Topic > Transitioning from Childhood to Adulthood in Fern Hill by Dylan Thomas

As children we tend to see the world in a better light than when we become adults. As children, the negative aspects of life are hidden as if they were camouflaged and the positive aspects come out like colors in children's books. Thomas describes a child living on a farm all happy and innocent as he explores his natural environment; However, he soon realizes that the world around him is not as prosperous as he once thought. His innocent outlook on life as a child caused his first experience with adulthood to destroy his once innocent outlook. He tried to stay in his little paradise to avoid the loss of his childhood; however, adulthood is inevitable. Therefore, Thomas mourns the loss of his childhood and the innocence he once had. The poem “Fern Hill” by Dylan Thomas represents a physiological lens as it highlights the transition from childhood to adulthood. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayDylan highlights his childhood at the beginning of his poem, "Fern Hill," which illustrates memories of the times he spent in his mother's country home during vacations. Within his poem, he describes his natural surroundings when he states "Now, while I was young and quiet under the apple branches / Of the house drooping and happy as the grass was green / The night above the starry dingle..." . Apple trees, green grass and a starry sky convey the natural environment of the innocent life that a child experiences while living without worries. As he explored the wilderness, he felt as if he were a “prince” who served as a “hunter and shepherd.” However, this period would not last forever as the fear of growing up meant that this moment only happened “once.” Overall, the carefree and carefree life of an innocent child only leads to regret. Dylan thinks back to his childhood as an adult, where he refers to the past, which gives the reader the idea that Thomas is now an adult. his childhood. He uses words like “I was” and “had” among other past tense words throughout his poem, conveying that his time on “Fern Hill” occurred in his past. As the poem continues, the fear of regret is mentioned when Thomas writes “nothing that mattered to me” showing the regrets he has about his childhood carelessness. He writes "nothing that mattered to me" once again at the beginning of the last stanza to mourn the loss of his childhood and innocence.