Analyzing On Turning Ten

I think that Collins is trying to say that children need to cherish their childhood as much as possible because it doesn't last forever, and those are the years that you can have as much fun and creativity as you want and not be judged. I think he is trying to say that not enough people truly appreciate their childhood and embrace is as much as they should because they want to grow up so quickly. Collins captures childhood by describing different things he did at certain ages before he turned double digits. This poem is affective because it is very dramatic and dark. He intensifies what it's like to grow up, and he makes it seem like it is a terrible thing because you are growing our of your childhood. I wasn't sad to become 10 because I thought it was exciting to finally be in double digits. My childhood was filled with great memories, so even though I am no longer a child, I can still look back on all the wonderful times I had, and I can look forward to creating new memories as I grow older.