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!
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!
Where did my childhood go?
It went to some forgotten place,
That’s hidden in an infant’s face,
That’s all I know.
Summary
The poet wonders when he stopped being a child and considers these possibilities:
When he turned eleven – He questions whether growing older meant losing childhood.
When he realized that Heaven and Hell are not real places – As a child, he believed in them, but later, he learned they do not exist in geography, making him question their reality.
When he saw the hypocrisy of adults – He noticed that adults talk about love but do not always act with love, making him doubt their sincerity.
When he realized he could think for himself – He understood that his thoughts were his own, different from what others told him, which made him feel more independent.
At the end, he asks where his childhood went and concludes that it is lost in some forgotten place, but it still exists in the innocent face of a young child.
Explanation
The poem talks about the loss of childhood innocence and the transition to adulthood.
It shows how growing up means realizing new truths—about the world, people, and oneself.
The last lines suggest that childhood never truly disappears; it can still be found in the innocence of other children.
