On Turning Ten

 On Turning Ten by Billy Collins

Growing up and childhood experiences is a motif repeatedly mentioned in a lot of Billy Collin's poetry.  Whether its reminiscing on the glories or the growth, what I as reader interpret is that childhood is a key influence in the poet's life hence the constant repetition.

My particular favorite regarding childhood is the poem 'On Turning Ten' which a humorous insight on joys of childhood and the woes of growing up. Turning ten is usually quite a big step in childhood because its when you hit the first double digits number and it might also be considered a right of passage in some cultures. Therefore, with the title beginning with 'On Turning Ten' which insinuates the poet wants to further explain this issue, Collin's tackles not only a very relatable age but unfortunately one that not many people choose to ponder on. I believe this is what makes this poem more unique because everyone will write something on becoming a teenager or becoming an adult but many often forget other special times such as when you ten.

Moving on, in the poem of 5 stanzas, the first stanza tabulated with 7 lines is perhaps the most interesting stanza. Firstly in this stanza, the topic of discussion is subtly introduced with a conversational yet slightly opinionated tone. The poet doesn't start with mentioning that he will be talking about turning ten, but rather he dives in into his emotions regarding ten. It is through the use of the figurative phrase "coming down with something" that the negative implication of turning this new chapter in age is introduced in the poem. Already one can tell that the narrator is not looking forward to it. Adding on, Collins uses a set of metaphors to further emphasize on his emotions. With references to illnesses such as "measles...mumps...chicken pox" which are common during early childhood, I think the poet tries to imply that like these illnesses, turning ten is unavoidable.

As Walt Disney once stated, "the real trouble with the world" is that "too many people grow up" and with growing comes forgetting what it was like to be a child. Therefore, in the second the stanza of this poem, Collins takes us down the memory lane where we remember the "perfect simplicity of being one" and the "beautiful complexity introduced by two". By using contradictory words such as simplicity and complexity to describe two different ages, the poet highlights the fact just growing up to ten was an adventure. It's a journey where "at four I was an Arabian wizard...at seven...a soldier...at nine a prince"! Throughout the stanza, the excitement is illustrated through the imagination of the child. The fact that the poet keeps describing what the child was up until the last sentence shows of the relenting spirit of the child to believe in just about anything.

Yet, despite this, as the poem comes to a close, the adverse effect of growing up and saying "goodbye to my imaginary friends" is witnessed through the solemn mood of the receding stanzas. Instead of the boundless activity incriminated with being young, the boredom and the "beginning of sadness" for the child is now depicted. In fact, even the initial strong hate towards turning ten exemplified the first stanza is now reduced to a sense of defeat yet also acceptance.

It is at this point that I as a reader, I am inclined to reflect on my life and think just how growing up has changed my perspective on life. Before ten, I was a surgeon fixing up countless dolls that the evil terminator (my brother) had ruthlessly destroyed. After ten, I was too cool for Barbie and it was time for TV and other 'grown-up' stuff. Yet as I grow up, one thing I cannot deny is that childhood has distinctively influenced my life.

 

"It seems only yesterday I used to believe

there was nothing under my skin but light.

If you cut me I would shine.

but now when I fall upon the sidewalks of life,

I skin my knees. I bleed."