Adolescence

Adolescence

By Claude McKay

There was a time when in late afternoon

    The four-o’clocks would fold up at day’s close

Pink-white in prayer, and ’neath the floating moon

    I lay with them in calm and sweet repose.

 

And in the open spaces I could sleep,

    Half-naked to the shining worlds above;

Peace came with sleep and sleep was long and deep,

    Gained without effort, sweet like early love.

 

But now no balm—nor drug nor weed nor wine—

    Can bring true rest to cool my body’s fever,

Nor sweeten in my mouth the acid brine,

    That salts my choicest drink and will forever.

Analysis by Juan Pablo

Adolescence is the story of how the narrator is looking back, reflecting on life and the past. This is noted in line 1, "There was time ...". The narrator is looking back at his adolescent days remembering the things he used to do; such as in lines 5 and 6, "And in open space I could sleep, Half-naked to the shining worlds above". The narrator then confesses to us that now that they are older and mature, the substances that the narrator once used to cope with the pain or grief (line 9, "no balm--nor drug nor weed nor wine- Can bring true rest to cool my body's fever,") thus implying that the narrator realized that substance abuse does not help people with their problem. This poem is about coming of age and realization of past mistakes. The author also used rhyme every other line; for example, afternoon and floating moon. The author used an ABAB rhyme scheme.