“I Remember, I Remember” by Thomas Hood.
"Exploring Nostalgia and Childhood in 'I Remember, I Remember"
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Introduction
Immerse yourself in the poignant verses of the poem "I Remember, I Remember." Delve into the timeless realm of nostalgia as the poet takes you on a journey through the cherished memories of their childhood home, evoking vivid images of sunlight streaming through a window, vibrant roses, and the fleeting beauty of nature's wonders.
In this heartfelt composition, the speaker reflects on the bittersweet passage of time, where days felt endless and the world seemed to hold limitless possibilities. The poem beautifully captures the essence of youthful innocence and the yearning to recapture the simplicity of those days.
Uncover the layers of meaning woven into each stanza as the speaker contrasts the lightness of their past with the weight of their present. The swing that once made their spirit soar like a bird in flight now stands as a reminder of the burdens adulthood brings. The imagery of fir trees reaching for the sky, coupled with the speaker's evolving perspective, adds a touch of introspection to the narrative.
Join us in exploring the themes of fleeting time, the relentless pull of nostalgia, and the universal longing to recapture the carefree moments of youth. Whether you're an avid poetry enthusiast or simply intrigued by the human experience, "I Remember, I Remember" offers a profound glimpse into the emotional landscape of memories and the passage of time.
It is a poem that conveys the poet's tenderness and longing for his childhood recollections. The poem is about the poet's youth. The home in which he was born, the flowers, the birds, the trees, and the sky are all things that he fondly remembers from his childhood. He compares the blissful innocence and contentment he had as a kid with the melancholy and estrangement he feels from heaven at the present time.
The poem was first distributed to the public in 1903 when it was included in William Michael Rossetti's edition of The Poetical Works of Thomas Hood. It is considered to be one of the best-known poems written by Thomas Hood, a poet, and comedian from England. In addition to it, he is famous for his poems "The Song of the Shirt" and "The Bridge of Sighs."
I Remember, I Remember
I remember, I remember,
The house where I was born,
The little window where the sun
Came peeping in at morn;
He never came a wink too soon,
Nor brought too long a day,
But now, I often wish the night
Had borne my breath away!
I remember, I remember,
The roses, red and white,
The vi'lets, and the lily-cups,
Those flowers made of light!
The lilacs where the robin built,
And where my brother set
The laburnum on his birthday, —
The tree is living yet!
I remember, I remember,
Where I was used to swing,
And thought the air must rush as fresh
To swallows on the wing;
My spirit flew in feathers then,
That is so heavy now,
And summer pools could hardly cool
The fever on my brow!
I remember, I remember,
The fir trees dark and high;
I used to think their slender tops
Were close against the sky:
It was a childish ignorance,
But now 'tis little joy
To know I'm farther off from heaven
Than when I was a boy.
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Analytical Summary
"I Remember, I Remember" is a reflective poem by Thomas Hood that encapsulates the themes of nostalgia and the passage of time. The poem delves into the poet's recollections of his childhood, contrasting the innocence and joy of those days with the disillusionment of adulthood.
Structure and Form
The poem is composed of four stanzas, each containing eight lines. The rhyme scheme follows a consistent pattern of ABABCDCD, contributing to its rhythmic and melodic quality. The use of simple, yet evocative language enhances the sentimental tone.
Themes
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Nostalgia and Memory:
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The poem is steeped in nostalgia, as the speaker fondly recalls his childhood home, the natural surroundings, and moments of joy and freedom. This sense of longing for the past underscores the transient nature of time and the inevitable changes it brings.
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Innocence vs. Experience:
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There is a stark contrast between the innocence of childhood and the burden of adulthood. The memories of playful days, where the speaker felt light and free, are juxtaposed with his current state of heaviness and weariness.
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Nature and its Symbolism:
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Nature plays a significant role in the speaker's memories, symbolizing purity and simplicity. The roses, violets, lily-cups, lilacs, and laburnum trees are vivid images that evoke a sense of beauty and serenity.
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Lost Idealism:
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The final stanza reveals a poignant realization of lost idealism. The speaker's childish belief that the tops of fir trees were close to the sky symbolizes a sense of wonder and closeness to heaven, which he now perceives as naive ignorance. The adult speaker feels distanced from that sense of wonder and spiritual closeness, reflecting a loss of faith or joy.
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Imagery and Language
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Hood employs rich imagery to bring the past to life. The descriptions of the house, the flowers, and the trees create a vivid and picturesque setting. The "little window where the sun came peeping in at morn" and "the lilacs where the robin built" are particularly evocative images that capture the essence of childhood.
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The use of contrast is also notable. The poem shifts from bright, lively images of the past to darker, more sombre reflections on the present. The transition from the lightness of the "spirit flew in feathers" to the heaviness of "the fever on my brow" highlights the emotional weight carried into adulthood.
Emotional Tone
The emotional tone of the poem is bittersweet. While there is a deep appreciation and love for the memories of childhood, there is also a sense of sorrow and regret for the loss of that time. The wish that "the night had borne my breath away" indicates a profound yearning to escape the burdens of the present.
Conclusion
"I Remember, I Remember" is a poignant meditation on the passage of time and the inevitable changes that come with it. Through nostalgic recollections and vivid imagery, Hood contrasts the carefree innocence of childhood with the sombre realities of adulthood, ultimately reflecting on the loss of joy and the distance from the idealism of youth. The poem resonates with readers as it touches on universal themes of memory, loss, and the inexorable march of time.
Word Meanings:
1. Peeping: surreptitiously peeking via a tiny aperture.
2. Morning: dawn until noon.
3. Wink: less than a second.
4. Long: lasting.
5. Night: sunset-to-sunrise darkness.
6. Borne: carried.
7. Breath: lung air.
8. Roses: fragrant, beautiful blossoms in red, pink, and white.
9. Vi'lets: tiny plants with heart-shaped leaves and fragrant, purple blooms.
10. Lily-cups: huge, spectacular white or pink flowers.
11. Flowers: petals, sepals, stamens, and pistils.
12. Light: something that makes things visible.
13. Lilacs: aromatic shrubs or small trees with pink, purple, or white blooms.
14. Robin: a red-breasted garden bird.
15. Brother: a brother, a sibling
16. Yellow-flowering laburnum.
17. Life: having life or being alive.
18. Until: now or a certain period.
19. Swing: move back and forth or side to side when suspended.
20. Air: the invisible nitrogen-oxygen gas that surrounds Earth.
21. Rush: hurry.
22. Fresh: just created or gathered.
23. Swallows: a kind of bird with elegant flyers and forked tails.
24. Wing: a bird's feathered and boned forelimb that allows flight.
25. Spirit: a person's non-physical self that may survive death.
26. Birds: creatures that fly with light, flat feathers.
27. Heavy: difficult to lift.
28. Summer: between spring and fall, the hottest season.
29. Pools: natural still water bodies.
30. Fever: a high body temperature followed by perspiration and chills.
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Poetic Devices
I Remember, I Remember" by Thomas Hood employs several literary devices to enhance its themes and imagery. Here are the key literary devices used in the poem. These literary devices work together to create a poignant and evocative poem that explores the passage of time and the bittersweet nature of memory.
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Imagery:
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The poem is rich with descriptive language that appeals to the senses, creating vivid images in the reader's mind. For example, "The house where I was born," "The roses, red and white," and "The fir trees dark and high" are all detailed visuals that evoke specific scenes and emotions.
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Rhyme Scheme:
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The poem follows a consistent ABCBDEFE rhyme scheme in each stanza. This regular pattern adds a musical quality to the poem and helps unify its structure.
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Repetition: [Refrain]
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The phrase "I remember, I remember" is repeated at the beginning of each stanza, emphasizing the theme of memory and creating a rhythmic cadence that mirrors the act of recalling past experiences.
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Contrast:
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There is a contrast between the poet's joyful childhood memories and the sombre tone of his present reflections. This device highlights the differences between the innocence of youth and the disillusionment of adulthood.
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Personification:
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The poem attributes human characteristics to non-human elements, such as the sun "peeping in" at the window, which gives the natural world a sense of liveliness and interaction with the poet.
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Symbolism:
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Various elements in the poem symbolize broader concepts. For example, flowers like roses and violets often symbolize beauty and innocence, while the fir trees and the sky can represent aspirations or spiritual ideas.
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Alliteration:
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The poem uses alliteration, the repetition of initial consonant sounds, to create a pleasing sound and to emphasize certain phrases. For example, "My spirit flew in feathers then,"[ ‘f’ sound] and "roses red"[ ‘r’ sound] feature this device.
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Metaphor:
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The poet metaphorically refers to his past carefree state as flying "in feathers," suggesting lightness and freedom, and contrasts it with the "fever" on his brow, implying the burdens of adult life.
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Tone:
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The poem's tone shifts from nostalgic and wistful to sombre and reflective. This shift in tone helps convey the poet's sense of loss and longing for the simplicity and joy of his childhood.
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Irony:
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There is a subtle irony in the poet's realization that the knowledge and experience gained in adulthood have not brought him closer to the happiness or spiritual fulfilment he associated with childhood beliefs.
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Hyperbole:
There is an element of hyperbole in the lines "I used to think their slender tops / Were close against the sky." Hyperbole is a literary device that involves exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally, often used for emphasis or effect.
In these lines, the speaker reflects on a childhood perception that the tops of the fir trees were so tall that they seemed to touch or be "close against the sky." This exaggeration emphasizes the child's sense of wonder and awe at the natural world, as well as a naive understanding of the distance between the earth and the sky. The hyperbole captures the innocence and imaginative perspective of childhood, where things can appear grander and more magical than they are in reality.
The use of hyperbole also helps underscore a theme in the poem: the contrast between the enchanting, sometimes exaggerated perceptions of childhood and the more grounded, often disillusioning realities of adulthood. The speaker's realization that this was a childish misconception further highlights a loss of innocence and the sober recognition of the true nature of things as one grows older.
SUMMARY
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The poem "I Remember, I Remember" reflects on nostalgia and longing for the past. The speaker recalls the house of their birth, with its sunlit window and the timely progression of days. The wish is expressed that the night of their birth had taken their lives away. The memory also encompasses the vivid imagery of red and white roses, violets, lily cups, and the tree planted on a brother's birthday, all symbolizing the innocence and beauty of childhood.
The speaker recalls a time when they once felt as light as the swallows in flight, contrasting it with their current heavy state of being. The poem also mentions the cooling pools of summer that failed to alleviate the inner "fever." The memory of tall fir trees is also evoked, as the speaker used to imagine their tops touching the sky, highlighting the innocence of childhood perceptions. However, this knowledge now brings little joy, as the speaker feels farther from heaven than in their youthful days.
Overall, the poem captures a sense of yearning for the purity, lightness, and closeness to heaven that characterized the speaker's childhood, contrasting it with the heaviness and distance they feel in their present state.
How do you feel after reading the poem?
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After reading the poem, a range of emotions come over me, including pity, appreciation, and curiosity. I can empathise with the poet's melancholy and the yearning he has for his boyhood. I am able to empathise with him and comprehend how he is experiencing. I can't help but wonder about the poet's life and what inspired him to create this poem in the first place. I am curious in the circumstances of his youth as well as the state of his adult life. I have a great deal of respect for the poet's talent and the inventiveness shown in this poem. I like the way he is able to portray his feelings and ideas via the use of words and images.
What is the tone of the poem?
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The mood of the poem might be described as melancholy and bittersweet. The poet conveys not just his affection and appreciation for his upbringing, but also his regret and grief that he was unable to hold on to it. He expresses his hopelessness and desolation in the present by using phrases and words such as "I often wish the night had borne my breath away," "My spirit flew in feathers then, that is so heavy now," and "But now 'tis little joy / To know I'm farther off from heaven / Than when I was a boy." These phrases and words help him to communicate his feelings of hopelessness and desolation. In addition to this, he employs exclamation marks to emphasise the intensity of his feelings and his enthusiasm for his history.
Questions:
1. What is the name of the poet who wrote this poem?
2. What is the name of the editor who published this poem in 1903?
3. What is the poetic device that repeats the phrase “I remember, I remember” at the beginning of each stanza?
4. What is the human quality that the poet gives to the sun in the first stanza?
5. What is the poet’s wish in the last line of the first stanza?
6. What are the three types of flowers that the poet mentions in the second stanza?
7. What is the name of the bird that built its nest in the lilacs in the second stanza?
8. What is the name of the tree that the poet’s brother planted on his birthday in the second stanza?
9. What is the activity that the poet used to do in the third stanza where he felt like a swallow?
10. What is the word that describes how the poet’s spirit feels now in contrast to how it felt then in the third stanza?
11. What is the name of the trees that the poet used to think were close to the sky in the fourth stanza?
12. What is the phrase that the poet uses to describe his lack of knowledge as a child in the fourth stanza?
13. What is the word that expresses how the poet feels now about knowing more about the world in contrast to how he felt then in the fourth stanza?
14. What is the rhyme scheme of each stanza in this poem?
15. What is the tone of this poem?
ANSWERS:
1. The poet is Thomas Hood.
2. William Michael Rossetti was the editor of the publication that brought this poetry into the world in 1903.
3. Anaphora is the name of the poetry technique that is used when the line "I remember, I remember" is repeated at the beginning of each verse.
4. The poet endows the sun with a human aspect in the opening verse by giving it the ability to peek and wink at the reader.
5. In the last line of the first verse, the poet expresses his desire that he had passed away when he was a youngster.
6. The poet names roses, violets, and lily-cups as the three different kinds of flowers that are mentioned in the second stanza of the poem.
7. A robin is the kind of bird that is mentioned in the second verse as having established its nest in the lilac bushes.
8. A laburnum is the kind of tree that was planted in the poet's honour by his brother on the occasion of the poet's birthday in the second verse.
9. The poet describes feeling like a swallow while he was swinging, which is the action that he used to undertake in the third stanza.
10. The word "heavy" is the one that best reflects the difference between how the poet's soul feels right now and how it felt back in the third stanza.
11. In the fourth verse, the poet refers to certain trees as being "close to the sky." The name of these trees is fir trees, and the poet believed that they were.
12. The word "childish ignorance" is what the poet uses to characterise his lack of understanding when he was a child, and it appears in the fourth stanza of the poem.
13. The phrase "little joy" is the one that best conveys how the poet feels about knowing more about the world today in comparison to how he felt when he knew less about it in the fourth stanza.
14. The rhyme pattern that is used in each of the stanzas of this poem is as follows: ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH.
15. The mood of this poem might be described as melancholy and bittersweet.
THINK DEEPLY
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What historical and social events influenced Thomas Hood’s life and poetry?
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How does the poem reflect the Romantic movement in literature and art?
ANSWERS:
1. The French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, the Industrial Revolution, the Reform Act of 1832, and the Cholera outbreak of 1832 were some of the historical and social events that affected Thomas Hood's life and poetry. These experiences moulded not just his political views but also his social consciousness and his personal struggles.12.
2. The poem is exemplary of the Romantic movement in literature and art because it conveys the personality of the author together with his feelings, imagination, and a sense of melancholy. Additionally, it demonstrates his admiration for things like children, nature, and beauty. In addition to this, it offers scathing critiques of the society, industry, and religion of his era.