Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Saying Goodbye to Very Young Children" by John Updike is a poignant reflection on the fleeting nature of childhood and the inevitable changes that come as children grow and lose their early innocence. The poem captures a moment of parting, tinged with a deep awareness of the temporal and transformative journey of growing up.

Updike begins by noting the impermanence of the children's current state: "They will not be the same next time." This opening line sets a tone of inevitable loss, as the charming imperfections of their youthful expressions ("The sayings so cute, just slightly off") will soon be "corrected." This correction is not just linguistic but symbolic of the broader assimilation into cultural norms and expectations that comes with growing older.

Their evolving skepticism is attributed to increasing exposure to external influences—"the worldly buzz of television, alphabet, and street talk." Updike laments how these forces begin to cloud the children's "dawn blue" gazes, a metaphor for the pure, unfiltered perception of the world that characterizes early childhood. The phrase "culture polluting their gazes" powerfully conveys the sense of loss as innocence is overshadowed by the complexities of societal engagement.

The poem then shifts to a reflection on the role of adults in the lives of these children. Updike finds new value in "those boring aunts and neighbors," who despite their mundane and flawed exteriors, play a crucial role in the children’s early lives. Their presence is constant and familiar, embedded in the children’s earliest, formless memories of the world. They represent a link to a time when the self was not yet defined by external knowledge or names, a time of pure being ("when you were zero").

This recollection brings a deeper understanding of the profound connection these figures have with the children—rooted in the very beginning of their existence. The description of these adults, with their "smells of summer sweat and cigarettes" and faces "like shapes of sky between shade-giving leaves," evokes a sensory depth that contrasts with the more abstract and sanitized interactions that increasingly fill the children’s lives as they grow.

The closing lines of the poem circle back to the theme of parting, encapsulating the existential truth of human interactions: "this world brave with hellos turns all goodbye." This reflection underscores the inevitable departures and endings that punctuate our relationships, intensified here by the rapid pace of change during childhood.

Overall, "Saying Goodbye to Very Young Children" is a tender, contemplative piece that elegantly captures the bittersweet nature of watching children grow up. It speaks to the universal experience of change and loss, the erosion of innocence, and the poignant beauty found in everyday, ordinary moments and relationships. Updike’s poem encourages readers to cherish these fleeting connections and to recognize the profound impact of their presence in the early, formative stages of life.

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