This article explores children’s imaginative representations of time in relation to self-experience. Poems published in a young poets’ anthology edited by Naomi Shihab Nye are analyzed in order to discern models of temporality and subjectivity imagined by young writers. A dynamic temporality is seen in a subset of poems which manipulate time through crossing temporal references, expanding time frames, or claiming power over time. The article argues that poetry written by young people is a valuable lens on their subjectivity and temporality, and concludes by suggesting the value of incorporating arts and humanities approaches in social inquiry concerning childhood.
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