Amanda !

-Robin Klein

INTRODUCTION

of dreams. In this poem, we have a

"Amanda" isa poem about child-psychology. Children live in a world
(or her governess). The mother is scolding the
conversation' between a little girl Amanda and her mother
something. But Amanda is lost in a world of her own. She
is not
girl again and again fordoing or neglecting
grown-up people should allow enough
even listening to what her mother is saying. The poem tells us that
a child's mental development.
freedom to the growing children. Too much nagging has a negative effect on

SUMMARY
her not to bite
The speaker's adviceto Amanda : Amanda is a little school-going girl. The speaker advises
her nails. The speaker further tells her to sit up straight and not to hunch
(bend) her shoulders.

:
Amanda's reaction Amanda does not pay any heed to the speaker' s advice. She is lost in her own thoughts.
She thinks of herself as a mermaid who is swimming the bright green sea-waters.
happily in

The speaker's questions : The speaker asks Amanda whether she has done her homework, cleaned her

room and polished her shoes.

Amanda's response :Amanda does not give any reply to these questions. She dreams of herself as an orphan
who is wandering about silently and freely.
The speaker's advice :Once again, the speaker tells Amanda not to eat chocolate as it would add to her
acne-problem (pimples).

Amanda's day-dream: However, Amanda pays no attention to this advice. She dreams of herself as Rapunzel

who lived in a quiet tower without any care.

The speaker's angry words : By now, the speaker loses her patience. She tlls Amanda to stop her sulking.
Shefurther comments that Amanda is very moody. People would think that she always scolds Amanda.
 Amand
10 THINKING ABOUT THE POEM (PAGE 62)
Word-Mea
Q1. How old, do you think, Amanda ? How do youknow this ?
Ans. Amanda is a little girl. All
is

her actions like nail-biting and hunching her shoulders show that she is still a
:
bite cut;

child. She may be any age between 5 and 10 years. Questions

Q2. Who do you think speaking to her ?
ENGLISH-
is
IN () T
Ans. Amanda's mother, tutor or governess may be speaking to
Q.3. Why are stanzas 2, 4 and 6 given in parenthesis ?
her.
(
ODY
Ans. The stanzas 2, 4 and 6 are given in parenthesis (brackets) because they show Amanda's own thoughts.
Amanda is not listening to what the speaker is asking or telling her. She is lost in her own world of
dreams. Her thoughts are given in parenthesis (brackets).

Q4. Who is the speaker in stanzas 2, 4 and 6 ? Do you think the speaker is listening to the speaker in
stanzas 1, 3, 5 and 7?
(ün)
Ans. In stanzas 2, 4 and 6 the speaker is a little girl named Amanda. Actualy, she is not speaking anything.

She is only thinking, That is why, her feelings or thoughts have been given by the poet in bracket ()
(parenthesis).
EVERGREEN

Amanda is not listening to the speaker who is talking to her in stanzas 1, 3, 5and 7.
Answers

206 Textbooks
O.5. What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid ? (CBSE, 2008)

Ans. Amanda has some dreams of her own. She wouldlike to be a mermaid (a sea fairy). She would just swim
in the bright green waters of the sea. She would be the only inhabitant of the sea and nobody would

ever nag at her.

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

Ans. Amanda is not an orphan. She says so because she is sick of being nagged all the time. The speaker in
the poem keeps on nagging her about her work, her habits, and so on. Amanda thinks that if she had
been an orphan, nobody would interfere with her freedom.

Q7. Do you know the story of Rapunzel ?Why does Amanda want to be Rapunzel ?
Ans. Amanda has a romantic She
nature. lives in a world of her dreams. She wants an escape from her real

world. That is why, she wants to be a fairy princess like Rapunzel who lived in a peaceful tower.

Q8. Whatdoes the girl yearn for ?What does this poem tell you about Amanda ?
Ans. The girl yearns for a carefree She wants total freedom from worldly cares. She wants an escape from
life.

the harsh realities of life. This shows that Amanda has romantic nature. She prefers a dreamy life to a
hard life. She does not want to be nagged by others. When somebody nags her about her homework,
her food-habits, her nail-biting etc., she seems to dislike it.

Q.9. Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking and is moody ?
Ans. Amanda is not sulking and she is not moody. Only the speaker in the poem thinks so. Actually, Amanda
is a nice girl and she wants to lead a happy and relaxed life according to her nature. But when the
speaker keeps on nagging her about every little thing, she goes silent and is lost in her daydreams.The
speaker falsely accuses her of being moody and depressed.
 (A) Answer the following questions:
What is the form of this poem ?
there only one speaker (the old lady). The presence of the listener
Ans. 'Amanda' is a poem in which is

(Amanda) is felt throughout. Amandagives no reaction to the speaker's constant nagging. This is the
form of dramatic monologue.

Q2. What impression do you form of Amanda

yearns for total freedom. She does not want to be dictated.
She is a

Ans. Amanda is a school-going girl who

put her thought into action.
gisith strong individuality, but perhaps she is too timid to

Q3What is the significance of Amanda imagining herself as an orphan ?

or movements. Amanda imaqines herself to be
Ans. An orphan has no one to interfere with his/her action
freedom.
such an orphan. This underlines her longing for

Q4. What habits of Amanda are not likeable ?

Ans. Though we may sympathise with Amanda, we find that some of her habits are bad and irritating. No one
IN
would appreciate her biting her nails, not tidying up her room, sitting with shoulders hunched,

Q5. Nhat exactly isirritating to us about the old lady in the poem ?
AMs. In Amanda, the oldlady gives good pieces of advice to Amanda. What is irritating toAmanda i5 e
constantly nagging habit. No one likes to be constantly criticised.
SELF-STUDY
(B) Answer thollowingquestions in 40-50 words each:
Q.1. omment on the title of the poem.

Ans!The title of poem 'Amanda'is quite apt. The poem is about Amanda, a girl who is constantly nagged. u
interest is in Amanda and how she feels, and not in the other character Amanda's mother or aunt-
who continues to nag her.
EVERGREEN
330
Section-C: Literature Textbooks
 What is the message of the poem ?
people should let their children have some freedorm,
They
The message of the poem is that the elderly
Ans.
dos and don'ts regularly. Childrern resent being nagged
should not criticise them continuously or issue
the proper growth ofachild,
all the time. The
continuous nagging may hinder

Q.3. Whakind of poem is 'Amanda'?

one unnamed person - Amanda's mother, aunt or governess -
Ans. Aanda' has two characters. There is

a girl, who does not speak a word as she is lost in

who the speaker, and the listener is Amanda,
and may be thought of as a dramatic
is

a dramatic quality about it,

herthemghts. Thus, the poem has

ologue.
the little girl, Amanda ?
How does the speaker in the poem nag
Sometimes she says "Don't
the poem keeps on nagging Amanda for every little thing.
Ans. The speaker in on
!" Sometimes she says "Don't
hunch your shoulders, Amanda !" She keeps
bite your nails, Amanda
? Did you tidy your room ?" etc.
nlot asking questions like: "Did you finish your homework
to escape from her real world ?
How do we know that Amanda wants
incess to escape and be transformed into a
Ans. Amanda is of constant nagging. That is why, she wants
sick
with the sea waves in a carefree manner. She also
mermaid. As a mermaid, she would be able to drift
scold her. She wants to live like Rapunzel in a
expresses a desire to be an orphan so that nobody could
shipwith
te t94m fairy-tower.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (100-120 words each)

Q.1. The poem 'Amanda' is basically Amanda's monologue. Comment.

Ans. There are two characters in the poem entitled Amanda'- Amanda, a school-going girl and her mother
or aunt (her identity is deliberately not revealed). The speaker is the grown-up lady. She is representative
of all those elderly persons who continue to find faults with their children. As such, she is a nagqing

Thy person, and is insignificant.

oldho
er(the canstr It is whose thoughts are revealed to us in parenthises.Amanda utters no word. She seems to
Amanda
spestes speak to herself. Her monologue reveals the essentials of child-psychology. In snatches, we learn about
tothe
her yearning for freedom. At first, she imagines herself to be a mermaid that drifts about the sea-water
ina carefree manner. Clearly, she desires to enjoy mermaid-Iike freedom. Then she imagines herself to
be an 'orphan' in the sense that there should be no one to check her from 10
walking anywhere, even in
the dust with her bare feet. She is, then, reminded, of Rapunzel, a fairy princess who lived
at in a tower. She
imagines herself to be Rapunzel and wants to lead a carefree life.
thagt
her Thus, the focus the poem remains Amanda's monologue.
of interest
We come to
oput in

feelupset at being scolded and nagged by their elders.

know how children
ENGLISH

Q.2. Give the sum and substance of the poem "Amanda !"in your own words.
IN
Ans. 'Amanda !' is a poem about psychology. It is true that children live in a world of dreams. The
child
poem
is a beautiful conversation between a little girl Amanda and a grown-up
lady.
Amanda is a little, school-going girl. She is a girl with romantic
temperament. She yearns for total
freedom and enjoyment. Unfortunately, she is living in an
unhealthy environment. She is constantly
nagged for nail-biting, chocolate-eating, sulking, and so on. She
is so sick of this that she wanders
away SELF-STUDY
to a dreamy world of her own where there is total freedom and
relaxation. She wants to be a mermaid
or an orphan or a fairy so that she can enjoy her life in
her own way.
GREEN