Narrative POem Research

The whole idea of it makes me feel
like I'm coming down with something,
something worse than any stomach ache
or the headaches I get from reading in bad light--
a kind of measles of the spirit,
a mumps of the psyche,
a disfiguring chicken pox of the soul.

You tell me it is too early to be looking back,
but that is because you have forgotten
the perfect simplicity of being one
and the beautiful complexity introduced by two.
But I can lie on my bed and remember every digit.
At four I was an Arabian wizard.
I could make myself invisible
by drinking a glass of milk a certain way.
At seven I was a soldier, at nine a prince.

But now I am mostly at the window
watching the late afternoon light.
Back then it never fell so solemnly
against the side of my tree house,
and my bicycle never leaned against the garage
as it does today,
all the dark blue speed drained out of it.

This is the beginning of sadness, I say to myself,
as I walk through the universe in my sneakers.
It is time to say good-bye to my imaginary friends,
time to turn the first big number.

It seems only yesterday I used to believe
there was nothing under my skin but light.
If you cut me I could shine.
But now when I fall upon the sidewalks of life,
I skin my knees. I bleed. 





This is a beautiful and touching poem by Billy Collins, one of the most famous poets in history. This poem examines the feeling of a little ten year old looking back with bitter remorse at his life before his age turned into a double digit. Before he turned ten, the world to him, is a bizarre and interesting place. He could one day be a wizard, another day be the prince...Yet as age did not have mercy on him and he grew up. Now,he is neither the wizard nor the prince, he, is only himself. The world is neither a battleground nor a palace, the world is just the few roads in front of his house. It seemed as if as the narrator grew up, the amusement and imagination of the world faded at his age of TEN. The last part of the poem was especially powerful as the narrator spoke " It seems only yesterday I used to believe there was nothing under my skin but light. If you cut me I could shine. But now when I fall upon the sidewalks of life, I skin my knees. I bleed." These few lines especially signifies how hard it is for a child to grow up and become practical. The lines don't just represent a physical occurrence, but also a mental occurrence. As a child you believe you can accomplish anything. IT seemed like just having a dream is enough. Yet now, as a child grows up, reality hits him square and flat. He fell to the ground, and bled the crimson blood of red despair. 
This poem is a relatively short narrative compared to the historical ones such as the " canterbury tales" and " The Devine Comedy". The story wasn't very long, neither is it a fiction like story, yet it is a narrative alright. This poem is a free-verse narrative so there isn't much of a rhyme scheme to look into. Again, since it is a free-verse narrative, there isn't much meter either. The oversell style of the writer is informal, childlike, remorse. I don't think there is a lot of imagery in this poem either, because it is mainly a description of the poet's feelings. The last stanza, however, may be an example. I could picture the boy when he fell upon the sidewalk and bled instead of shedding light. I think that can be a pretty powerful image. The metaphors are abundant in this poem. There is one when the narrator mentioned himself to be an Arabian wizard at four, a soldier at seven, and a prince at nine. The next stanza, the narrator mentioned that light " fell solemnly" against his tree house and his bike " leaned" against the garage. I think the poem is great the way it is with sufficient use of all the poetic elements. It represented the view of a remorseful ten year old boy saying goodbye to his imagination and hello to reality where you bleed when you fall. Too much of any poetic elements will not contribute to the mood the poet has created. I thought this was an excellent poem.