The title “Old Before My Time” is the main message of this poem. This poem is told from first person view from a speaker who has an internal conflict. The poem has a remorseful tone as the speaker reflects about his or her past. The dominant poetic devices in this poem are metaphors and similes, both of which compare two different ideas. A metaphor in this poem compares the many lies in life; they are referred to as “In an ocean of lies” in this poem. The metaphor “It was an oyster at my feet.” compares the world to an oyster, because children do not understand how huge the world is; in the world, there are many worthless things while a few special items are the precious pearls of our world. The simile “Living like children” compares a life style without worries with his or her own life. The story is about an old individual who reflects on their past and all the things they once did. “There is a long hard Road that winds so far behind me.” They want to be a kid and have a second chance at life, as they regret the road they took in life. “That Road behind me now was paved with fool’s gold.” The poem “Old Before My Time” is about becoming old before you have accomplished everything you wanted to do in life, regretting wasting your time and wanting to have another chance before it is your time to die.
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