Adolescence
Claude McKay
Analysis by Juan PabloAdolescence is the story of how the narrator is looking back, reflecting on life and the past. This is noted in line 1, "There was time ...". The narrator is looking back at his adolescent days remembering the things he used to do; such as in lines 5 and 6, "And in open space I could sleep, Half-naked to the shining worlds above". The narrator then confesses to us that now that they are older and mature, the substances that the narrator once used to cope with the pain or grief (line 9, "no balm--nor drug nor weed nor wine- Can bring true rest to cool my body's fever,") thus implying that the narrator realized that substance abuse does not help people with their problem. This poem is about coming of age and realization of past mistakes. The author also used rhyme every other line; for example, afternoon and floating moon. The author used an ABAB rhyme scheme.
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