tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post2990288354562848455..comments2024-02-10T04:59:03.138-05:00Comments on Mrs. Baker's English Classes: Poem of the Week: 3/19Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16639907284018599784noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-86882136960938170222012-04-02T15:13:49.993-04:002012-04-02T15:13:49.993-04:00To me, this poem was very relatable. Sooner or lat...To me, this poem was very relatable. Sooner or later, everyone has to grow up. The "coming of age" period is hard for everyone, but it isn't the end of the world. Yes, coming of age comes with responsibility, school and work, but everyone must go through it. For me, growing up was tough so it's easy for me to relate to this poem. I just to be able to entertain myself for hours playing using only my imagination. Now, the only thing that holds my attention is my cell phone or the computer. I feel that the author understands this, and portrays growing up well.<br /><br />Kelly Smith<br />Period 1<br /><br />PS-Sorry this is late. I didn't have access to the internet at the hotel or the airport!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-4154336703586503502012-03-30T11:59:17.753-04:002012-03-30T11:59:17.753-04:00In my opinon, this poem was very well written and ...In my opinon, this poem was very well written and a lot of thought was put into it. Billy Collins deffinetly chose a difficult thing to write about, because in reality, who really feels like writing about their problems? I love how the poem talks about how growing up happens so fast, you dont even realize it. I agree with that 100%. You may realize you've grown up a bit or whatever, but time flys by, especially if you live a good life. It's sad how Billy cant forget about his past, when you're in the future, the past shoudnt matter much to yourself anymore. His childhood is gone, and now it's time to be an aduklt, and forget about what happened before in life.<br /><br /><br />Hannah K<br /><br />Period 7Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-89099901540248255702012-03-26T16:15:35.237-04:002012-03-26T16:15:35.237-04:00I thought this poem was very thought provoking, I ...I thought this poem was very thought provoking, I think it is interesting that the author, Billy Collins, choose ten as the age of coming out of childhood. Usually 13 is the age that is most associated with coming of age stories. This make me wonder why Collins choose 10, and if this poem is part of a longer story and if there is a big significance to the age for him. Overall I think the author did a great job describing the feeling of changing from a boy who thinks he bleeds sunshine to one who knows what it feels like to scrape a knee and bleed.<br />Marisa <br />Period 4Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-49647432347989977862012-03-26T09:46:06.207-04:002012-03-26T09:46:06.207-04:00This poem is about how growing up happens so fast ...This poem is about how growing up happens so fast that you don't even notice it happening but it is something you have to accept. The author spoke about how was looking back on his life and how he is now in a time where he needs to take responsibility and forget about the "imaginary" things he had in his childhood. <br />Chase Swift<br />Period 5Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-38198692406842307442012-03-25T22:00:58.179-04:002012-03-25T22:00:58.179-04:00this poem really talks about the becoming of age o...this poem really talks about the becoming of age of people and how we all change as we grow older. I know it happens to me when i think about things I use to do in the past, and whether it was 10 years ago or last summer, looking back sometimes I wish I had acknowledged all of the things going on. This poem makes a lot of since when it talks about things you can no longer do when you get older it makes it seem as if being a child is almost taboo. Anyone I really enjoyed this poem because it brought back memories of things I remember doing.<br /><br />Sorry I did this today, thought it was due Monday, but I guess that was the Vocab....<br />Edgar Ortiz<br />Period 1Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-38961269855075661492012-03-25T19:59:59.924-04:002012-03-25T19:59:59.924-04:00This poem is very intersting because it reveals a ...This poem is very intersting because it reveals a certain stage that we, the people, go through life. It shows us that we get to a certain time in life, where we started getting use to the fact that we have to be responsible and that everything we thought it was true was just "imaginary". It shows how we get to a certain point where we are not creative as we use to be. We are never going to go back to those times where anything but us and our imagination matter. <br />Jennyfer Jarrin <br />Period 5Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-79091830456437458012012-03-25T13:59:04.029-04:002012-03-25T13:59:04.029-04:00This coming of age poem was so compelling because ...This coming of age poem was so compelling because it was relatable. Everyone in our class who read this poem has turned ten and is currently going through a stage of growing up, and reading this poem certainly showed this. The line The whole idea of it makes me feel like I'm coming down with something, something worse than any stomach ache” stood out the most to me, because to me, this feeling will never go away, it will continue with you as you continue to age and grow through life. <br />Rachel H P5Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-64765150900360261172012-03-23T13:12:06.106-04:002012-03-23T13:12:06.106-04:00Wen i first read the title of this poem, i wasn...Wen i first read the title of this poem, i wasn't sure about the idea behind the poem. But then as i read on, i found out it's a coming of age poem. I enjoyed reading it. In my interpretation, The boy was noticing that as he got older, when he reached 10, it was time to start acting his age, or more mature. This is how life is somewhat like. As you get older, you start facing reality, and grow up. <br /><br />Amanda Genovese (period 7)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-26757352782358127422012-03-23T13:10:11.140-04:002012-03-23T13:10:11.140-04:00"I could make myself invisible
by drinking a ..."I could make myself invisible<br />by drinking a glass of milk a certain way.<br />At seven I was a soldier, at nine a prince." I chose this qoute because every kid has a story like this one. It made me think of when I was turning ten. It feels like it was yesturday and now I'm 17, time fly's when your having fun if you know what I mean.<br /><br />Walter Kreske<br />PeriodAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-60705490755613007782012-03-23T13:08:56.445-04:002012-03-23T13:08:56.445-04:00this poem is about growing up and beginning to rea...this poem is about growing up and beginning to realize what you want to do and what you want to get out of your life. its about more than age, because that is just a number, its about the gaining of responsibility and the pressures that you are about to undergo to achieve your goals and be successful for the rest of your life. <br />ali nuzzo<br />period 7Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-31002348376344540982012-03-23T13:06:42.662-04:002012-03-23T13:06:42.662-04:00This poem says how as we grow up we realize we hav...This poem says how as we grow up we realize we have a lot of responsibilities. We have to know who we are and the rite choices to make uin our day to day life. It is a harsh reality for a ten year old to know he is not a kid anymore. It is even harder for us to know we have even more responsibilities then the ten year old kids.<br />JOsh Celone Per 7Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-18538432730740840832012-03-23T13:05:14.366-04:002012-03-23T13:05:14.366-04:00The poem is of a coming of age of seeing the world...The poem is of a coming of age of seeing the world through different eyes. Mabey its only one more day, mount, year but anything could have happened. nothing may have been changeing to everything having been riped out from under him showing what could and is happening, makeing the day before seem all the more magical.<br />Tom Gingras<br />Per.7Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-31822803417099536742012-03-23T12:47:57.152-04:002012-03-23T12:47:57.152-04:00After reading this poem a couple of times, I now u...After reading this poem a couple of times, I now understand the meaning of it and where the author was coming from. He is just a young boy that didn’t want to grow up. “It seems only yesterday I used to believe there was nothing under my skin but light” this quote made me really realize what Billy Collins was getting at. When you are younger you don’t really think about things the same way or view of how you do when you get older. It was a well written poem that discussed “coming of age.”Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-32136620345792673232012-03-23T12:40:45.060-04:002012-03-23T12:40:45.060-04:00I think this poem is very easy for all of us to re...I think this poem is very easy for all of us to relate to. At some point in your life you have to leave behind your childhood antics and become more mature. I agree that turning 10 was a significant event in all of our lives. However, I wouldn’t say that turning 10 is a turning point in our lives. Many people have said that this poem is about the loss of innocence, but I don’t think your age changing is enough to take away your innocence. Yes, as we grow older we learn to take on more responsibilities, but on your birthday you are still the same person you were the day before your birthday. I don’t think our age defines us as much as people think it does. Maturity is more about experiences and how you react to different situations.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Kelly L.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16639907284018599784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-32148486598980358012012-03-23T11:16:04.354-04:002012-03-23T11:16:04.354-04:00This poem is about coming of age and the hardships...This poem is about coming of age and the hardships we go through as we become older. Turing ten is when you hit the big double digits. It is a milestone in your life and it means you have to take on more responsibility. growing up to quickly is never fun but its a reality and we need to start acting more like adults when we are older.<br /><br />Laurel <br />per. 5Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-28016964303343506782012-03-23T10:06:17.820-04:002012-03-23T10:06:17.820-04:00I really enjoyed this poem. I think Billy is tryin...I really enjoyed this poem. I think Billy is trying to explain that when he turned 10, that is when he realized he needs to start acting a little more "grown-up". For example, at the end of the poem he states that when he use to be cut he shined, but now when he gets cut, he bleeds. Him turning 10 makes him realize that is an age where he should be having imaginary friends anymore, he needs to come to reality.<br /><br />-Michelle Caron Per.5Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-10911076322907570832012-03-23T09:41:32.035-04:002012-03-23T09:41:32.035-04:00This poem shows that when your young you want to b...This poem shows that when your young you want to be a adult but when you get older you wish you were a kid again. This poem is a perfect way of coming of age because you want to grow up and life happens fast and when you get to that point ya you have a lot more freedom but sometime you wish you can do all that kid stuff again. When I was a kid I would watch spots and say to myself I want to be that person or I want to play on that team and my family goes to the casino a lot and I allways wanted to gamble with them but i wasn't old enough. Now i kin of miss being young all the fun games that I played with friends and I'm a junior in high school only have one year left and all these years spending my time with all my friends is about to go away when we graduate so sometimes you wish you can go back in the past. So yaeh its exciteted when your kid to amigin to grow up but when you get to that age your goanna miss being a kid.<br /><br />Nick DeBroi Period 5Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-59301924769775665012012-03-23T08:34:14.067-04:002012-03-23T08:34:14.067-04:00This poem shows perfectly the coming of age. We al...This poem shows perfectly the coming of age. We all want to grow up so fast and each and every year it seems as if kids are growing up faster. I remember being a kid and wanting to grow up. Now I think back and I can't even come up with a reason why I wanted to grow up because growing up is hard and it comes with challenges. You give up a lot to grow up. Kids are expected to have an imagination and to be creative, but as you grow up that tends to fade away because instead of needing to be creative you are expected to know years worth of facts. Being a kid was so easy and being a teenager with responsibility is extremely tough. I bet all of us would give up a day of being an adult or a teenager to go back to be a kid for just a day. It is funny how we all want what we can't have. We all wanted to grow up when we were little kids and now that we are grown we find ourselves wanting to go back to a simpler time when we were kids.<br />Kelsie DePino<br />Period: 5Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-42903526313925341322012-03-23T07:27:49.156-04:002012-03-23T07:27:49.156-04:00This poem shows the chalenges of comming of age ...This poem shows the chalenges of comming of age and how turning 10 was so important at the time and the imagination that he had. i remeber a few years ago when i thought being 10 was so special but now it is just a fading memeory in my past. after reading this poem it is sad to me the imagination i have lost and the memories i have forgotten. in the en "turning ten" has helped me look back into my past and remeber when i first came of age. <br />jennifer lassman p1Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-85058077898769807612012-03-23T06:44:16.849-04:002012-03-23T06:44:16.849-04:00Billy Collins' "Turning Ten" grasps ...Billy Collins' "Turning Ten" grasps the concept of coming of age perfectly. Reading this poem made me realize how truly sad it is to grow up. Even just turning 10 is a big deal. I remember when I was just about to turn 10 - I was excited because I would then be in the double digits, and closer to being a teenager. Now I look back and wonder - why was I so eager to be older? It was so fun to be a little kid. Imagination is so vivid and crucial to a kids life - why is it that as we get older, it gets harder and harder to let ourselves explore our imagination? It's sad to think that we won't ever have that imagination like we used to when we were younger...like if sticking your arms out horizontally and running around, you were flying a plane, for example. <br />Summer Harvey period 5Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-31554822881968432212012-03-23T01:40:20.291-04:002012-03-23T01:40:20.291-04:00As everyone has pointed out, this poem is about lo...As everyone has pointed out, this poem is about loss of innocence and coming of age. Billy Collins describes how it feels going from those one digit numbers to two digit numbers, and he feels it is a terrible change. When growing up, we all get more of an understanding of the world around us. In his poem, Collins addresses that age ten is when the ideas and beliefs previously thought up begin to fade. All the imaginary, mystical worlds and beings dreamed up when he was little were starting to sound silly as years passed by because maturity took them away. In addition, Collins writes, “If you cut me I could shine. But now when I fall upon the sidewalks of life, I skin my knees. I bleed.” Here he is talking about his childhood belief that he could live forever and nothing could hurt him or anyone he loved. And that belief was one that disappeared after he found out about death most likely. Collins says, “my bicycle never leaned against the garage as it does today, all the dark blue speed drained out of it.” This reminds me of the phrase ‘out with the old, in with the new’. The new might not be better, but times have changed and it is what it is. Collins used to think his bike went really fast, but later on he realized he only thought it did. The imagination had been taken from bike and had been filled with a slower reality. Going through big changes is generally difficult and starting to go through those pre-teen and teenage years is just one example. I believe Billy Collins captured coming of age perfectly.<br /><br />Meglin Bodner Per. 5Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-16690794846815861492012-03-23T00:20:15.983-04:002012-03-23T00:20:15.983-04:00I was quite impressed with this poem; I truly foun...I was quite impressed with this poem; I truly found myself experiencing different emotions as I read through the whole piece. At first, I thought that the author's depiction of a ten year old boy was unusual in the sense that the boy seemed far too mature and negative as he dreads the arrival of his birthday. Through my experience of watching my younger siblings grow up, I've been able to see what a typical ten year old would normally think about or perhaps view his or her life at that young age; I began to wonder if the author suffered some sort of early trauma that could have triggered such a negative reaction to the come of another birthday. I feel that he is too young at the age of ten, however, to be looking back upon his earlier years and mourning the loss. <br />I was immensely captivated by the last lines of this poem because it shows that distinctive moment when a child discovers a significant piece of reality that brings him or her out of the childish fantasy and towards the teenage and the adult ages. Collins skillfully portrays the epiphany that the boy receives when he realizes that instead of a gentle, whimsical light flowing from the body, he is harshly welcomed by blood. <br /><br />Zhanneta. <br />Period 1.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-35047067940323086652012-03-22T23:47:06.505-04:002012-03-22T23:47:06.505-04:00"On Turning Ten" reveals a great deal ab..."On Turning Ten" reveals a great deal about humanity and the loss of innocence in such a few short lines. As previously stated above, the author of the poem, Billy Collins, places a heavy influence on that of the mind, spirit, and soul which can be directly found in lines 1-4. Collins' reference and stress of these three intangible possessions conveys that their usage is of higher significance. Childhood is medley of emotions that when viewed upon from a psychological perspective determines developmental traits of one's human adult self. The process of leaving the marked age of single digits and into those of double digits represents a passage into a new chapter of life concerned with different measures of identity and self. It is evident within the second stanza that Collins' displays a melancholy mood when referring to his past birthdays and the influential memories and sensations that accompany the numerical values of aging. From his lugubrious tone and morose choice of diction it is clear to the reader that the author of the poem places a special attachment on those ages and is tentative of their departure. This tentativeness is accompanied by a fear of the unknown that the age of 10 brings in. It is a commonality of the human condition to fear the unknown because as social animals the human population strives to have a sense of control and power over the present and near future. Therefore, when the possibility of anything happening arrives, that is truly when we are left in the weariness of our consciousnesses. The poem then takes the conjugation of the present and places a dramatic negative connotation on aging through the word choice of "solemnly" and "drained" both referring to aspects of childhood that had lost their attractiveness and sense of enjoyment. In the words of Collins, "this is the beginning of sadness", a beginning of which all nonsense must be forgotten and maturity be found. The past of "imaginary friends" and skin full of light was no longer an accepted form of reality. Collins ultimately loses his innocence of childhood when he realizes that his body does in fact bleed when skinned against the asphalt of the ground. The poem "On Turning Ten" orates the preciousness of childhood and the innocence that accompanies it in addition to advising others to hold onto that state of mind for as long as possible. <br /><br />- Alexander Borkowski Period 1Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-24599301282511024732012-03-22T23:17:29.363-04:002012-03-22T23:17:29.363-04:00I think that this poem is a coming of age poem. It...I think that this poem is a coming of age poem. It shows so people take thier childhood for granted and how when people don't realise what they have untill its gone as cliche as it is. The author is talking about thier childhood and trying to go into a mental state where he remembers every detail even the smallest that happend in his life. When hes talking about " At seven I was a soldier, and nine a prince" I feel like he's talking about how he misses the freedom of thought about being a child. As a child you are alowed to let your imagination run free as you please. No one would judge you based on you decsions. Then as you read on after that he's talking about how he misses all of those childhood memories and wants them back and how he would do anything to get them back.<br /><br />Taylor Perry<br /><br />Period 5Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33822704.post-78173787034239060102012-03-22T23:11:21.101-04:002012-03-22T23:11:21.101-04:00I did like this poem for many reasons. The most im...I did like this poem for many reasons. The most important being that he gave explicit examples that has to do with each age. He really gives life to the ages that he described, and i thought that was interesting. However, this poet seems to be a little too pessimistic about life. He is only turning ten, and he is already sad about his childhood being over. He really shows his feelings when he says "This is the beginning of sadness, I say to myself,<br />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." I dont think he realizes that when you are ten, your childhood is far from over. You still have a simple life at that point: Easy school work, no stresses, and minimal responsibility. I just can't seem to understand why he is so sad to essentially continue his childhood. It is possible that he may think it is a big deal to have an age of double digits, but he doesnt realize that there isn't much of a difference from being nine and being ten. Instead of contemplating about imaginary worries produced from being ten, the poet should continue to value his young age and cherish his childhood before it is really over.<br /><br />Alex Gogliettino<br />Per. 4Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com