On Turning Ten

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Billy Collins: On Turning Ten
The introduction of the poem is quite humorous. By using diseases to invoke a person’s imagination of how the persona felt at that moment, he creates a rather funny depiction of the situation. By using such light language, the reader is made to think beyond the poem’s simple diction. For instance, by saying that it felt like a kind of measles of the soul CITATION Bil17 l 1033 (Collins), it doesn’t make any realistic sense hence evoking laughter at the plight of this nine-year-old. Also, by making the persona seem young and troubled by the fact that they are getting older, the situation just changes and becomes even funnier. This is because of the reader’s perspective changes to a child’s point of view. In addition, the entire plight of this young child is an ordeal that makes one laugh.
For this class of literature, I would agree with Bruce Weber’s assessment. The poem is a witty way of showing how, even when people seldom admit it, growing older is stressful. It comes with many new responsibilities and habits that have to be learned. One has to stop looking at items with an air of optimism and has to see the realities of life. An example being when the persona states that their bicycle doesn’t lean on the garage door the same way.
Bruce Weber is right by saying that Collins uses everyday profound observations to pass on a message such as the leaning of the bicycle or the description of aging a…