These two poems, "Children's Camp" by Dorothy Livesay and "Childhood is the Kingdom Where Nobody Dies" by Edna St. Vincent Millay show two very different views of childhood, or adulthood. "Children's Camp" talks about the joys of childhood that are lost as children grow up. Millay's poem does the same thing, but in a very different manner. Livesay shows the magic of summer camp and complete carefree summer days of play and exploration, while Millay shows that children happily do not understand the concept of death, while adults most certainly do.
             Livesay uses safety as a theme in her poem. She opens the poem with this concept, "Call it safety- That cool island where No headlines glare No rumour of the world Disturbs the ear" (Livesay), indicating the thought that children are safe when they are free from care, and nothing bad could possibly happen to them in this environment. Millay, on the other hand, uses the idea of safety as implied in her poem. She writes, "Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies that matters,--mothers and fathers don't die" (Millay). She also shows childhood as a time of innocence and "safety" where nothing bad, like death, can ruin the illusion of safety and security.
             Both authors acknowledge the passage of time in their poems, as well. Livesay notes, "But clock's invisible And day moves into week Unchained by calendar or season; Hours need no rhyme And summer needs no reason" (Livesay). Millay says, " Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age the child is grown, and puts away childish things. Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies" (Millay). Both acknowledge there is a time when children are no longer innocent, that bad things do happen, and that children have taken on the cares and worries of adults. Both show childhood as a time of happiness, but they use very different images and methods to get their point across.
             ...