"Once was a country child but memory of it is sunlight clear

• Analysis

  "There once was a country I left it as a child but my memory of it is sunlight clear," opens the poem with a nostalgic and fairytale-like tone, suggesting the narrator’s childhood memories of her homeland are idealized and untainted. The phrase "there once was a country" implies that the country no longer exists, possibly due to political upheaval or war.
• Structure (Opening)

  The term "sunlight clear" symbolizes her happy and optimistic memories of the place, with sunlight serving as a recurring motif throughout the poem to represent hope and positivity. This idealized view contrasts with the darker realities of the country's current state, which are explored later in the poem.