I think Collins is saying that as we grow older, (in his case he was ten) we realize that we must leave our make believe world and enter the real world where we no longer can be what we want like a prnce or wizard but must make do with the mundane of ordinary life. Collins does a good job of capturing the melancoly he felt as he became ten, he knew that his childhood was ending and that he would soon have to grow up and face the trials of adolesence. i think what makes this poem so effective at capturing his feeling is the stanza:
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 shows how in childhood he was never faced with any real challenges in his life, because those were aken care of for him by his parents, but now he expierencing the world for himself and realizes that when he stumbles in life he feels the repercussions.
This poem doesnt match what i felt when i became 10. I was excited to finally have two digits under my belt and felt more ready than ever to take on the world with my decade of expierence. i never felt bad about leaving my childhood behind because i never thought about leaving it behind, i never considered that growing up meant leaving parts of your past behind, especially your childhood. I realize that you do lose your innocence as you grow up but i don't think that is what collins is touching on. he seems to be pretty upset with growing up, but since i didn't share his view when i was ten i can't sympathize with him.
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