Context - To My Nine-Year-Old Self

• The poem 'To My Nine-Year-Old Self' was written by Helen Dunmore
• The poem 'To My Nine-Year-Old Self' is imbued with a deep sense of Nostalgia, as the speaker addresses her younger self, recalling the boundless energy and fearlessness of youth; this nostalgic reflection is tinged with a bittersweet quality, as the speaker recognizes the loss of this vivacity in her current self
• The poem 'To My Nine-Year-Old Self' encapsulates a Loss of Innocence and the transition from childhood to adulthood - The speaker's adult perspective highlights the physical and emotional scars accumulated over the years
• The poem 'To My Nine-Year-Old Self' underscores the relentless passage of time and its transformative effects, the speaker's reflections on past summers and childhood ambitions evoke a sense of time slipping away - The fleeting nature of childhood is depicted through the mention of ephemeral activities and dreams
• The poem 'To My Nine-Year-Old Self' depicts the Dichotomy between youthful exuberance and adult caution, the poem highlights the divergence in perspectives and priorities between the two stages of life - The adult's fears and cautiousness stand in stark contrast to the child's boldness and carefree nature
• The poem 'To My Nine-Year-Old Self' subtly addresses the theme of fear and the instinct to protect, the adult speaker's fears are juxtaposed with the innocence of the child; this protective instinct underscores the vulnerability that accompanies adulthood, reflecting a shift from the carefree fearlessness of youth to a more cautious and protective stance
• In the 1990's, activism regarding climate change began to take hold in the global consciousness, Climate Change is part of a larger environmental movement which began in the 19th century partially as a reaction to the Industrial Revolution - Ideas like conservation, anti-pollution, and green politics are part of environmentalism
• For Helen Dunmore, the threat that humans pose to the natural environment is a pressing concern, the loss of the natural world is one that, like the past, can never be fully possessed again
• In 'To My Nine-Year-Old Self', the speaker is physically transported to her childhood and immersed in the world of the past, which is depicted with pastoral and natural imagery, later disintegrating later on in life
• Helen Dunmore argues the current structure of human society is inextricably tied to loss and destruction, of both childhood innocence and joy, as well as the natural beauty of the World