my parents

• My Parents

  Title of the poem, may not actually be about the speaker's parents
• The poem is about a speaker who reflects on an aspect of his childhood, particularly how his parents kept him away from the rough street kids</b>
• Speaker


  • Recalls being kept away from rough street kids by his parents
  • Sees the street kids as free, wild, and brave
  • Admires the street kids and wants to be accepted by them
  • Feels his parents prevented him from having that experience
• Street kids


  • Rough, threw words like stones, wore torn clothes, climbed cliffs, stripped by streams
• Speaker's parents kept him from the street kids


  Speaker was not allowed to mingle with them
• Speaker sees the street kids as

  Powerful, muscular, brave, free
• Speaker feels

  Fear and reverence towards the street kids
• Street kids


  Bully and tease the speaker, mock his lisp
• Speaker

  Wants to be accepted by the street kids, longs to forgive them
• Speaker's parents


  Prevented the speaker from experiencing the freedom of the street kids