I Remember, I Remember

“I Remember, I Remember” by Thomas Hood was published in William Michael

Rossetti’s The Poetical Works of Thomas Hood (1903). This poem is devoted to the
sentimental romanticizing of the memories of childhood. It is perhaps one of the
finest poems there is about revisiting and “remembering” the nostalgic and carefree
world of early childhood. In this poem, Hood aims to capture an essential portion of
life that he believes is filled with enormous bliss and serene timelessness. He also
attempts to portray his recollection of the past with some tasteful imagery. This
helps him to paint the otherwise mundane poem with a refined and glimmering
sense of happiness as well as yearning.
Apart from being filled with an idealization of childhood, the poem is tightly
wrapped in the concrete realization that this phrase of life must also come to a
saddening end. This idea makes the poem a whole lot more substantial. Therefore,
this account of the origins and subsequent evolution of the unique human being that
brims with compassion perfectly fits the early notions of romanticism. The poem’s
address of the gloomy and uncertain adulthood in the light of a perfect childhood
also makes the narrative universal.
Historical Context
One of the lesser-known English poets, Thomas Hood is best known for his poetry
collections Whims and Oddities (1826), The Plea of the Midsummer Fairies (1827),
and Whimsicalities (1844). He also wrote a novel entitled Tylney Hall which was
published in the year 1834. Popular for his light verse, Hood gradually shifted to
writing serious poetry in his later life. Some of his most famous poems that were
written a few years before his death include “The Bridge of Sighs,” “The Song of the
Shirt,” and “I Remember, I Remember.”

Hood wrote the poem “I Remember, I Remember” in 1844 a year before his death in
1845. The poem was later included in The Poetical Works of Thomas Hood (1903)
collected by one of the founding members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood,
William Michael Rossetti. In the biographical introduction to the collection, Rossetti
writes:
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On the whole, we can pronounce Hood the finest English poet between the
generation of Shelley and the generation of Tennyson.

The poem was published in the United States in 1904. It appeared in the children’s
collection, Poems That Every Child Should Know edited by Mary E. Burt.
Summary
“I Remember, I Remember” makes up for one of the few poems by Thomas Hood
that are still read and remembered by people all around the world. Although a
contemporary of John Keats, Hood is not so famous a figure in the history of English
poetry. It is indeed his remarkable representation of the themes of childhood and
nostalgia in this poem that gives his voice an edge in the poetry circuit. It is Hood’s
ideas, expressions, and straightforward language that help his readers understand
the concept of his poetry much better. The subtleties and swiftly flowing verse taken
up by the poet-speaker also communicate his ideologies, emotions, and
understanding of the subject better. It informs readers of the depth, tenderness, and
intricacies that become a part of every human life.
The first stanza of the poem acts as a formal introduction—not just to the central
ideas and themes of the poem, but also to the poet himself. This is because, at the
very beginning, Hood introduces readers to his persona by referring to himself as “I”
in the first-person point of view. This gives the poem a personal and more honest
touch. He then goes ahead to address the fact that he “remembers” the untroubled
childhood that he lived before growing up. In doing so, the poet opens a window for
readers to look right beyond the formal and strategically constructed poetic
framework of his verse. In a sense, he offers his own delicately weaved world to the
audience, for them to analyze it in greater and impartial detail. It is this very idea of
recollecting the past that is reinforced in every stanza.
In this closely held series of unique memory snapshots, the poet reimagines his
childhood and momentarily contrasts each experience with his current and ever-
changing adulthood. He unpacks two such sequences that stand on almost opposite
ends of a continuum and examines the simplicity and innocence that forms the basis
of childhood. He puts this against the gradual loss, decline, and disappearance of
virtues as a result of growing up. This fear of losing the child-like innocence and
other characteristics makes up for the poet’s concern with the concept of maturity.
He believes that in the early years of life humans are more connected to God, i.e.,
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closer to heaven. It even draws on how the constant presence of nature—in the form
of the sun, flowers, and fir trees—acts as a source of contentment and pleasure.
Structure & Form
Hood’s “I Remember, I Remember” is a passionate, reflective, and thoughtful lyric.
This poem is essentially dedicated to the fond memories that Hood experienced as a
child. The text consists of a total of 32 lines, which are carefully broken down or
divided into four stanzas. Each stanza is made up of 8 lines that could further be
divided into two quatrains. The scheme complements the poem’s consistent thematic
flow. This quatrain sequence established in each stanza acts as a reference point for
Hood. Using this, he is able to draw contrasts between his current adult self and his
former childhood self.

Written in the first-person narration technique, the poem unfolds how deeply the
poet feels about the pleasures of his childhood days. Hood’s use of the subjective
point of view is evident from the very beginning of the poem. The use of the capital
“I” in the title, which is used as a refrain throughout, explains that the poem is going
to contain some of the speaker’s own experiences and thoughts concerning the
subject matter of remembrance. It gives the poem a stirring emotional touch. This
also reflects how closely attached the speaker is to the subject.
In addition to this, the use of the refrain “I remember, I remember” binds the poet’s
thoughts together and brings a sense of unity. This rhythmic repetition also helps in
making the poem more memorable by attracting the attention of readers. By doing
so, the poet also puts emphasis on the act of remembering. It shows how much he
yearns for recapturing his younger years. This brings the main theme closer to the
center.

Rhyme Scheme
The rhyme scheme employed by Hood makes the poem both unique and steady. The
first line of each stanza remains the same, following which the second and fourth;
sixth and eighth lines of each stanza rhyme. This maintains a similar rhythmic
pattern across the text. The rhyme scheme followed in each quatrain (unit of four
lines) is ABCB, which is commonly used in ballads. For instance, in the first stanza
“born” (line 2) rhymes with “morn” (line 4); “day” (line 6) rhymes with “away” (line
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8). By using this consistent rhyming, Hood makes sure that the tone remains
cheerful, natural, and inspiring. This technique keeps the audience hooked and
allows them to indulge in their childhood nostalgia.
Meter
Hood employs the same rhyme scheme (ABCB) and the metrical pattern typically
used in ballads in “I Remember, I Remember.” The poem is composed of iambic
tetrameter and iambic trimeter alternatively. It means each section begins with a
line consisting of eight syllables followed by a line with six syllables. An unstressed-
stressed pattern, which is the sound scheme of an iamb or iambic foot, is used in the
poem. There are no such variations. Refer to the scansion of the first stanza below:

I re/-mem-ber,/ I re/-mem-ber,
The house/ where I/ was born,
The lit/-tle win/-dow where/ the sun
Came peep/-ing in/ at morn;
He ne/-ver came/ a wink/ too soon,
Nor brought/ too long/ a day,
But now,/ I of/-ten wish/ the night
Had borne/ my breath/ a-way!

Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

In “I Remember, I Remember,” Hood employs the following poetic devices to add
more meaning, appeal, and significance to the text. These techniques are essential to
the themes embedded in the poem.
Personification
In poetry, personification is referred to as a figure of speech in which a thing, idea, or
expression is given human characteristics and/or emotions, or is discussed as if it
were a person. In Hood’s “I Remember, I Remember,” the use of this poetic device is
very prominent. In the first stanza itself, the speaker mentions:
The little window where the sun
Came peeping in at morn;
He never came a wink too soon,
Nor brought too long a day,
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Here, the sun is given human attributes to ensure that these lines form a lasting
picture in readers’ minds. The “peeping” originally refers to the sun’s gentle rays
falling inside the speaker’s room in the morning. “He,” the sun is described as a
character that the speaker remembers far too well from his childhood. According to
him, the sun never showed a minute too early or shone for more than the required
hours. Therefore, the sun is shown as a balanced, caring, and polite person, someone
who is careful enough to follow a decent routine. These amicable qualities of the sun
highlight the bright and glowing atmosphere of the speaker’s childhood. In contrast
to this, the poet notes:
But now, I often wish the night
Had borne my breath away!

The “night” is personified in these lines as if it is capable of taking the speaker’s

breath away.

Imagery
Imagery stimulates one or more than one of the five senses to elicit a cascade of
graphic illustrations. This task is usually achieved by employing descriptive or
creative vocabulary while describing different things, activities, or notions. In this
poem, Hood makes use of extensive imagery to appeal to readers’ emotions. While
traversing through the poem, they come across the image of the speaker’s “house”:
The house where I was born,
The little window where the sun
Came peeping in at morn;

The house works as a strengthening visual of the speaker’s childhood. This image
when placed in the context of childhood memories proves to be very comforting. It
effortlessly manages to create a place in the reader’s heart. The line, “The house
where I was born” genuinely allures the senses and can transport the reader to a
place situated in the speaker’s past.

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Another image that reflects heavily in the poem is that of the “fir trees” standing
“dark and high” against the sky. The flowers, swallows, and other such elements of
nature are also beautifully weaved into the poem to give the reader a delightful and
serene experience of what a sincere period of childhood looks like.

Hood makes use of vivid colors to ignite the senses of readers. The mention of lines
like “The roses, red and white,” and “The fir-trees dark and high” brings out the color
imagery. This specific literary technique helps readers have a vibrant sensory
experience. The colors are important and cannot be overlooked as they have the
ability to drastically alter the mood, appearance, and underlying themes of the
poem. For instance, the cheerful red and the calming white reflect the mood of the
speaker. The happiness and ease one feels as a child, reverberate through these
colors.

Metaphor
In Hood’s expert hands, the poem, “I Remember, I Remember” seems to be
overflowing with some of the most beautifully crafted poetic comparisons. Drawn
from the first-hand experiences of the speaker, the entire plot revolves around the
contrasts in the poet’s life as a child and then as a grown-up. Hood carefully features
the events of an impartial childhood stacked against the harsh realities of the adult
world. One of the most striking comparisons made by the poet is when he refers to
his freely flowing childhood self: “My spirit flew in feathers then.” Here, the poet
mentions his spirit to be flowing in the air effortlessly, just as birds. He felt light,
unaware of the burdens of the adult world. He explains how this carefree spirit has
been crushed by the weight of unending responsibilities: “That is so heavy now.”

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,

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In this way, Hood successfully reaches his audience by the use of these grappling
metaphors. These simple differences borrowed from the past make Hood’s poem
extremely relatable.

Repetition
The most obvious literary technique used in this poem is repetition. In fact, it is the
first thing that the reader notices. The poem starts with the phrase, “I remember, I
remember,” which is then repeated in every other stanza. Other than the obvious,
Hood also simply mentions the pronoun “I” a great many times throughout the
poem. By doing this, Hood intentionally gives this verse a personal touch. He makes
this piece a detailed and nostalgic remembrance of his own childhood experiences. “I
used to think their slender tops” and “That when I was a boy” are a few instances
where he uses the pronoun and explicitly stresses his presence. His constant
presence also makes the poem more trustworthy and honest.

Anaphora
Anaphora applies to the use of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines
or clauses. In this poem, the phrase, “I remember” is repeated at the beginning of
each stanza to accentuate the theme of remembrance. Apart from reinforcing the
idea of innocent and almost accurately balanced childhood, this repetition also
provides the poem with its lyrical hint. This lyrical aspect really makes it stand out.
This flow and timely succession of thought make this poem a sweet and
uncomplicated read.

Alliteration
To make their poetic words a whole lot musical and alive, poets employ a variety of
poetic techniques including alliteration. Alliteration is a literary technique that
highlights the repeating of consonant sounds at the beginning of two or more
adjacent words. It is frequently employed in poetry to produce a dynamic pace,
movement, and melody by synchronizing the words. In “I Remember, I Remember,”
Hood makes use of alliterations in the following instances:

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“I remember, I remember,”
“Had borne my breath away!”
“The roses, red and white,”
“Those flowers made of light!/ The lilacs where the robin built,”
“My spirit flew in feathers then,”
“I used to think their slender tops”
“To know I’m farther off from heav’n”

This consistent rhythm strategically sends across a wave of sweet and heartwarming
sounds to the audience. The musicality of this piece works as an essential medium
that constantly drives readers back to their innocent childhood selves.

Assonance
The repetition of vowel sounds within a single line is known as assonance. For
instance, the echoes of the “i” and “oo” in the phrases “And summer pools could
hardly cool” and “Came peeping in at morn” add an alluring sound to the poem. This
gives the poet the liberty to emphasize certain keywords within phrases or lines, as
well as to add rhythm to the poem. It ends up introducing a playful child-like
presence. The use of this literary device also unquestionably lifts the atmosphere of
the poem.

Enjambment
Enjambment is used in poetry to carry a sentence or phrase over from one line to the
next. Since there is usually no punctuation at the line end of an enjambed line, the
reader is taken seamlessly and quickly to the next line. The use of run-on lines can
easily be spotted in Hood’s “I Remember, I Remember.” It has been used on several
occasions to set off a sense of urgency. For instance, in the first stanza itself, the poet,
by diving right into the subject, says:

The little window where the sun

Came peeping in at morn;
(…)

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But now, I often wish the night
Had borne my breath away!

Another important place where Hood employs this device is while comparing his
untroubled memories of the past to the unsettling present. He says:

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!

In these run-on lines, the poet expresses the nostalgic details of his childhood. This
unexpectedly hurried and on-your-feet flow of the poem brings the reader closer to
the subject of childhood. It also adds a layer of complexity and a great sense of
suspense.

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.

This informs readers that the adult speaker is regretful for not being able to connect
to God as he could as a child. Now, his experience and biases keep him from being
closer to heaven. That is why he desires to cease time and be a child forever.

Nature
In Hood’s poem, “I Remember, I Remember,” nature plays a significant role. From
the very first stanza, the mention of the morning and the sun brings natural
elements into play. With this reference there begins a unique interplay of nature and
childhood that resonates with the overall theme of the poem. The peeping sun, the
delightful garden, a vivid variety of flowers, the swing in the lap of nature, the vast
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sky, and the fir trees—all these objects and components add to the poem’s natural
setting. This gives the poet the advantage to build on as well as enhance the mental
imagery.

Nature when packed with these exuberant images from Hood’s childhood also
introduces the theme of humankind’s relationship with nature. Along with this, the
poet makes it a point to engage readers in the transcendental aspects that he picks
up from the natural world. This works as a serene and calming presence in the text.
The correlation between heaven and nature is another striking theme that Hood
includes in this piece.

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