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Time After Childhood And Maturation

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Moment in Between “in Just-” by E.E Cummings articulates the period between childhood and maturation. Similar to the title, the poem focuses on the period of time after childhood and before puberty. The theme, natural and unstoppable process of growing up, is centralized throughout the poem. Cummings uses an amount of various literally techniques to help get his point across such as; importance of setting, diction, tone, pace, allusion, symbolism, and structure. Overall the poem creates the difficult, but relatable reality many children had to face growing out of their childhood. It is hinted to the reader that the poem takes place in a park or a playground after the last memory of winter melts away. The park helps create a sense of…show more content…
The puddles left behind by the snow correlates to the children leaving their childhood but its mark is still visible. The importance of the children in the park helps to express that childhood is still present in the children but is quickly fading away. By the children playing in the park it creates the significance of the children getting the last few reminders of their innocence before it completely melts away. The description of the Balloon man varies as the poem progresses. In line 4 he is described as “lame” this expresses the children’s point of view, they view him as old and disabled. The children see him in such a light because at this point they are still enjoying their childhood and growing old as an elder seems so far away and inconceivable to them they see the Balloon man weaker than what he actually might be. The thought of the Balloon man changes when he is described as “queer” at this point of time the children are starting to experience their awakenings and it’s weird and odd to them (line 11). In the first three stanzas happier words are used to display the children’s excitement about growing up. The description of the puddles left over by the snow are combined with lighter and positive words, “mud-luscious” and “puddle-wonderful” portrays how excited the children are at growing up—at first (lines 2-3 and 10). As the poem progresses less words are used. The progression of simpler words expresses the hesitation of the children.
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