Summary Of Turning Ten By Billy Collins

In On Turning Ten by Billy Collins the literary devices that are used to express the theme of aging are word choice, figurative language and symbolism. The word choices that has been put together shows that the narrator is maturing. An example of this was when the narrator says “but now if I fall upon the sidewalks of life, I skin my knees. And bleed.” (Collins 31) . The word choice that is used to describe how the character falls is an advanced way for a child to explain how reality is hitting her at this age. Billy Collins used symbolism by comparing herself falling on the ground to the real world. In the quote mentioned above the author is explaining that when she gets older failing in life is not what is used to be, but now she bleeds and is experiencing real life. In this quote it is showing the theme of aging because it is a point of realization in this character's life that she is no longer a child. Lastly another literary device that was used is figurative language, Colins used similes to enhance the theme of again. The narrator explains how she is feeling upset and she is saying this to herself “as she walk[s] through the universe in [her] sneakers” (Collins 21). The usage of similes in this context is having the character compare sadness to walking through the universe which is lonely and sad. All three of these literary devices show that throughput the short poem the character is having a reflective moment on her life where

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. "-Atticus Finch, this is one example of coming of age sign from ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’ along with other. Specifically, coming-of-age includes when one sees from other point of view, acknowledges that the world does not always work as one wish, and understands that there are consequences of one’s action. Beside the given quotation above, there is one coming of age scene, Maycomb reaction of Tom Robinson’s death, I would like to analyze to identify the theme.

What does it mean for someone to become a man? How does one get the key or password to becoming a man? Some believe that becoming a man is just referring to a coming of age, and it somewhat is, however there is more. In the short story “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard white, Dave, the main character is a young boy trying to become a man and is searching for the key. However, there are certain ways to do things in society, and there are ways to not, and both of these ways have their benefits and consequences. In this short story Dave sees the gun as a symbol of manhood, and it will set him free of his childhood.

If society was asked what defines “coming of age,” what would it say? Some would say people come of age when they act more mature, think grown up thoughts, or do certain actions. This quote by someone unknown helps form an explanation of what coming of age is: “Maturity doesn’t mean age; it means sensitivity, manners, and how you react.” In the literature piece “The First Part Last,” the author Angela Johnson writes about two teenagers, Bobby and Nia, who struggle with the difficulties of teen pregnancy. Throughout the book, they both face many hardships that put their relationship, patience, and responsibility to the test. With the help of a red balloon, a basketball, and family pictures in a doctor’s office, Bobby comes of age after paying attention to these symbols and signs throughout the novel.

At the same time, he makes attempts to fulfill his desire to be happy. He realizes that he has been forcing himself to feel happy and satisfied (but he was not successful in those

Similarly, in "On Turning Ten," Collins' speaker adopts a wistful and nostalgic tone, expressing discomfort with leaving childhood behind. Collins describes, "The whole idea of it makes me feel like I'm coming down with something, something worse than any stomach ache or the headaches I get from reading in bad light." This metaphorical description captures the emotional weight of growing older and the loss of

Eventually he starts to realize how meaningless his life was and how he wasted it doing nothing but complaining and being miserable.

He then abruptly juxtaposes this picture with his own life and childhood room, “Sunless, cooler—a brimming saucer of wax, marbly and dim”. 6-7. Comparing the “gold leaf” of this family to his “marble and dim” childhood. Through this harsh juxtaposition in the opening stanzas, Merrill elegantly sets the stage for his poem to detail his unfair and neglectful childhood.

Thus, the speaker often feels dejected or sad. Similarly, the speaker “…looked down the saddest city lane” (4). Looking down the street suggests how the speaker looks into the future, and seeing the “saddest city lane” indicates how the speaker sees sadness in his/her future. With the use of past perfect tense, the speaker continues to feel dejected and sees sadness further in the future as well. This continuation enhances the overall melancholy tone of the poem.

I think that he is trying to convey how in adolescence you can be lost in “dark places”, not clear of the future head, however, as time pasts, you grow older, becoming more mature and appreciative of the things around

Of how he wished to jump every time, how he could take his life no more, how a minute more would torment his broken soul. Of how he was always held back by something more. The words were never spoken out loud, yet they hung heavy in the air.

At this point, he realizes that true happiness is not found in temporary things. The world does not hold

Having never experienced a positive way to express his feeling in his childhood it caused him to be so cold and empty in side. He was as inhuman and void of emotions as his small childhood pet.

"Out, Out," by Robert Frost is a gruesomely graphic and emotional poem about the tragic end of a young boy's life. It is a powerful expression about the fragility of life and the fact that death can come at any time. Death is always devastating, but it is even more so when the victim is just a young boy. The fact that the boy's death came right before he could " Call it a day" (750) leads one to think the tragedy might have been avoided and there by forces the reader to think, "What if." This poem brings the question of mortality to the reader's attention and shows that death has no age limit.

Reading the title of “The Meaning of Stories”, I expected an essay on the significance of various cornerstones of storytelling. I was pleasantly surprised to find a less analytical essay, and instead, a more personal narrative, featuring individual experiences, and a thoughtful explanation on how stories shape the foundation of our lives. I was a very serious child. My favorite story to tell about my childhood self takes place in kindergarten. It was spring time, and the tree outside the classroom was full of small white flowers that were being scattered in the wind.