The poet used to play pirates and sail seven seas. He used
to imagine himself as a cowboy. These simple things made him happy.
3. The poet’s life is unlike the books he reads. Quote from
the poem to validate this?
The poet’s life is unlike the books he reads. His life is an
ordinary life whereas the lives of the characters of the books he read were
heroic lives. His own words in the poem, …..’I discovered the joy of reading,
And escaped the daily grind’ validate this.
4. What was the impact of science fiction on his life?
The poet had read a science-fiction book written by Jules
Verne. He felt that he went on to the moon just to take a look. He continued to
be attracted by such books even after he became an adult.
5. Allusion is a figure of speech in which an object or
circumstances briefly and directly refers to another person, place, thing, or
object. In the fifth stanza, the speaker alludes to two people. Find out who
they are. What do these allusions convey?
David Livingstone and Huckleberry Fin are the two people
mentioned in the fifth stanza. David Livingstone was a famous explorer of the
African continent. Huckleberry Fin was a mischievous fictional character in
Mark Twine’s book. These allusions conveyed that the poet liked the spirit of
adventure, mystery, and mischievousness.
6. What impact did growing up have on the poet?
Growing up means leaving childhood and becoming an adult.
The poet says that as he grew up, his childish world has ended. His imagination
gave way to practical thinking. He says that though he still loves mystery, his
outlook has changed.