be grand.” 

The first half of the poem describes the stages of the old age with imagery to show the negative aspect of the old age. The words “Stiff backs” “Chose to grow old”, describe the different views of the young ones towards the adults.  They see them as very strict and dominant figures who influence the young society with their thoughts and views.  The poet uses poetical language to bring out the unpleasant appearances of the old people.  The poet uses simile “Veins like small fat snakes on either hand” snakes are fearful creatures.  They represents fear and danger.  The poet may relates to her fears for adults during her childhood. Thus the first half gives a negative approach towards the old age and adults.

“On purpose to be grand.
Till through the banister I watched one day
 great-aunt Etty’s friend who was going away,
And how her onyx beads had come unstrung.
I saw her grope to find them as they rolled;
And then I knew that she was helplessly old,
As I was helplessly young.”

The second half of the poem brings out a realization about the nature of the old age.  “The grown up are old on purpose” this view transform into the acceptance of the reality.  As the poem moves the readers can realize the truth of nature. For getting old is not in our hands.  It is the process of life cycle.  It has no control over their destiny.  

 The Aunt’s friend confirms the truth.  The poet paints a picture of adults through the Aunt’s friend. “On purpose to be grand” may be used to bring the class of the old age.  Soon the poet makes the readers to realize the new views.  “Till through the banisters I watched one day”.  The banisters become a metaphor, as the speaker views all reality through her mind.  So far the thoughts were limited.  She watches her great aunt’s friend “Whose onyx beads had come unstrung” the jewel they wear stereotype.   The beads are unstrung and the poet could see her groped to find them as they rolled.  The situation brings the inability the old age faces.  The diction of the poet is so perfect and gives a picture of the helpless situation of the old age.  As she grasps the objects blindly but at last they are rolled further away from her.  The poet could see and sense that the grown-ups are as helpless as the young ones.  The repetition of “helpless” gives the idea of inability, dependency and weakness are mutual to old and young.

 The concluding part is very much acceptable as the poet has justified the mutual dependency

from both the characters. In the first four lines the poet expresses his views as a child about the old age people.  The description of their appearance “stiff backs”, “Fat snakes” are unusual views on their aging process.  Even the poet expresses a different theory from the child’s point of view that the old people might have chosen purposely to these physical changes and skin changes to show that they are in charge of time and not the natural process.

 Later this theory changes when the child notices the family friend who struggles to collect the onyx beads.  Onyx beads are black and special stones.  The black color is used to signify the darkness and death.  The situation reflects the weakness of the family friend due to age as the life is fast moving are not under control.

 The whole poem deals the contrast between the young and old, child and adult.  Both have to face the fast changing life style.  They are subjected to time and they are helpless as it’s the part of life.  A child grows with different views under different situations.  They need to transform

from one stage to the other.  In each stage they change externally and internally.  They mature and their views too mature.  The old people now, they were once small children, weak and helpless.  The stages of human life is unavoidable.  Frances Cornford gives a message that no matter how old or young a person is.  They will be controlled by their age and time. They both are helpless to time. The repetition of “And then I knew that she was helplessly old, as I was helplessly young.”  Shows the level of understanding of the speaker.  The speaker realizes that age may differ but both old and young are helpless and have to face the time and they need someone to take care of.  The truth is crystal clear and no one can deny the fact of life.

 

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