POEM- AMANDA

 FIRST FLIGHT

POEM- AMANDA

Word Meanings: Amanda!

Hunch – bending upper part of the body in a forward position

Slouching – to move lazily with the body in downward direction

Languid – relaxed

mermaid – an imaginary sea creature whose upper part looks like a woman and the lower part like a fish.

drifting -moving slowly

tranquil  – calm

tidy – neat, in right order

orphan – a child whose parents are dead

roaming – moving aimlessly

hushed – very quiet

bare – not covered

pattern- make patterns

acne – pimples , small skin eruptions on face

Rapunzel – a German fairy tale character with long beautiful hair. She was held captive in a tower by Dame Gothel a witch who came up to the tower with the help of Rapunzel’s   tresses.

Sulking – refusing to interact due to anger or for being upset.

Nagged – to continuously irritate through fault finding, complaint or demands.

Question answers of Amanda:

1. How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?

Ans. I believe Amanda might be twelve or thirteen years old.

 She has rebellious thoughts like an early teenager. She slouches her shoulders, has acne, and loves fairy tales which indicate she is in the early adolescent age.

2. Who do you think is speaking to her?

Ans. Most possibly it is her mother who is speaking to her. The instructions definitely seem to be from a well meaning mother who is concerned about the proper development of her daughter.

3. Why are Stanzas 2, 4 and 6 given in parenthesis?

Ans. Parenthesis is used to explain something in a written text. However, the poet has used parenthesis to reflect the thoughts of Amanda which emerge as a result of the constant nagging that she has to endure.

4. Who is the speaker in Stanzas 2, 4 and 6? Do you think this speaker is listening to the speaker in Stanzas 1, 3, 5, and 7?

Ans.  The speaker in stanzas 2, 4 and 6 is Amanda’s mind. The words in these stanzas reflect her thoughts.

No, Amanda is not paying attention to her mother’s words. She is lost in her own thoughts. She dreams of being a mermaid, an orphan or Rapunzel enjoying her freedom.

5. What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?

Ans. If she were a mermaid, she would inhabit all by herself in the emerald green sea and enjoy her freedom to live as she liked. She would drift happily with the currents without a bother.

6. Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so?

Ans. No, Amanda is not an orphan. Her over-concerned mother ceaselessly tries to correct her ways through orders and scolding.

The constant nagging from her parents has made her life miserable due to which she wishes she were an orphan. She thinks that as an orphan would have been better off, as she would have had more freedom and peace in her life.

7. Do you know the story of Rapunzel? Why does she want to be Rapunzel?

Ans. Yes, When Rapunzel was a baby she was stolen from her parents by a witch who confined her in a tower. The tower did not have any stairs and the witch used Rapunzel’s long golden hair to climb up and down from the tower. One day a prince climbed up to the tower instead of the witch and they fell in love. When the witch found it out she blinded the Prince and cut Rapunzel’s hair and cast a spell which made her live in a desert. After many years when Rapunzel met the Prince she cried and her tears fell on his eyes which cured his blindness. Thereafter they lived happily ever after.

Amanda wants to be Rapunzel because she thinks that it would be happy in her secure life of solitude in the tower. She says that she would never let down her hair from the tower to ensure that nobody is able to enter the tower to disturb her peaceful life.

8. What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda?

Ans. The girls yearns to live a life on her own terms without anyone’s interference. She wants to live freely in her own space.  

Amanda has her own individualistic thinking and wants to grow in her own unique way. Parents often want to train their children according to the norms of the society, killing the children’s individuality and innocence in the process. The constant nagging of the mother frustrates Amanda and she wants to escape from it.

9. Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking and is moody?

Ans. No I don’t think that Amanda is sulking or moody. She is simply fed up with the constant nagging of her parents and wants to escape from it. If she fails to appear as a cheerful child, it is most probably due to the ceaseless corrections and admonishments from her parents, who want to inculcate manners according to the norms of the society. She simply loves to escape to her world of imagination where she can enjoy her freedom and individuality without anybody’s unnecessary interference.

Introduction:

“Amanda” by Robin Klein addresses an important issue that every child, especially girls, faces in life. Children are often controlled and continuously instructed by elders to behave according to society’s expectations. The lines given in brackets show Amanda’s imagination and inner thoughts.

Theme:

The poem shows how difficult it is for children to compromise their freedom and individuality. Constant instructions and restrictions make children feel controlled and unhappy. Through Amanda, the poet highlights a child’s desire for freedom, peace, and independence.

Poem and Explanation

Stanza 1

Don’t bite your nails, Amanda!
Don’t hunch your shoulders, Amanda!
Stop that slouching and sit up straight,
Amanda!

(There is a languid, emerald sea,
where the sole inhabitant is me—
a mermaid, drifting blissfully.)

Explanation:

Amanda’s mother scolds her for biting her nails and sitting carelessly with bent shoulders. She wants Amanda to sit properly. While listening to these instructions, Amanda imagines herself as a mermaid living alone in a beautiful green sea. In her imagination, she is free, peaceful, and relaxed away from all restrictions.

Literary Devices:

• Anaphora: “Don’t” repeated at the beginning of lines
• Assonance: repetition of vowel sound ‘o’
• Metaphor: “emerald sea”
• Imagery: “drifting blissfully”
• Alliteration: “Stop that slouching and sit up straight”
• Allusion: Mermaid

Stanza 2

Did you finish your homework, Amanda?
Did you tidy your room, Amanda?
I thought I told you to clean your shoes,
Amanda!

(I am an orphan, roaming the street.
I pattern soft dust with my hushed, bare feet.
The silence is golden, the freedom is sweet.)

Explanation:

Amanda’s mother asks whether she has completed her homework, cleaned her room, and polished her shoes. Amanda becomes tired of these constant instructions. She imagines herself as an orphan roaming freely in the streets without any restrictions. She enjoys silence, freedom, and carefree life.

Literary Devices:

• Anaphora: “Did you” repeated
• Metaphor: “Silence is golden”, “Freedom is sweet”
• Repetition: “Amanda”
• Assonance: vowel sound ‘o’

Stanza 3

Don’t eat that chocolate, Amanda!
Remember your acne, Amanda!
Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to you,
Amanda!

(I am Rapunzel; I have not a care;
life in a tower is tranquil and rare;
I’ll certainly never let down my bright hair!)

Explanation:

Amanda’s mother stops her from eating chocolates because they may cause pimples. She also becomes angry because Amanda is not paying attention. Amanda imagines herself as Rapunzel living peacefully in a tower. She wants to stay alone and free from disturbance.

Literary Devices:

• Allusion: Rapunzel
• Repetition: “Amanda”
• Assonance: vowel sounds
• Consonance: repetition of ‘r’ sound

Stanza 4

Stop that sulking at once, Amanda!
You’re always so moody, Amanda!
Anyone would think that I nagged at you,
Amanda!

Explanation:

Amanda’s mother scolds her for looking sad and moody. She says that Amanda behaves as if her mother always troubles her. Amanda cannot express her feelings openly because every reaction of hers becomes another reason for scolding.

Literary Devices:

• Alliteration: “Stop that sulking”
• Repetition: “Amanda”
• Rhyme Scheme: aafa