"On Turning Ten" by Billy Collins has a tone/attitude of melancholy and thoughtfulness. The narrator is reflecting thoughtfully on his sadness about turning ten, "the first big number." The narrator also reminisces about the happiness and playfulness of his earlier ages. He describes all the characters he pretended to be, such as an "Arabian wizard...a soldier... [and] a prince." He contrasts this prior joy when he decides that this new age is "the beginning of sadness." This statement shows his melancholy attitude.
The theme of the poem is growing up and the struggles having to do with coming of age. The narrator starts by listing all the illnesses he would rather have than turn ten. He describes this new age with dread. He longs to be young again, even though he is told that "it is too early to be looking back."
The shift in the poem is when the narrator accepts that he is growing up and that life is difficult. He contrasts his former view about life with the view he has now. He explains his new perspective:
"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."
The narrator's acceptance that life involves real pain is the point in the poem where he reaches true realization. He no longer believes that his body is filled with light. Instead, he acknowledges that when he gets injured, he will bleed.
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