Duality of Innocence in Childhood

Contemporary / Modern Poetry Human Written by Aditya Deshmukh · Sep 30, 2026

“It wasn’t me who broke the glass”
I will never break and run with
The idea of hiding anything
From me you can never expect
To be reckless thus never will I be
Sorrowful for myself, I feel,
For doing something I did not intend
The least you can expect from me is an apology

About This Poem

Context- A boy breaks a flower pot made of glass while playing cricket and the above conversation is made with his mother
This is a bidirectional poem.
Read from top to bottom, and you'll find a child defending himself after breaking the glass.
Read from bottom to top, and you'll discover a child who is honest, remorseful, and willing to admit that he broke the glass.
Both the children have broken the glasses but their response is where they differ.
The first child opens with the fact that he wants his mother to believe in and the second one says what is needed to in his first line, an apology.
Both the children never intend to break anything but one discards it and the other owns it.
Both the responses give us a peak into a child’s innocence and naivety as the lie and the truth are not classified as good or bad.
In our childhood, many of us have either told an innocent lie or been unknowingly honest.This poem attempts to capture both.

How did this poem make you feel?

Community Score

—

out of 10

0 votes

Optional AI-generated literary feedback.

Poem Analysis

This analysis is provided as optional literary feedback. Community voting remains the primary ranking method.

Analysis Available

The poem explores themes of denial and unintended consequences through a narrative of self-justification. While it lacks a clear structure and vivid imagery, it offers a glimpse into the speaker's internal conflict and emotional state.

Strengths

The poem's theme of denial and self-justification is consistently maintained, as seen in the opening line 'It wasn’t me who broke the glass.'
The poem's conversational tone invites readers to engage with the speaker's inner monologue, particularly in lines like 'I will never break and run with.'
The poem captures a sense of internal conflict and regret, especially in 'Sorrowful for myself, I feel.'

Areas for Improvement

The poem lacks vivid imagery and sensory details, making it difficult for readers to visualize the scene or emotions described.
There is a lack of clear structural organization, as the poem does not follow a consistent meter or rhyme scheme, which can make it feel disjointed.

Imagery

The poem is sparse in its use of imagery, relying more on abstract concepts than on visual or sensory details. The phrase 'broke the glass' serves as a metaphor for a mistake or accident, but beyond this, the poem does not employ metaphors or similes to enhance its themes.

Structure

The poem is written in free verse with no discernible meter or rhyme scheme. The line breaks do not seem to follow a particular pattern, which contributes to a lack of cohesion. The poem's structure reflects the speaker's fragmented thoughts but could benefit from more deliberate organization.

Language & Craft

The diction is straightforward, with a conversational tone that reflects the speaker's internal dialogue. The language is direct but lacks the musicality often found in poetry, with minimal use of alliteration or assonance. The tone is defensive and introspective, capturing the speaker's emotional state.

Emotional Impact

The poem conveys a sense of regret and defensiveness, but the emotional impact is somewhat muted due to the lack of vivid imagery and structural cohesion. The speaker's internal conflict is evident, yet the poem does not fully engage the reader's emotions.