Exam Question:

Re-read the poems “An Easy Passage” by Julia Copus and “To My
Nine-Year-Old Self” by Helen Dunmore. Compare the methods both poets use
to present growing up.

Both poems “An Easy Passage” and “To My Nine-Year-Old Self” explore the theme of growing
up, from the ages of thirteen and nine respectively, into the unfamiliarity of adulthood.
Although it is done in contrasting ways, both poems explore the theme of growing up by having
a figure of youth encountering a figure of adulthood. In “An Easy Passage”, this is achieved by
the older secretary of the factory across the street watching the thirteen-year-old girl try to
sneak into her house, and in “To My Nine-Year-Old Self”, it is shown by the poet having a
moment of reflection with her younger self. The way in which the poems contrast is through the
use of these encounters. Copus focuses on the concept of the young highlighting the choices of
the old, whereas Dunmore does the opposite, as her current self shows remorse for how she
had treated her younger self in the past.

Copus creates an almost cinematic poem, as the singular stanza flows, following the characters
like a camera panning across a scene in a film. This structure could be the poet suggesting the
ease of the transition into adulthood, or perhaps how quickly it seems to happen. This idea also
links to the title, “An Easy Passage”, and the “passage” in question is the flow of the poem taking
the reader into the world of the principle characters. “To My Nine-Year-Old Self” is immediately
different with its structure alone, consisting of five stanzas, each spanning an average of four
lines. This orderly structure could relate to the poem being from the older perspective, as
younger people (especially children) assume that adults have their lives figured out, following a
specific structure. Given that the poem has been described as autobiographical, and the poet
has expressed regret over how she treated her younger self, the five stanzas could relate to the
five decades of the her life leading up to when it was published in 2007, meaning Dunmore was
in her mid fifties when it was written. The flow of both poems, although highly contrasting at
first glance, could in fact be quite similar. In “To My Nine-Year-Old Self”, the poet uses a list of
fast-paced verbs in regards to her younger self, noting how
You would rather run than walk, rather climb than run
rather leap from a height than anything.
In this instance, the poet uses the list to show a sense of urgency within her youth, likely the
relatable urge children have to grow up quicker, although the child seems quite content as she
is. The verbs, “run”, “climb” and “leap” show the free thinking nature of youth and how during
that time, a person’s actions rarely hold much consequence. Both of these techniques are used
for contrasting ideas between the poems, creating a sense of poignancy towards the different
perspectives on emerging adulthood. Copus also uses a list in “An Easy Passage”,
Once she is halfway up there, crouched in her bikini
on the porch roof of her family's house, trembling,
she knows that the one thing she must not do is to think
of the narrow windowsill,
Here, it would seem that the list, divided by commas, is used to slow the passing of time, which
automatically contrasts Dunmore’s technique. The drawn out, detailed actions of the girl
highlight their significance, and given that the girl is older than nine years old, it seems obvious
that here, her actions definitely could have quite negative consequences. To show that she is
further away from her youth, she acknowledges the danger of the situation she has found
herself in, “trembling” showing her newfound vulnerabilities in the scary adult world. This could
be totemic towards society’s attitudes of women, specifically younger women, as there are such
heavy and often damaging expectations placed on them, which the teenage girl simply isn not
fully prepared for.

Both poems explore the idea of a house or shelter representing the safety and security found
within childhood. Dunmore’s younger self seems keen to stay out as much as possible, recalling
how
"we'd jump straight out of the ground floor window
into the summer morning”
The safety of childhood could perhaps be that even though she strays far from home, she has
the security of knowing she can always go back home, showing she is still far from being an
adult, and she still has the incomprehensible freedoms youth has to offer. “Jump straight out”,
makes the journey seem easy and almost ritualistic, once again showing the security of
childhood, as for most children, life follows some form of structure. In most forms of media
detailing childhood, summer is a crucial season. Not only does it explore the idea of endless
days and the thriving of nature, but the summer holidays mean that children likely have the
longest consecutive time outside of school/responsibility that they will ever have in their life. As
these are only for the first years of a person’s life, it is easy to make the connection as to leaving
her home to enjoy the summer days, and leaving elements of childhood for the new realm of
adulthood instead. While Dunmore’s nine-year-old self successfully leaves childhood for a
glimpse of the future, it seems like the girl in “An Easy Passage” is on the other side of that
journey. She faces difficulty getting back into her childhood, having ventured out into adulthood
with her “silver anklet” and “oyster-painted toenails”. Silver has connotations of sophistication
and glamour, as well as being regarded as a precious metal. Although the concept of the anklet
is contrasting with the idea of youth, as it is typically something worn by an adult, its precious
nature could relate to the value of youth, especially in an intimidating society for someone so
unprepared. Oysters can also sometimes create pearls, which are hidden inside their shells. As
Copus suggests the house represents the girl’s childhood, it seems like the two could link, and
the pearl refers to the precious freedoms of childhood, and the only way to access them is to
stay within the walls of the house. The idea of the house representing childhood stems from the
description of its “warm flank”, creating connotations of it being an almost maternal figure
towards the girl, a constant comfort throughout her childhood. Comparing the “warm flank” of
the girl’s house to the world which “admits us less and less/the more we grow” shows a harsh
contrast, and it evokes a sense of pity towards the girl as she desperately tries to go back inside.

The two different experiences of the central characters and their youth are each contrasted by a
figure of adulthood. For Dunmore, that figure is herself, reflecting in a sympathetic manner
towards her confident and joyful younger self. The very nature of the poem itself seems to have
some melancholy undertones. A common exercise during therapy is to write a letter to your
younger or past self, to reflect on the choices you have made, and it seems like this is what
Dunmore is doing here. Her words and phrases seem to be lined with pity or guilt, including “I
have spoiled this body we once shared.” or “I shan’t cloud your morning.” “Spoiled” is quite a
definitive adjective, suggesting that the damage done cannot be undone, or perhaps even that
she cannot go back to being younger again, that the past is completely unchangeable. There is
also a hint of pathos when she tries to communicate with her younger self, but finds they “have
nothing in common”. “Nothing” emphasises the time passed, possibly hinting at notable events
causing her to change from the person she used to be. Change is not always a bad thing, but
here it seems that Dunmore feels it is, admitting her mistakes and mourning her past freedoms
she exchanged for “fears enough for us both.” The “nothing in common” could refer to a
number of things, but it is highly likely that it refers to the different lives they lead. Adulthood is
full of responsibility, independence and problem after problem in some shape or form, unlike
childhood which is full of “summer ambitions” and “ecstasy of concentration.” Copus uses a
similar technique in “An Easy Passage”, as the girl is being watched from across the street by a
secretary working in a factory. The roles of the younger vs. the older are seemingly reversed, as
the secretary has
“her head full of the evening class she plans to take, or the trip of a lifetime”,
which do not seem too important when across the street, the girl is scaling the outside of her
house, thinking of “the friend with whom she is half in love”, “the open window” and “the
flimsy, hole-punched aluminium lever”. “The friend with whom she is half in love” refers to an
emerging sense of identity and sexuality, which is something completely new for the young girl,
as “half in love” suggests she has been thinking this over for quite some time, but doesn’t quite
know how important it is or is not. Unlike the secretary, it seems like the girl has more
meaningful things on her mind, possibly showing her courage to enter the life of an adult,
whether or not she is truly ready. “The open window” is one of the more hopeful elements to
the poem, highlighting the true possibilities of adulthood, and once again that change is not
something that is to be feared completely, and should be embraced, like the girl is trying to
here. As for the “flimsy, hole-punched lever”, this could be referring to the concept of childhood
itself. They both have served one purpose well, but are not fully suitable to lean on completely,
resulting in the girl having to learn to support herself differently somehow.

Although they use a mixture of complementary and contrasting methods to convey the idea of
childhood, both poems create a touching view on emerging adulthood, showing the true,
previously unseen differences between the young and the old, and the consequences of
growing up. Although both poems focus on different stages of growing up, the impression of
childhood being a valuable tool throughout adulthood remains.