Poems about childhood have been written in every style and form throughout the history of poetry. These poems explore how one’s childhood influences them as they age, experiences and freedoms (or lack thereof) in childhood, adults looking back on their childhood fondly (or not), and much more.
It’s hard to define the limits of poems about childhood because they are so broad and multi-faceted. Sometimes these poems are uplifting; sometimes, they are incredibly depressing and surprising. Readers shouldn’t be shocked to find childhood poems filled with nostalgia for the past and the way that a speaker lived and appreciated the small things when they were a child.
‘Parents’ by Durcan uses the sea as a metaphor for the disconnect between parents and children, highlighting the challenges in understanding and communication.
In ‘Parents,’ Durcan uses the sea as an extended metaphor, creating one of the best poems about childhood. He speaks on the fear all parents have as they try to bond with and understand their children. The speaker compares the gulf between what a parent sees and what a child understands. There is something massive and impenetrable between the parents and their child. They can’t get through it, nor can the child communicate clearly from within it.
A child's face is a drowned face: Her parents stare down at her asleep Estranged from her by a sea: She is under the sea
‘To My Nine-Year-Old Self’ addresses the poet’s younger self, exploring changes over time, contrasting past fearlessness with present cautiousness.
This piece is directed at the poet’s younger self and is an attempt to reconcile how she has changed. The poem begins with the speaker asking her younger self to sit still and explain how life has changed since they were the same person. She recalls her previous disregard for her own safety and contrasts it with the total concern she holds now.
‘Now We Are Six’ by A. A. Milne is a funny poem. The young speaker talks about what life was like when they were younger than they are now.
This poem that is told from the perspective of a young child who takes the reader through the previous years of their life. Each year, things improve a little for them. They become more and more the person they are today. After turning six, they are happy to remain at that age forever. The child speaker feels as if they are as clever and happy as they could ever be and sees no reason to age any further.
‘Like Dolmens Round my Childhood, the Old People’ profiles individuals from the speaker’s youth, contrasting their characters and histories, culminating in their deaths and the speaker’s liberation from their memories.
This poem takes the reader through a series of profiles. Each depicts the nature, habits, and quirks of someone the speaker knew in their youth. Some lived well and were kind, others, like Maggie, had been cruel and disparaging throughout their days. The poem concludes with a stanza that expresses the fact that all these people are now dead. They are solid, strong, and powerful in their histories. In the last lines, the speaker expresses relief at the fact that their memories have passed from his life, freeing him.
Jamie MacCrystal sang to himself A broken song without tune, without words; He tipped me a penny every pension day, Fed kindly crusts to winter birds.
‘Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood’ delves into the fading bond with nature as youth gives way to adulthood.
This poem speaks about growing up and losing one’s connection to nature. The poem begins with the speaker mourning the loss of his youth and the deeper connection he used to have to the natural world. The speaker reflects on what it means to age and, in the fifth stanza, declares that we come from a world that is more heavenly than earth.
‘En Famille, 1979’ explores the complexities of aging and a yearning for the simplicity of youth, contrasting the speaker’s current understanding with the clarity of childhood.
This is a short poem that speaks on the difficulties associated with aging and a desire to return to a simpler past. The first lines present the speaker’s desire: that he be returned to the “dark school” that was childhood. In the second, he explains that in his youth, he felt that he knew how the world worked. Tiny things were tiny, and massive things were massive; there was no crossover.
Bring me back to the dark school – to the dark school of childhood:
‘Discord in Childhood’ depicts domestic strife against a stormy backdrop, portraying a parental clash ending in a chilling “silence of blood,” from a child’s engulfed perspective.
Lawrence uses the backdrop of a storm to mirror the tumult of domestic strife. The poem vividly portrays a clash between two voices, a mother and father, with the father's voice ultimately prevailing. This conflict culminates in the chilling "silence of blood," conveying a sense of dread and fear. Lawrence's poetic diction intensifies the drama, effectively placing the reader in the perspective of a child engulfed in a world of constant conflict and metaphorical lashes.
Outside the house an ash-tree hung its terrible whips,
And at night when the wind arose, the lash of the tree
‘Fern Hill’ is Dylan Thomas’ poetic journey into the realms of childhood, capturing the elusive joy that often fades in adulthood.
The title of this piece, ‘Fern Hill,’ comes from the name of a house in which Thomas’ aunt, Ann, lived. With this in mind, a reader can assume that Thomas is looking back on his own childhood in the text while trying to understand youth and innocence. There are references to the Bible and dreams. Thomas makes use of pastoral imagery, linking happiness to peace, quiet, and nature.
Now as I was young and easy under the apple boughs
About the lilting house and happy as the grass was green,
‘Laughing Song’ from Blake’s collection ‘Songs of Innocence’ celebrates the innocent and pure joy found among nature and children.
Blake considers childhood innocence a reflection of divine purity, also present in the natural world; he considered children, with their unbridled imaginations and untainted spirits (from society), as inherently closer to the divine and could perceive the spiritual realm more clearly than adults. Thus, in this poem's dreamy landscape, children effortlessly unite with nature, their innocence aligning with the purity of their surroundings, sharing in sublime joy and harmony. Withal, the poem captures the quintessence of childhood—emphasizing the delight of simple play, which seems dreamy and far-fetched in adulthood.
Larry Levis’s ‘Childhood Ideogram’ unravels the intricacies of identity, memory, and the transience of time through the speaker’s nostalgia.
In this poem, the topic of childhood is clearly addressed through nostalgic reflections and graphic imagery. 'Childhood Ideogram' captures the speaker's memories and experiences of their formative years in a three-room schoolhouse. It explores the innocence, wonder, and confusion of childhood, as well as the lasting impact those early experiences have on the speaker's sense of identity and perception of the world. The poem invites readers to revisit their own memories of childhood and reflect on the bittersweet nature of that transformative stage of life.
‘Childhood’ explores the transitory moment when a child becomes aware of the passing of time, and the process of growing old.
The title of the poem directly points to the time of one’s life when their mindset and attitude are formed. Those formative years give the lesson that stays with one for a lifetime. This poem is about one such lesson that the speaker learned in her childhood days.
I used to think that grown-up people chose
To have stiff backs and wrinkles round their nose,
Heaney’s ‘Personal Helicon’ draws inspiration from his rural carefree childhood and intimate connection with nature.
To Heaney, childhood is a time of innocence, awe and wonder, especially with regard to nature. The tragedy of youth, however, is that children are scarcely aware that their youth will not last forever until it has passed.
As a child, they could not keep me from wells
And old pumps with buckets and windlasses.
I loved the dark drop, the trapped sky, the smells
‘The Snow is Melting’ is a playful and moving haiku that captures the essence of Issa’s poetic beliefs and values.
Children are central to the image, not only as literal figures but also as symbols of vitality, freedom, and renewal. Their emergence from winter’s silence suggests resilience and innocence. Issa elevates their playfulness as a meaningful part of life’s cycle. Moreover, the melting snow could represent the fleeting experience of youth, which is over before we know it.
Jessica Traynor’s ‘The Artane Band’ explores complex themes of silence and oppression in recent Irish history.
The poem reflects on the theft of childhood, as the boys were trained to march in disciplined formations rather than play, learn, or grow in a nurturing environment. Their experience was defined by control rather than freedom.
Our Poem Guides, PDFs, Study Tools, and Articles are created by a team of qualified poetry experts to provide an unparalleled in-depth look into poetry.
