Technique/idea Key Quotes and analysis
Key themes: What does Nostalgia The speaker nostalgically refers to
this poem explore? Childhood her younger self’s future plans as
Growing up the ‘dream we had’.
Memory The younger self would rather ‘run
than walk’, ‘climb than run’ and ‘leap
than a height than anything’,
highlighting her childhood innocence
and desire for adventure and
activity.
The speaker has grown up and
come across the pains and dangers
of life, the ‘scars’, ‘bad back’, ‘men
in cars after girl-children’ and ‘fears’,
She has lost her innocent view of
the world from childhood.
The speaker uses the pronoun ‘we’
to highlight the shared experiences
between her past and present self.
Language: Any patterns Symbolism The symbolism of the ‘scars’, ‘bad
of language? Poetic Sensory imagery back’ and ‘bruised foot’ is not only
techniques? Eg: similes, Imperatives literal, but a metaphoric
metaphors, verbs, etc. Pronouns representation of the trauma and
suffering that the speaker has gone
through. The ‘white paper’
symbolises innocence and purity, as
well as a blank slate for her life
experiences.
The speaker uses the sensory
imagery of ‘sherbert lemons’ to
convey how life is initially sweet on
the outside, but over time, through
experience, wear and tear, life
becomes more sour, like the
sherbert.
The speaker starts off the poem with
the imperative ‘you must forgive
me’. This creates a formal tone and
separates the younger self from the
speaker.
The speaker uses both separative
pronouns such as ‘I’, ‘me’ and ‘you’,
as well as ‘we’, suggesting how she
finds it difficult to completely
separate herself from her younger
self, but does notice key differences
and changes in herself.
Ideas: What is the poem The poem is about a woman The speaker recalls her ‘summer of
about? What are the main reflecting on her younger ambition’, where she’d ‘jump into the
Key themes: What does Nostalgia The speaker nostalgically refers to
this poem explore? Childhood her younger self’s future plans as
Growing up the ‘dream we had’.
Memory The younger self would rather ‘run
than walk’, ‘climb than run’ and ‘leap
than a height than anything’,
highlighting her childhood innocence
and desire for adventure and
activity.
The speaker has grown up and
come across the pains and dangers
of life, the ‘scars’, ‘bad back’, ‘men
in cars after girl-children’ and ‘fears’,
She has lost her innocent view of
the world from childhood.
The speaker uses the pronoun ‘we’
to highlight the shared experiences
between her past and present self.
Language: Any patterns Symbolism The symbolism of the ‘scars’, ‘bad
of language? Poetic Sensory imagery back’ and ‘bruised foot’ is not only
techniques? Eg: similes, Imperatives literal, but a metaphoric
metaphors, verbs, etc. Pronouns representation of the trauma and
suffering that the speaker has gone
through. The ‘white paper’
symbolises innocence and purity, as
well as a blank slate for her life
experiences.
The speaker uses the sensory
imagery of ‘sherbert lemons’ to
convey how life is initially sweet on
the outside, but over time, through
experience, wear and tear, life
becomes more sour, like the
sherbert.
The speaker starts off the poem with
the imperative ‘you must forgive
me’. This creates a formal tone and
separates the younger self from the
speaker.
The speaker uses both separative
pronouns such as ‘I’, ‘me’ and ‘you’,
as well as ‘we’, suggesting how she
finds it difficult to completely
separate herself from her younger
self, but does notice key differences
and changes in herself.
Ideas: What is the poem The poem is about a woman The speaker recalls her ‘summer of
about? What are the main reflecting on her younger ambition’, where she’d ‘jump into the
