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Growing Up Produces New Problems In On Turning Ten By Billy Collins

304 Words2 Pages
Growing up introduces new problems. In the poem “On Turning Ten” by Billy Collins, the speaker reminisces about the last 9 years of his life now that he is turning ten. Through the use of similes and diction, Collins conveys that as people age, sadness is a prevailing feeling. To begin, Collins uses a simile to express the speaker's emotions towards getting a year older. The speaker explains the uncomfortable suspicions he’s experiencing as his tenth birthday approaches, “The whole idea of it makes me feel like I’m coming down with something”(Collins 1-2). The speaker is not elated about becoming older, developing, or maturing, but is instead feeling burdened. Just the thought of growing up brings nauseating and sickly symptoms. He knows
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