Analysis Of On Turning Ten By Billy Collins

Growing up and becoming independent can be a challenging transition, and it could make some people feel hopeless, lost, scared, and even sick. These sentiments are shared and further discussed in Collins’, “On Turning Ten” where a young child is depressed and sickened by the thought and realization of turning ten, which to him/her, is a big number. This sense of hopelessness concerning the inevitable nature of aging is sustained and proved by the ironic contrast in tone and diction between the child’s view of the past and the present, the structure and writing style of the poem, and the various metaphors that are used to portray a negative outlook on aging. Therefore, the melancholy tone used in Collins', "On Turning Ten" illustrates the loss of hope that is evident as the child fears that the reality of growing up, equates to the loss of freewill, which ultimately causes him/her to feel sick. To start, there is a sharp contrast in the …show more content…
One important metaphor that was mentioned was when the child stated that if he/she falls on the “sidewalks of life”, he/she would scrape his knees and bleed, instead of shining of light (4.29-32). Since sidewalks are rough and hard, this could refer to life being tough as one matures, and realizes that if one falls and gets hurt, they will suffer from the consequences as they are not invincible. Another notable metaphor was when he/she states that he/she’ll, “…walk through the universe in my sneakers” (4.25). The universe is vast and lonely and this could refer to the child feeling lost, and trying to figure out what to do, but a small glimmer of hope is noted as he/she’ll walk using sneakers, which are usually, sturdy and comfortable. Thus, by using metaphors, it provides a further visual understanding of the child’s negative outlook on