Point of View

“On Turning Ten” is written in first-person perspective from the point of view of a young child. Moreover, it breaks the fourth wall between the central narrator and the reader; they speak directly across the page, using the pronoun “you.” The speaker and their narrative voice are consistent throughout the poem, as the work represents a single snapshot in time. However, the way the speaker conveys their inner thoughts deepens and carries more nuance as the poem progresses. This gives the speaker a worldly introspection beyond their years, even as the voice retains the childlike sense of innocence and wonder.

Language and Meaning

The word choices and syntax in “On Turning Ten” are simple and straightforward yet evocative. The opening and closing stanzas are laced with similes and metaphors — the first, using hyperbolic humor to make a comically small problem seem astronomical; the final stanza...