Thomas Hood was a British poet and humorist. Hood was particularly fond of making practical jokes to his family members, which he enjoyed and one among those were described in one of his daughter’s writings “Memorials of Thomas Hood”.
Hood later on started a magazine on his own, for which he had assistance from many men in literary, but was sustained due his own activity. Even though was sick in bed, he continued his work in poetry which were all well known.
Since his health was not in condition, a number of his friends made applications to Sir Robert Peel to consider Hood’s name in the list of literary men who receive pension from the British State. As Peel was a great admirer of Hood’s work, the pension was granted and it did help the family during Hood’s last months. It continued till his wife, Jane Hood also passed away and later a small amount was allowed for maintenance of his two children.
“I Remember, I Remember” is a poem in which Hood reflects his sentiments of life and his childhood.
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In the poem, Hood initially portrays his childhood and the house where he was born. Those beautiful days where the sun rays came and beautiful days were there in the proportion. However in the last two lines, he says about his present situation and how he wished the night had tolerated his breath.
The second stanza describes about the days of his childhood, where he sees and feels the beautiful colors of roses and lilies and the lilacs and talks about a tree that he and his brother spent days even on his brother’s day.
However in the third stanza, he gives a combination feel of his past and present. He says about playing with a swing and enjoying the breeze and wind and he was all energetic and high in sprits and when he recalls those times with his present, he does not even have the energy to lift a brow. The pool water was very cool and enjoyable, but now it is not even sufficient to cool his fever.
The last para say that he remembers how he used to think in the wildest manners about tress and their heights that they reached the sky which was so childish and now as a frown up, he misses all those thoughts and days and he understand that nothing is attainable that he desires for at this point of time.
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The poet wishes to get back his childhood days and the energy and be free from pain that he suffers now as a grown up.
A wonderful poem that gives a high contrast to the childhood days and experience, a world with beautiful thoughts and an adult world filled with regrets and losses and pain. A true Hood’s style of poetry.