When I read the poem titled The Fury of Overshoes by Anne Sexton, I wondered a lot. Because, I found similarity with the theme of this poem as I passed my childhood. Sexton describes that she was afraid of wolf under her bed in her childhood. Like her, I was also afraid of some objects which were both real and imaginary. For instance, I was scared when I saw black shadow of anything in my window-glass at night. May be that shadow was merely a shadow of leaves of a tree, but, it seemed to me as if it was the shadow of a ghost! Now I can understand that it was imaginary. Actually ‘ghost’ is nothing just an imagination of mind. Children are usually imaginative. When I was child, I also passed the same situation through my imagination though it was fictitious. Another similarity which I have found while reading this poem is that I wanted to grow up so much like the poet. I used to wear my mother’s saree and make-up myself as if I was already grown-up. I also wear my mom’s sandal-shoe and wanted to walk by imitating my mother’s walking style. It was a great amusement for me then because of my firm eagerness to grow older as soon as possible! I remember another thing which I used to do in my childhood days was to put an extra cloth over my hair and pretend that my hair was so long like my mother! (Though my hair was too short then!). I wanted to mimic the gestures of elders and practiced it in front of the mirror. Everything I did just to grow older because I thought that only grown-ups were eligible to enjoy all sorts of fun and entertainment. My mother rebuked me when I watched TV at study-time. That’s why I imagined myself in the position of elders. However, now I can realize that childhood is the most precious and innocent phase of human life which is free from limited boundary and huge responsibilities. I wish I could hold my childhood as long as possible, but it is not possible. Sometimes I want to return back to my childhood, and enjoy fully those days again which I miss as a grown-up. According to my feeling, The Fury of Overshoes is not only a poem to me but also a way to reminisce of my sweet childhood memories and savor those days quietly in my world which is hidden in my heart where still I am a child, not grown-up.
samia71 