The Poem “Childhood” by Markus Natten from NCERT Hornbill, Class 11th. Below you can find the Summary and important Question Answers.
Summary: The Poem deals with the idea that, as one grows up. One loses one’s innocence and purity. Though one is capable of doing much more on the physical plan and thinking new thoughts on the psychic plan on maturity the loss of childhood is really enormous and permanent. Mature and grown-up people tend to be vicious, jealous and corrupt. They are hypocrites as they always pretend to be what they are not. They are unlike children.
Childhood – Important Question Answers
Ans. The poet is quite sad and nostalgic when he realises that he has lost the innocence of childhood. He feels that the loss of childhood is a great loss because it is only in childhood that one trust others and does not starts finding faults with others.
Ans. The poet feels that it was perhaps at the age of eleven that attained adulthood. He began to distinguish between fact and fiction. In childhood he believed in hell and heaven care imaginary concepts and that they do not exist in reality.
Ans. The poet finds the adults to be hypocrites. They pretend to be what they are not in reality. They talk of preach love but do not put love to real use.
Ans. The poet believes that the independence of thoughts differentiates childhood from adulthood. In childhood, the person is under the impression of others. He cannot differentiate right from wrong. But in adulthood reasoning draws upon him, making him mature and independent.
Ans. Yes, there is a well-planned development of thoughts in the poem. It is a journey from ‘when’ to ‘where’. The first three stanzas are directed towards time but the last stanza is directed towards the place. The part in the last stanza comes to embrace the reality that his childhood lies in the innocent face of an infant.
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