I Remember, I Remember Analysis

I Remember, I Remember
by Thomas Hood

I remember, I remember,
The house where I was born,
The little window where the sun
Came peeping in at morn;
He never came a wink too soon,
Nor brought too long a day,
But now, I often wish the night
Had borne my breath away!

I remember, I remember,
The roses, red and white,
The vi’lets, and the lily-cups,
Those flowers made of light!
The lilacs where the robin built,
And where my brother set
The laburnum on his birthday,—
The tree is living yet!

I remember, I remember,
Where I was used to swing,
And thought the air must rush as fresh
To swallows on the wing;
My spirit flew in feathers then,
That is so heavy now,
And summer pools could hardly cool
The fever on my brow!

I remember, I remember,
The fir trees dark and high;
I used to think their slender tops
Were close against the sky:
It was a childish ignorance,
But now ‘tis little joy
To know I’m farther off from heav’n
Than when I was a boy.

Summary of I Remember, I Remember
Popularity of “I Remember, I Remember”: This poem was written by Thomas Hood, a great English poet and humorist. "I Remember, I Remember" is one of the best literary pieces known for its subjects. It was first published in 1844. The poet recalls his childhood memories and compares his childhood joy with his somber present. The poem deals with the miracle of life through childhood memories.
“I remember, I remember” As a representative of life: This poem is about the change in time. The speaker recalls his blissful childhood, which is still green in his memories. He remembers his bedroom with its small window where the sun appeared every morning. He also remembers he saw many flowers in the garden around his house and the laburnum tree. The tree was planted by his brother on his birthday who is still in the same place.
The poet remembers how he used to swing and move through the air without any care in the world; he also has the memory of fir trees with their tall branches and summer pools, which refreshed him; Now, as an adult, he misses that carefree time because the real world has robbed him of his innocence and joy. You feel you are far from the blessings and real happiness after you grow old.
Main themes in "I remember, I remember": Memories, the fleeting nature of time and childhood innocence are Throughout the poem, the speaker reflects on the memories of his childhood and speaks of the fleeting nature of time. According to the poet, time passes leaving only memories. The poet believes that a child has no worries in their life, that is why children can make the most of the joys that surround them without feeling bothered by the tensions of the world, therefore, to relive those moments of life, the poet immerses himself in your memories.
Analysis of literary devices in “I remember, I remember”
Literary devices are tools with which writers convey their emotions, ideas and topics in order to make texts more attractive to the reader. Thomas Hood did an excellent job of visualizing this poem too. Here is the analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem.

Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds on the same line. For example, the sound of / i / in “Came in in the morning” and the sound of / oo / in “And summer pools could hardly cool off.”
Anaphora: It refers to the repetition of a word or phrase in the first part of some verses. For example, "I remember, I remember" is repeated in all stanzas of the poem to emphasize the point of memory.
Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant tones on the same line in rapid succession. For example the sound of / r / in “I remember, I remember” and the sound of / r / in “The roses, red and white” and the sound of / f / in “My mind then flew in feathers” .
Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant tones on the same line. For example, the tone of / r / in "And where my brother put" .
Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not end with a line break. Instead, it is continued on the next line or, for example
"And thought the air must flow like fresh
To swallow on the wing."

Images: Images are used to make readers perceive things with their five senses. For example “The house where I was born”, “The fir trees dark and tall” and “The fir trees dark and tall”.
Metaphor: It is a phrase in which an implicit comparison is made between different people and objects. Only one metaphor is used in the stanza in which it is specified The speaker metaphorically compares his current state with his colorful childhood.

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in "I Remember, I Remember"
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but some are only used in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the verse melodious. For example "born / mourn", "day / gone" and "set / still".
Rhym scheme: The poem follows the ABCBDEFE rhyme scheme in all stanzas.
Repetition: There is a repetition of the verse “I remember, I remember” that created a musical quality in the poem.
Refrain: The lines that are at some distance in The poems are repeated one more time, called a refrain. The verse “I remember, I remember” is repeated. With the same words it has become a refrain, as repeated in all stanzas of the poem.
Strophe: A stanza is a poetic form of a few lines. There are four stanzas in this poem, each with eight verses. An eight-line stanza is called an octave.
Quotes used
The following lines are useful when talking about life in the country or remembering a favorite memory.

"I remember, I remember
Where I was used to vibrate,
And thought about it The air must flow when fresh
To swallows on the wing;
My mind flew in feathers back then,
This is so difficult now,
And summer pools could hardly cool down
The fever on my forehead.