Poem – 4

 Childhood

In this post, we have given the summary of the Poem 4 “Childhood”. It is the 4th Poem of the Poem of Class 11th CBSE board English. 

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CHILDHOOD

–by Markus Natten

Stanza- 1

When did my childhood go?

Was it the day I ceased to be eleven,

Was it the time I realised that Hell and Heaven,

Could not be found in Geography,

And therefore could not be,

Was that the day!

Explanation: The poet wonders when he lost his childhood. He reflects that perhaps it was the day when he crossed the age of eleven. Maybe it was the stage when he realised that the concepts of Hell and Heaven, about which he had been taught since his childhood, did not exist in reality. Geography textbooks did not give the location of any such places. The poet realises that he might have lost his childhood when he gained his rational outlook due to getting educated.

व्याख्या- कवि को आश्चर्य होता है कि कब उसने अपना बचपन खो दिया। वह सोचता है कि शायद यही वह दिन था जब उसने ग्यारह वर्ष की आयु पार की थी। शायद यह वह चरण था जब उन्हें एहसास हुआ कि नर्क और स्वर्ग की अवधारणाएं, जिनके बारे में उन्हें बचपन से सिखाया गया था, वास्तव में मौजूद नहीं थीं। भूगोल की पाठ्यपुस्तकों ने ऐसे किसी भी स्थान का स्थान नहीं दिया। कवि को अहसास होता है कि शिक्षित होने के कारण जब उसने अपना तर्कसंगत दृष्टिकोण प्राप्त किया तो शायद उसने अपना बचपन खो दिया होगा।

Stanza- 2

When did my childhood go?

Was it the time I realised that adults were not all they seemed to be,

They talked of love and preached of love,

But did not act so lovingly,

Was that the day!

Explanation: In this stanza, the poet reflects that maybe the loss of childhood occurred when he was able to see through the hypocrisy of adults. These people followed double standards, actually following and preaching different standards of behaviour. They told the poet to be loving and caring; however they themselves were argumentative, violent and discourteous. Their behaviour was a far cry from the love they sermonised about and advocated so reverently to the child. Perhaps, says the poet, recognising broken trust was a major step towards adulthood.

व्याख्या: इस छंद में कवि प्रतिबिंबित करता है कि शायद बचपन का नुकसान तब हुआ जब वह वयस्कों के पाखंड को देखने में सक्षम था। इन लोगों ने दोहरे मानकों का पालन किया, वास्तव में व्यवहार के विभिन्न मानकों का पालन और प्रचार किया। उन्होंने कवि को प्यार करने वाला और देखभाल करने वाला बताया; हालाँकि वे स्वयं तर्कशील, हिंसक और अशिष्ट थे। उनका व्यवहार उस प्रेम से बहुत अलग था जिसके बारे में वे उपदेश देते थे और बच्चे के प्रति इतनी श्रद्धा से उसकी वकालत करते थे। शायद, कवि कहते हैं, टूटे हुए भरोसे को पहचानना वयस्कता की ओर एक बड़ा कदम था।

Stanza- 3

When did my childhood go?

Was it when I found my mind was really mine,

To use whichever way I choose,

Producing thoughts that were not those of other people,

But my own, and mine alone

Was that the day!

Explanation: The poet asks the same question again and again but with different options. He is trying to guess when he actually lost his childhood. Perhaps, it was the day when he realised that his mind could think independently, forming his own opinions and being able to 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 realised that this might have been the time when he lost his childhood innocence completely. 

व्याख्या- कवि एक ही प्रश्न को बार-बार पूछता है, लेकिन विभिन्न विकल्पों के साथ। वह अनुमान लगाने की कोशिश कर रहा है कि उसने वास्तव में अपना बचपन कब खोया। शायद, यह वह दिन था जब उन्होंने महसूस किया कि उनका दिमाग स्वतंत्र रूप से सोच सकता है, अपनी राय बना सकता है और अपने निर्णय लेने में सक्षम हो सकता है। उन्होंने व्यक्तित्व की भावना प्राप्त की, जिसने उन्हें दूसरों की पूर्वकल्पित राय से मुक्त कर दिया। उनके अपने व्यक्तिगत विचार और अनुभव अब उनके विचारों को आकार देते हैं और उन्होंने महसूस किया कि यह वह समय हो सकता है जब उन्होंने अपने बचपन की मासूमियत को पूरी तरह खो दिया हो।

Stanza- 4

Where did my childhood go?

It went to some forgotten place,

That’s hidden in an infant’s face,

That’s all I know.

Explanation: In this stanza the poet changes his question. The poet now wonders where his childhood has gone. He reflects that may be his childhood has gone to an unremembered place. The poet also says that childhood can be found in the innocent face of a child who does not have any pretensions and rationality and who trusts others unconditionally. In other words, a small child is full of innocence and there one can find one’s own childhood.

व्याख्याः इस छंद में कवि अपना प्रश्न बदल देता है। कवि अब सोचता है कि उसका बचपन कहाँ चला गया। वह दर्शाता है कि हो सकता है कि उसका बचपन किसी अनजान जगह पर चला गया हो। कवि यह भी कहता है कि बचपन उस बच्चे के मासूम चेहरे में पाया जा सकता है जिसमें कोई दिखावा और तर्कसंगतता नहीं है और जो दूसरों पर बिना शर्त भरोसा करता है। दूसरे शब्दों में, एक छोटा बच्चा मासूमियत से भरा होता है और वहां आप अपना बचपन पा सकते हैं।

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