What according to the poem is involved in the process of growing up

Class 11 English Chapter 6 Poem NCERT Solutions Childhood Free PDF Download NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English I. Think it Out Question 1. Identify the stanza that talks of each of the following. 1. Individuality 2. Rationalism 3. Hypocrisy Answer: Before answering let us understand these terms. Individuality is a person’s quality that makes him different from others or thinking for himself without following others’ thinking blindly. Rationalism is a stage when an individual is able to analyse a situation using reason and come to his own conclusions. Hypocrisy is a practice of engaging in the same behaviour or activity for which one criticises another. The poet has talked about the hypocritical behaviour of adults who preach something else and practise something else. Individuality—stanza 3 Rationalism—stanza 1 Hypocrisy—stanza 2 Question 2. What according to the poem is involved in the process of growing up? Answer: According to this poem the process of growing up involves many stages. Attainment of mental maturity can be seen as an indication of growing up. When a person becomes logical, rational and is able to maintain individual thoughts, he is assumed to be grown up. A grown up can discriminate between reality and fantasy and between reality and hypocrisy. Question 3. What is the poet’s feeling towards childhood? Answer: The poet grows nostalgic about his childhood. He feels that childhood is full of innocence. A child is neither a hypocrite nor manipulative. He is ...

For the poet, childhood seems to be a thing of the past. He ponders over the questions as to ‘when’ and ‘where’ did his childhood go. He tries to identify the specific moment, time, or day when he lost his childhood and stepped into adulthood. He indicates that childhood is naive and does not understand hypocrisy. At this stage of life, rational thinking and individuality are yet to be developed. The poet feels that his childhood is gone forever and can only be found in the innocent face of an infant.

1. Identify the stanzas that talks of each of the following. Individuality rationalism hypocrisy Answer Individuality- Third stanza Rationalism- First stanza Hypocrisy- Second stanza 2. What according to the poem is involved in the process of growing up? Answer According to the poem, the process of growing up involves the attainment of mental maturity. A person is said to be grown up when he has become logical, rational and is able to build his own thoughts. A grown up has the power to distinguish between reality and fantasy. A grown up individual understands the actions of others just as the poet recognises the hiatus between the preaching and the practice of the adults. He realises the hypocrisy and the double standards maintained by the adults. A mature individual also asserts his thoughts and opinions. 3.What is the poet’s feeling towards childhood? Answer The poet does not appear to feel sad or upset at the loss of his childhood. He only seems to be puzzled at the disappearance of childhood and the arrival of adulthood. He expresses his confusion when he asks the questions ‘When’ and ‘Where did my childhood go’? 4.Which do you think are the most poetic lines? Why? Answer The lines that seem to be the most poetic are: ‘It went to some forgotten place, That’s hidden in an infant’s face; That’s all I know.’ These lines sum up beautifully the process of growth and the disappearance of a particular stage of life. These lines express metaphorically that an infant’s innocent...

According to poem, the poet was trying to direct the process of growing from a childhood stage to adolescence stage. With loss of childhood poet believe that he will gain some characteristics that will perfectly define his adolescence. These characteristics are: understanding the rationalism and discrimination, understating the hypocrisy that adults show, understanding the power of individualism and self-confidence.