The lines are ‘It went to some forgotten place, that’s hidden in an infant’s face, that is all I know. ’ The images, of ‘forgotten place’ and ‘infant’s face’ make these lines beautiful. Besides these are the only lines that rhyme.
The poet thinks of his childhood with nostalgia. He feels as if he has lost his own child or something most dear to his heart and he has lost his innocence too.
According to the poem, the process of growing up involves at least three important steps. First, the child begins to differentiate between truth and fiction. The second step is when he begins to understand the false pretensions of the people around him. The last and the most important step in the process of growing up…
individuality – stanza 3 rationalism – stanza 1 hypocrisy – stanza 2
Yes, the change from ‘when’ to ‘where’ is certainly significant. It shows that in the third stanza the poet has got his answer to the question ‘when.’ Now, in the final stanza he wants to know where the childhood has gone.
The poet cannot exactly remember where his childhood has gone. However, he thinks, that some glimpse of it can be seen in an infant’s innocent face.
The realization of being the master of his own mind and could use it in anyway he liked, filled him with self confidence. He could now think independently and need not repeat parrot like thoughts of others.
Having an independent mind free from any outside influence is the most important step towards adulthood. That is why, the poet mentions it as the third and the final step. Other steps like being rational or learning hypocrisy show an outside influence while this step shows an internal awakening which is the chief quality of…
No, the poet thought that in childhood and till now, his mind did not belong to him. It was occupied by thoughts infused by other in his mind. It was the final step towards adulthood when he realized that he was the master of his own mind and need not be guided by any other…