When you study English in Class 11, the poem Childhood by Markus Natten raises important questions about growing up and losing innocence. To help you prepare better, this blog provides a complete set of Childhood class 11 questions and answers explained in simple language.
You will find extract-based, very short, short, and long-answer questions with clear explanations. Each class 11th English Childhood question and answer is designed to help you understand the poet’s reflections on the end of childhood and the beginning of maturity.
These answers are useful for exams as well as for gaining a deeper appreciation of the poem.
Childhood Question Answers (Extract-based)
Below are the top extract-based questions and answers from Childhood poem in Class 11th English syllabus:
Extract 1
When did my childhood go?
Was it the day I ceased to be eleven,
Was it the time I realized that Hell and Heaven,
Could not be found in Geography,
And therefore could not be,
Was that the day!
Q1. What question does the poet ask in this stanza?
Ans: He asks when his childhood disappeared.
Q2. What does the word “ceased” mean here?
Ans: It means “stopped.”
Q3. What realization about heaven and hell did the poet have?
Ans: He realized they are not real places but only beliefs.
Q4. What literary device is used in “When did my childhood go?”
Ans: Rhetorical question.
Q5. How does this stanza show the poet’s maturity?
Ans: It shows his shift from blind faith to rational thinking.
Extract 2
When did my childhood go?
Was it the time I realized that adults were not
all they seemed to be,
They talked of love and preached of love,
But did not act so lovingly,
Was that the day!
Q6. What did the poet discover about adults?
Ans: He discovered that adults are often hypocritical.
Q7. How does the poet describe adult behavior?
Ans: Adults talk about love but do not practice it.
Q8. Which theme of the poem is shown here?
Ans: The hypocrisy of adults.
Q9. What literary device is used in “talked of love and preached of love”?
Ans: Repetition.
Q10. Why does this realization mark the end of childhood?
Ans: Because innocence is lost when one sees the truth about adults.
Extract 3
When did my childhood go?
Was it when I found my mind was really mine,
To use whichever way I choose,
Producing thoughts that were not those of other people
But my own, and mine alone
Was that the day!
Q11. What discovery does the poet describe here?
Ans: He realized his individuality and independent thinking.
Q12. What does “my mind was really mine” mean?
Ans: It means he could think for himself.
Q13. What stage of life does this discovery represent?
Ans: It represents maturity and self-awareness.
Q14. What literary device is used in “my own, and mine alone”?
Ans: Repetition and emphasis.
Q15. How does this stanza show the transition from childhood to adulthood?
Ans: It shows that maturity begins with realizing one’s independent identity.
More Important Resources for CBSE Exam:
| CBSE Board: All details | CBSE Class 11 Commerce Subjects |
| CBSE Full Form | CBSE Class 11 English Syllabus |
| All about CBSE Class 11th | Class 11th Hornbill Syllabus |
| CBSE Class 11 Economics Syllabus |
Childhood Class 11 Question Answers (Very Short)
Q1. Who wrote the poem Childhood?
Ans: Markus Natten.
Q2. What is the central theme of the poem Childhood?
Ans: The loss of innocence and the beginning of maturity.
Q3. What realization about heaven and hell does the poet mention?
Ans: That they are not real places but only ideas.
Q4. How does the poet describe adult behavior?
Ans: Adults preach love but do not practice it.
Q5. What does the poet mean by “my mind was really mine”?
Ans: He discovered his individuality and independent thinking.
Q6. According to the poet, where is childhood hidden?
Ans: In the innocent face of a child.
Q7. Which literary device is repeated in the poem’s opening line?
Ans: Rhetorical question.
Q8. What age does the poet mention as a possible end of childhood?
Ans: Eleven.
Q9. What does “producing thoughts that were not those of other people” mean?
Ans: The poet realized he could think independently.
Q10. What quality of childhood does the poet admire in infants?
Ans: Innocence and purity.
Childhood Class 11 Question and Answers (Short)
Q1. What question does the poet repeatedly ask in the poem Childhood?
Ans: The poet repeatedly asks, “When did my childhood go?” He is curious to know the exact moment when his innocence faded, and he stepped into maturity. This repetition highlights his reflective and questioning state of mind.
Q2. How does the poet link rational thinking to the loss of childhood?
Ans: The poet suggests that childhood may have ended when he realized that heaven and hell are not real places. This realization shows the shift from blind faith to rational, logical thinking—a clear sign of growing maturity.
Q3. How does the poem show the hypocrisy of adults?
Ans: The poet observes that adults talk about love and preach it but do not act lovingly. This gap between words and actions makes him lose his childhood innocence and trust in adults, leading to disillusionment.
Q4. What does the poet mean by “my mind was really mine”?
Ans: By this, the poet means that he discovered his individuality and independence of thought. He realized that he could think for himself, form his own opinions, and not just follow others. This awareness marked a step into maturity.
Q5. Why does the poet feel that childhood never completely disappears?
Ans: The poet believes that childhood still exists in the innocence of little children. Though he lost his own childhood, he can still see its purity, simplicity, and honesty reflected in the faces of infants.
Q6. What role does questioning play in the poem?
Ans: The poem is built around rhetorical questions like “When did my childhood go?” These questions highlight the poet’s confusion, curiosity, and reflective search for the exact moment when childhood ends and maturity begins.
Q7. What discoveries mark the poet’s transition from childhood to adulthood?
Ans: The poet’s transition is marked by three key discoveries: heaven and hell are unreal, adults are hypocritical, and individuality is real. These realizations reflect the shift from innocence to awareness and from dependence to independence.
Q8. Why does the poet use repetition in the poem?
Ans: The repetition of the line “When did my childhood go?” creates rhythm and emphasizes the poet’s persistent doubt. It shows that he cannot point to one exact moment but feels childhood slipped away gradually.
Q9. How does the poet portray individuality in the poem?
Ans: The poet portrays individuality by describing how he discovered his mind was his own. He could think independently, form his own ideas, and not simply copy others. This realization gave him a sense of maturity and self-awareness.
Q10. What universal experience does the poem Childhood reflect?
Ans: The poem reflects the universal human experience of growing up. Everyone, at some point, loses innocence, questions beliefs, and develops independent thought. Markus Natten captures this transition beautifully, making the poem relatable to all readers.
Childhood Question and Answers (Long)
Q1. What is the central question asked in the poem Childhood? How does the poet try to answer it?
Ans: The central question in Markus Natten’s Childhood is, “When did my childhood go?” The poet reflects on the moment innocence ends and maturity begins. He tries to answer by recalling his realizations at different stages. It might have been when he learned that heaven and hell are not real, or when he saw the hypocrisy of adults, or when he understood his own individuality.
All these experiences mark a transition from simplicity to self-awareness. In the end, the poet admits that childhood never fully disappears. It still exists in the innocence and purity of infants. The repeated questioning shows that childhood does not vanish in one instant but fades gradually as one grows in reasoning and experience.
Q2. How does the poet connect rationality with the loss of childhood?
Ans: Rational thinking is an important marker of maturity, and the poet associates it with the loss of childhood. As a child, he blindly believed in what adults said about heaven and hell. However, as he grew older, he realized that these places cannot be found on a map and therefore do not physically exist.
This shift from faith to logical reasoning reflects the growth of the rational mind. With this discovery, the innocence of unquestioning belief was lost. The poet suggests that childhood ends when one begins to question accepted truths and think logically for oneself. Rationality thus becomes a symbol of growing awareness and independence, showing how childhood innocence fades into adulthood maturity.
Q3. Explain how Markus Natten portrays the hypocrisy of adults in the poem.
Ans: In the poem, Markus Natten identifies adult hypocrisy as a sign of growing up. As a child, he believed adults to be truthful and consistent. But with maturity, he realized that adults often say one thing and do another.
For instance, they talk of love and preach about its importance but do not act lovingly in their own lives. This contradiction between words and actions revealed their hypocrisy to the poet. Such realizations shattered his childhood innocence, which had once trusted adults completely. The poet suggests that recognizing hypocrisy in the adult world is one of the moments when childhood innocence slips away. This discovery marks a painful but inevitable step into maturity.
Q4. What role does the discovery of individuality play in the poem Childhood?
Ans: The discovery of individuality is a key moment in the poet’s transition from childhood to adulthood. Markus Natten reflects that childhood might have ended when he realized that his mind was his own. He could think independently, form opinions, and produce ideas that were different from others.
This awareness of being unique and not just a follower gave him a sense of identity. Individuality represents independence of thought and self-awareness, which are hallmarks of maturity. Through this realization, the poet shows that childhood is not only about age but also about mental state. Childhood innocence fades when one begins to recognize oneself as an individual, separate from others. This recognition marks a powerful shift in the journey toward adulthood.
Q5. How does the poet finally answer the question, “Where did my childhood go?”
Ans: In the concluding stanza, the poet admits that he cannot pinpoint the exact moment when childhood ended. However, he concludes that childhood has not vanished completely. Instead, it has gone to a “forgotten place,” where it remains hidden in the innocent faces of little children.
This means that childhood innocence and purity continue to exist, even if he himself has grown out of it. By looking at infants, he is reminded of what childhood truly represents—honesty, simplicity, and uncorrupted faith. This realization provides closure to his questioning. While childhood is lost as one matures, its essence survives in children, symbolizing continuity of innocence in the world.
Q6. What is the significance of repetition in the poem Childhood?
Ans: Repetition plays a central role in the poem Childhood. The poet repeatedly asks, “When did my childhood go?” and “Was that the day!” This constant questioning emphasizes his confusion and search for clarity. It also reflects the universal human experience—no one can clearly identify the exact moment when innocence ends.
The repetition mirrors the poet’s cycle of thought, as he revisits different possibilities: the discovery of rationality, hypocrisy, and individuality. It adds rhythm and structure to the poem while underlining the reflective, introspective tone. Through repetition, Markus Natten conveys that childhood is not lost at one single point but gradually fades through multiple realizations.
Q7. How is the poem Childhood a reflection of every human being’s experience?
Ans: Childhood is not just the poet’s personal reflection but a universal experience shared by all. Everyone, at some stage, questions when innocence ends and maturity begins. Like the poet, we too realize that heaven and hell are not real, that adults often contradict themselves, and that individuality separates us from others.
These discoveries are common markers of growing up. The poem captures the pain of losing innocence, the curiosity of questioning beliefs, and the joy of finding self-identity. In the end, the poet’s conclusion that childhood still survives in infants resonates with everyone, reminding us that purity always exists, even if we outgrow it. This universality makes the poem timeless and relatable.
Q8. How does the poem contrast childhood with adulthood?
Ans: In Childhood, Markus Natten contrasts the simplicity of childhood with the complexities of adulthood. Childhood is marked by innocence, unquestioning faith, and trust in adults. However, adulthood brings rationality, independence, and the awareness of hypocrisy. As the poet matures, he realizes that heaven and hell are imaginary, adults are not perfect, and individuality defines each person.
This shift marks the loss of childhood innocence and the beginning of self-awareness. Yet, the poet also acknowledges that childhood continues to exist in infants. Thus, childhood and adulthood are shown as two different phases of life—one defined by simplicity and trust, and the other by reasoning and awareness.
Q9. Write a critical appreciation of the poem Childhood.
Ans: Markus Natten’s Childhood is a reflective poem that explores the transition from innocence to maturity. Written in simple language, the poem uses rhetorical questions and repetition to express the poet’s confusion about when childhood truly ends.
The poem identifies three possible turning points: realization of rationality, discovery of adult hypocrisy, and awareness of individuality. The concluding stanza offers a philosophical thought—that childhood still exists in the innocent expressions of infants. Literary devices like symbolism, imagery, and repetition enrich the poem, while the free-flowing structure suits its reflective tone. The poem appeals universally, as everyone undergoes the same transition. It captures both the pain of losing innocence and the wisdom gained through maturity.
Q10. What message does Markus Natten convey through the poem Childhood?
Ans: Through Childhood, Markus Natten conveys the message that growing up is a gradual process of losing innocence and gaining maturity. The poem highlights how childhood faith is replaced by rationality, how adults’ hypocrisy shatters simple trust, and how individuality emerges with maturity.
Yet, the poet reminds us that childhood is not lost forever—it lives on in the innocent smiles of children. The message is that while adulthood brings self-awareness, the beauty of childhood remains preserved in the world through children. This balance of loss and continuity makes the poem meaningful, relatable, and reflective.
Read the chapter-wise summaries of Class 11 English here:
Class 11 Childhood: Important Questions
- What is the central question asked in the poem Childhood?
- How does the poet connect rationality with the loss of childhood?
- How does Markus Natten show the hypocrisy of adults in the poem?
- What does the poet mean by “my mind was really mine”?
- Where does the poet say childhood is hidden?
- What role does repetition play in the poem Childhood?
- How does the poem contrast childhood and adulthood?
- Write the central idea of the poem Childhood.
- What universal experience does the poem reflect?
- Write a critical appreciation of the poem Childhood.
About the Poem Childhood
Childhood by Markus Natten is a reflective and introspective poem included in the Class 11 Hornbill textbook. The poem revolves around a universal question—when does childhood truly end? Through a series of rhetorical questions, the poet explores the possible moments when innocence fades and maturity begins.
He wonders if it was when he realized that heaven and hell are not real places, or when he discovered that adults often speak of love but do not practice it. Another turning point could be the moment he recognized his own individuality and independent thoughts. In the end, the poet concludes that childhood is not completely lost; it remains hidden in the innocent expressions of little children.
The poem beautifully contrasts innocence and experience, showing how growing up involves questioning beliefs, discovering truth, and becoming self-aware. It speaks to every reader’s journey from simplicity to maturity.
Read full Summary of Childhood poem in class 11th.
Wrapping Up:
Childhood by Markus Natten is a reflective poem that questions the loss of innocence and the arrival of maturity. These questions and answers simplify its meaning, theme, and ideas, helping Class 11 students prepare effectively for exams and understand the universal journey from childhood to adulthood.