Childhood Class 11 English Notes

Hello everyone, here in this post you will get notes from the poem "Childhood" Class 11 NCERT Hornbill. Students must prepare these points and try to include these points in their answers to score maximum in their Class 11 exam.

Name of the Poem: Childhood

Name of the Poet: Markus Natten

Childhood Class 11 English Notes

Stanza 1:

• In this poem, the poet thinks deeply about the question of his lost childhood. Childhood is a stage of innocence and purity of heart in which the child believes others and loves unconditionally.
• The poet wonders when he lost his childhood. He reflects that perhaps it was the day when he crossed the age of eleven.
• Perhaps, it was when he realized that the concept of Hell and Heaven are not found in Geography and hence cannot be located.
• The poet realizes that he might have lost his childhood when he gained his rational outlook due to getting educated.
• The first stanza gives an idea about 'Rationality'.

Stanza 2:

• Here the poet talks about the hypocrisy of adults who preach something else and practice something else.
• The poet reflects that when he realized that the adults were hypocrites is when he lost his childhood.
• The adults told the poet to be loving and caring; however, they themselves were argumentative, violent, and discourteous.

Also Read: How to Start Class 11 and Class 12 Preparation?

Stanza 3:

• The poet realized that his mind was his to control and no one could direct him except himself. His thoughts need not be governed by others and he could take his own decisions.
• He gained a sense of individuality, which set him free from the preconceived opinions of others.
• His own individual opinions and experiences shape his thoughts now and he realized that this might have been the time when he lost his childhood innocence completely.

Stanza 4:

• In this stanza, the poet changes his question. The poet now wonders where his childhood has gone.
• He thinks that maybe his childhood went to some unremembered or unknown place.
• The poet thinks that his childhood is hidden in an infant's face, as infants are innocent.
• The poet perceives adulthood as a stage where one loses innocence and becomes manipulative. He doesn't enjoy being an adult. He laments the loss of his childhood.

Also, Watch the Detailed Explanation of  Childhood Poem Class 11