The feeling of missing one's youth is subjective and can be experienced at any age. It often represents a longing for the perceived freedom and potential associated with that period, influenced by both personal feelings and cultural expectations. Literature frequently addresses the fleeting nature of youth, emphasizing its value and the significance of cherishing it.
Whether it is too early for the speaker to miss his youth is subjective and depends on the speaker's experiences and emotional state. Youth itself is a time of potential, growth, and the anticipation of what's to come. Poets often evoke the fleeting nature of youth to highlight its preciousness and the importance of cherishing it. However, missing one's youth can occur at any age because it symbolizes a longing for the freedom, opportunity, and joy associated with that period. It reflects personal feelings of nostalgia or regret over lost time or opportunities.
The given excerpts from literature refer to the value of youth and the inevitable progression of time. The statement 'It is youth's felicity as well as its insufficiency that it can never live in the present' suggests that youth is both a time of happiness and insufficiency, with an inherent inability to fully appreciate the present moment due to dreams and aspirations for the future. As such, missing youth could relate to this insufficiency, the desire for times when dreams were vibrant and alluring.
Additionally, cultural and societal expectations, such as those mentioned with American, English, and Singaporean youths, can cause one to reflect on their use of time during their own youth, possibly leading to missing it. Overall, the speaker's reflection on youth can serve as a moment to evaluate the past and present, whether through the lens of joy, accomplishment, or regret, without being bound by any specific chronological age.