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Belonging: memory, family and the past
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Two poems look back at childhood with someone close, and at how growing up takes something away.
I Remember, I Remember (Thomas Hood)
"I remember, I remember, / The house where I was born".
Each stanza recalls a detail of the childhood home: the window, the flowers, the swing, the trees.
The ending turns sad: as an adult he feels further from heaven "Than when I was a boy." The repetition of the title line creates a nostalgic, almost song-like effect.
Each stanza recalls a detail of the childhood home: the window, the flowers, the swing, the trees.
The ending turns sad: as an adult he feels further from heaven "Than when I was a boy." The repetition of the title line creates a nostalgic, almost song-like effect.
Captain Cook (To My Brother) (Letitia Elizabeth Landon)
The speaker remembers childhood games with her brother, inspired by reading about the voyages of Captain Cook.
Their garden became a world of exploration and imagination.
The poem ends on a more sombre note, as the shared childhood world has passed.
Their garden became a world of exploration and imagination.
The poem ends on a more sombre note, as the shared childhood world has passed.
Comparing the two
Both poems are nostalgic: they look back fondly on childhood.
Both use regular rhyme and form, giving a sense of order and comfort.
Both suggest that belonging in childhood is precious but cannot last.
Both use regular rhyme and form, giving a sense of order and comfort.
Both suggest that belonging in childhood is precious but cannot last.
How does Hood use repetition in I Remember, I Remember?
- Each stanza begins with "I remember, I remember".
- This creates a song-like, nostalgic rhythm.
- It also suggests the speaker keeps returning to the past because the present feels empty.
Answer: The repeated phrase creates nostalgia and shows the speaker returning again and again to a happier past.
I Remember, I Remember: nostalgic repetition, loss of childhood innocence. Captain Cook: imaginative play with a brother, a world now gone. Both: belonging in childhood is precious but temporary.
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