“Amanda” is a poem from the Class 10 CBSE English textbook, “First Flight.”
Stanza 1
- “Amanda!” – The forceful address sets the tone for the poem, suggesting a mother’s exasperation.
- “Those awful nails again!” – Introduces the constant criticism Amanda faces, even for minor things like nail biting.
Stanza 2
- “Sit up straight!” – Another instruction on posture, highlighting the focus on proper behavior.
- “Shoulders back!” – Reinforces the image of Amanda being constantly corrected.
- “Don’t hunch!” – Creates a sense of Amanda being restricted in her movements.
- “Imagine you’re a mermaid…” – Introduces Amanda’s escape into fantasy.
- “With seaweed in your hair…” – Creates a vivid image of a carefree underwater world.
- “And a calm green sea all round…” – Emphasizes the serenity Amanda seeks in her imagination.
Stanza 3
- “Amanda!” – The repeated address reinforces the feeling of Amanda being constantly nagged.
- “Your room’s a mess!” – Introduces another source of frustration, household chores.
- “Those shoes!…” – Highlights the constant reminders about even small details.
- “Homework not done yet?” – Adds to the pressure Amanda feels.
- “Imagine you’re an orphan…” – Reveals a more extreme fantasy, where Amanda escapes parental control entirely.
- “With nobody to scold…” – Further emphasizes Amanda’s desire for freedom from constant reminders.
Stanza 4
- “Amanda!…” – The mother’s worried tone suggests a shift, perhaps concern about Amanda’s mood.
- “What’s wrong, my darling?” – A gentler approach compared to earlier commands.
- “You look so glum…” – The mother notices Amanda’s unhappiness.
- “Is it because…” – The mother worries about what others might think, highlighting the communication gap.
Overall
The poem explores the internal conflict between a child’s desire for freedom and a parent’s need to guide them. Amanda’s frustration builds with each stanza, leading to increasingly elaborate escape fantasies. The final stanza introduces a potential turning point, where the mother acknowledges Amanda’s mood but focuses on appearances rather than addressing the root of the problem.
20 Questions and Answers about “Amanda”
- What is the name of the young girl in the poem?
- Answer: Amanda
- What is the tone of the first line of the poem?
- Answer: Exasperated (due to the exclamation mark)
- What small habit does Amanda have that her mother criticizes?
- Answer: Biting her nails (“Those awful nails again!”)
- Besides posture, what other instruction does Amanda receive in the first stanza?
- Answer: None (focusing only on posture)
- In her first fantasy, where does Amanda imagine herself?
- Answer: As a mermaid in the sea
- What detail from the poem suggests Amanda finds the underwater world calming?
- Answer: “A calm green sea all round”
- What chore is Amanda neglecting in the third stanza?
- Answer: Cleaning her room (“Your room’s a mess!”)
- What additional task is Amanda reminded of in stanza 3?
- Answer: Completing her homework (“Homework not done yet?”)
- What extreme fantasy does Amanda have in the third stanza?
- Answer: Imagining herself as an orphan
- What does Amanda desire by imagining herself as an orphan?
- Answer: Freedom from being scolded (“With nobody to scold”)
- What shift in tone do we see from the mother in the fourth stanza?
- Answer: A shift from exasperation to concern
- What does the mother call Amanda in the fourth stanza?
- Answer: “My darling” (a term of endearment)
- What emotion does the mother identify in Amanda?
- Answer: Glumness (“You look so glum”)
- What does the mother worry might be the reason for Amanda’s mood?
- Answer: The mother doesn’t specify but worries about external factors (“Is it because…”)
- What does this worry about external factors reveal about the communication gap?
- Answer: The mother focuses on appearances rather than directly addressing Amanda’s feelings.
- What everyday object is Amanda forbidden to eat in the poem (not mentioned directly)?
- Answer: Chocolate (because it might cause acne)
- What physical action does Amanda take in response to her mother’s scolding throughout the poem?
- Answer: The poem doesn’t explicitly say, but it suggests she doesn’t listen attentively.
- What literary figure does Amanda imagine herself as in the second stanza (besides a mermaid)?
- Answer: None (the second stanza only features the mermaid fantasy)
- What reason does Amanda give for not wanting to let down her hair if she were Rapunzel?
- Answer: To keep people from climbing up (“I wouldn’t let my hair down…”)
- What metaphor is used to describe silence in the poem?
- Answer: Golden (“Silence is golden”)