Amanda!
Class 10 English · First Flight – Poems · Chapter 6
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The story in short
Robin Klein’s poem “Amanda!” presents a young girl who is constantly nagged and instructed by an adult — most likely a parent — about her habits and behaviour. She is told not to bite her nails, to sit up straight, to clean her room, to finish her homework and not to slouch, and is even blamed for sulking. Tired of these endless commands, Amanda escapes in her imagination into worlds where she is free: she dreams of being a mermaid drifting alone in a calm green sea, an orphan roaming the streets in blissful freedom, and Rapunzel in a tower who would never let down her hair. The poem, using the child’s daydreams set against the adult’s instructions, gently criticises the way constant scolding and over-control stifle a child’s freedom and spirit. It pleads for understanding the child’s need for space, imagination and independence.
The story in 6 beats
- 1An adult tells Amanda not to bite nails, hunch shoulders, or sit lazily.
- 2Amanda imagines she is a mermaid, alone and calm in a soft green sea.
- 3The adult orders her to finish homework, clean her room, and not eat chocolates.
- 4Amanda dreams of being an orphan, freely wandering streets and making soft patterns in dust.
- 5The adult asks why she is sulking and tells her to stop looking moody.
- 6Amanda imagines herself as Rapunzel, living quietly in a tower and never letting down her hair.
Over-control of childrenA child’s longing for freedomImagination and escapeReality versus dreamsUnderstanding children
Characters & key ideas
AmandaThe young girl who is constantly instructed and longs for freedom.
Nagging/instructionsThe endless commands of the adult that trouble Amanda.
MermaidOne of Amanda’s imagined free, peaceful identities.
RapunzelA fairy-tale figure Amanda imagines being, free in a tower.
ImaginationAmanda’s escape into dream worlds of freedom.
Robin KleinThe poet who wrote “Amanda!”.
Word meanings · शब्दार्थ
hunch
bend the body forward
slouching
sitting or standing lazily
languid
slow and relaxed
emerald sea
green-coloured sea
pattern
a regular design
recluse
person living alone
sulking
showing silent anger
moody
often unhappy or irritable
Rapunzel
girl shut in a tower
tower
very tall narrow building
Extra questions & answers (board-style)
Try one from this chapter
Who wrote the poem “Amanda!”?