You're so mature
You have an old soul
Phrases I got used to early
They're compliments but do more harm than good
They warped my idea of maturity to being,
Quiet, controlled, never letting go
To a point where childishness was the enemy to a child.
Every bit of my happiness anchored to it.
But eventually, the compliments stopped
People got used to my demeanor and so did I,
So no one commented
I was a “mature kid”,
No reason to point it out
But I was stuck in a battle I could never have imagined
I needed the validation,
But only childish people complain,
Only childish people need help
I was NOT childish.
I was mature.
Well at least that's what everyone told me…
Maturity isn’t and will never be the final goal,
Cause in a world where you only get so many years to be childish
You should use them.
Use them to run and scream
And play and be a child
After all that is what you are
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125,021 Literary Works • 672,742 Reviews
Hey there again!
Wow, I think this poem really effectively conveys the idea of the societal pressure put on girls to conform to maturity at a young age and how it can lead to feelings of confusion and internal conflict. I definitely relate, and had relatives say the same things to me, so I thought I had to be grown up and missed out on a lot of childhood experiences.
The use of a first-person narrative helps the reader relate closer to the speaker's experience and emotions. The lines:
and
I thought really effectively emphasize the negative impact that these societal expectations had on the speaker's self-perception of themselves, something else i really relate to.
I don't have much criticism other that maybe there could have been be a stronger sense of resolution at the end of the poem. The final line: "After all that is what you are" although impactful, feels somewhat abrupt and could be developed further to provide a clearer conclusion to the speaker's internal conflict. You could end on something super poetic and punchy and emotional.
Another great poem from a great writer!
-Keep writing
Thanks for the review, you are so kind. I'm sorry you relate, but I'm happy we're both in a place to recognize and express our experiences! Have a great day!
Heya, Rubes here with a (hopefully) short review. First of all, I would love to say that your style is so charming ; I wanted to read forever because of the simple, relaxed lines of the poem...I need that at half past 10 at night xd
So lets get into this then shall we?!
"You're so mature
You have an old soul"
This part shows the clear reality of what we believe maturity to be. We think it to be wisdom and a slow, steady thinker like a usually 'old' soul. You present this really quickly to show the reader you are down to business and will be straight to the point - which I owe you for by the way!
"They're compliments but do more harm than good
They warped my idea of maturity to being,
Quiet, controlled, never letting go"
These lines are beautiful and bring a lot of opinions across sooner in the poem. I like the idea of the balance in effects (good and bad) to show the reader the true consequence of the judgement. I also enjoyed how you demonstrate the stereotype of introverted people not leaving their comfort zone to be mature, it is easily shown and therefore brings a meaning to this piece.
To a point where childishness was the enemy to a child.
Every bit of my happiness anchored to it."
OMG! These lines bring a whole new emotion into the poem, very well executed indeed. I love the contrast between children and childishness and once again maturity. The feeling that kids are brought up to grow too fast, not having the fun experiences they are destined to have. I can relate to this a lot, the feeling of having to follow adulthood too quickly, dressing older, using words I knew I shouldn't have, got into serious situations I didn't want to enter. Just to act older...to have some kind of responsibility and to be spoken to in an 'older' way, whatever that is anyway.
"But I was stuck in a battle I could never have imagined"
I know this is only a single line and I wouldn't have usually picked out a small statement, but this sentence is magical. Currently facing an on going battle with my life, this hits hard. The feeling of wanting to be good enough and to be taken seriously leads from early maturing. Again, relating to my last annotation of the previous line, the pressure of becoming older when you are your youngest self can lead to battles in your mind. Some simple, others more challenging. The questioning of your style, or theirs ; your dream, or theirs. It all builds up until you think about your own, original identity and start to change yourself. Sometimes unnaturally as you can't travel back to the past in which it was often excusable to act a certain way or to view something in another way...people have gotten used to it and will think you to be childish or even attention seeking in some ways. For the past is scary and will never become what it was.
"But only childish people complain,
Only childish people need help
I was NOT childish.
I was mature."
Once more, boom I am now crying...it isn't an exaggeration. I really am crying at this poem because of the underlying sadness and emotion behind it...it is stunning honestly. Right so this part is quite touching for many reasons. It shows the pressure once again with becoming older before one is ready. Many think that maturity is the coping and introverted people with no problems...only childish people can feel in pain from things out of their control. The assumption is so fake...I know many extremely mature people and to be honest they seem to be the most emotionally intelligent people out there, they understand both their and others feelings both negative and positive. Most of all, they feel too. They really do, maturity is the act in knowing and acknowledging faults of others however being sensible in certain situations. We need to stop the younger generation getting ahead of themselves in life, school and our parents shelter is the pure consequences of our inexperienced minds. If we were born mature we would be sensible, as we know children are often the opposite of sensible...but that's normal and okay. We need to stop the early pressure of responsibility when that's what education brings to their life steadily and of age.
"Cause in a world where you only get so many years to be childish
You should use them.
Use them to run and scream
And play and be a child
After all that is what you are"
These final lines are great for finishing this piece. The average person gets 17 years of childhood and maturity starts from 18-25. With the help of statistics, this is around a full 50 years of maturity...yet we decide to make the years higher when both our bodies and mind aren't prepared. It breaks my heart to say I don't act like a child when I am at my young age of 13...the even sadder thing is that it is impossible for me to go back...and I genuinely hate myself for it...
This is astonishing...(I have been typing for half an hour now...10:30pm - 11pm) I am in love with the use of words and punctuation in this. It works so nicely to bring the poem to a whole new level. I cried at one point...because it just hits hard to know I have lost my child days. And I have, I want to return to when I was 8 years old, no worries, no problems in life. Just living life to the fullest. Now every day is an ongoing battle with misery and stress...because I have taken it upon myself to 'grow up' a bit too soon. I could have and should've waited longer. I want to be a kid again but I can't...I want my childhood back.
omg, thank you honestly so much for this review! It was so detailed and I'm really happy you relate (well not happy cause it sucks, but as a writer I want people to relate to my work).
Ok, looking back at my other response, you deserve a better one. I just reread your review and it made me remember why I love to write. It boosted my confidence and made me feel so warm and fuzzy, so please except my genuine thanks for helping me feel that.
This was so relatable and I know how that feels. I used to be called mature too and I still kinda do, but I don't really care as much anymore. I just wanna be a kid. And sure, I love being called mature but I don't need it and I really don't bother if somebody thinks I'm childlish or silly cuz thats what I am supposed to be! We dont have to be adults cuz we are actually kids. So whenever I feel stupid or a drama queen or absolutely foolish and naive, I just remind myself your only young and just a teen, who cares? We can make mistakes. Soz for the long lecture lol.
But yea, so relatable and I know exactly how you feel xx
I%u2019m so happy you related and genuinely proud you were able to push all that maturity nonsense away and just live. I%u2019m still working on that myself.
Thank you, and good luck!
Hi! I really don't know what to say to this poem, it's simply amazing! I love how you put your raw feelings into words without any beating around the bush or sugarcoating. The idea too, is really intriguing. I need more poems like this in my life.
It's actually sad how people who have fun sometimes, or are enthusiastic are perceived as 'immature'.
I especially loved the line 'To a point where childishness was the enemy to a child.'
I don't have any critiques here, there's just a spelling mistake, which was probably a typo.
In 'Every bit of my happiness ancered to it.', you probably meant anchored, so it can be changed
Overall, this is a great poem. Keep Writng!
Hey emilyrebecca!
First of all, I think you have found a really great concept for this poem. The whole "mature child" thing is kind of messed up. I was really happy to see someone addressing this in a poem.
Anyways, I think the poem has turned out pretty well, except for a couple of grammatical errors here and there, like:
1)
This should be "you're" as in "you are."
2)
Here, the spelling should be "quiet".
3)
Here, I think you meant "anchored".
4)
Here, it should be "they're" not "there".
Yep, I think that's it for the errors. Other than these tiny nitpicks, the poem is pretty wonderful.
Like I said, I love the idea of the poem, of a child forced to give up their childhood because of society's pressure on them to grow up and be "mature".
I think this part explains how, in the midst of trying to "act like an adult", you ignored your own needs and feelings.
I also really liked how you end the poem:
On the whole, it is a really nice poem. Hope this review helped. Can't wait to read more of your work.
Keep writing.
Thanks for the review! Grammar is sadly not really my strong suit and I'm definitely going to add those edits.
Hi emilyrebecca!! I'm Anne and here to review your amazing work!!
First of all, you've beautifully portrayed the dilemma of choosing between validations or no validations. Its brilliant and relatable. I myself have faced such a dilemma. I love the message of the poem.
The soft criticism to the idea of maturity- or atleasti perceived it that way- where people think being quite means you're mature is actually not true.
The Cambridge dictionary has this definition
Which nowhere shows that being quite and composed means you're mature. Although it sure is a step to maturity. I also think that constantly telling a kid they're mature can create an emotional burden for them. Since unless they rebel, they have to restrict themselves from doing all the fun things as they don't suit the character they are thought of as.
These lines were my favorite and a really good way to end the poem.
Well said!! When you are a child, you can enjoy those things without being judged. It is unfortunate that some kids are judged even in their childhood by people who themselves did those things.
Overall, I loved reading your poem
Keep writing because you're so skilled
Hey, thanks for the review! I think my goal in describing maturity the way I did was less to say that was what it is, but more to portray the false sense of it I was fed. I think there is of course more to maturity than being quiet and controlled and that was almost the point. Hope that helps!!
I also wished to convey something similar- for example- people judge children whether they are mature or not based on their nature of being.
Yes, it did help though!