Amanda

 About the Poet:

Robin Mc Maugh Klein (born 1936) is an Australian author of books for children. She writes Children’s and young adult fiction.

Introduction:

Robin Klein has expressed the views of a little girl, Amanda who is constantly pointed out by her mother for making mistakes. The mother considers several things done by her daughter as mistakes because they are not part of the code of good conduct laid out by the society in which we live.

Summary:

The poem tells about a girl named Amanda and her parent. The parent nags Amanda for her mistakes. She is first pointed out most probably by her mother for biting her nails and for not sitting in the right posture.

The mother also feels that Amanda sits drooping, in a very lazy manner. To this, Amanda imagines herself as a mermaid. She thinks that as a mermaid, she can live a calm and relaxing life drifting in the beautiful green sea.

Further, Amanda is nagged for not cleaning her room and shoes and also for not doing her homework. She then imagines herself to be an orphan because she is now fed up of being watched by her parents continuously. She says that she would have enjoyed her freedom then, by making the patterns of her bare feet on the sand and would live a peaceful life.

Next, Amanda is scolded for eating too many chocolates as they cause pimples. She is also scolded for not listening to her mother and turning her face away when her mother is talking to her. So, now Amanda thinks of being Rapunzel, a character from a fairy tale and wants to live in a tower just like her. In the tower, she would be alone and would live a peaceful life.  

Finally, Amanda is asked to stop being moody. After this time the poet has not written about any reaction from Amanda’s side. This constant nagging has made her so dejected that she has even stopped to imagine. She had used her imagination as a way to escape from the harassment and dominance of her parents.

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.)

Meanings:

Hunch= bend

Slouching= sitting in a lazy way

Languid= relaxed

Emerald= here, green color

Inhabitant= resident

Drifting= carried slowly by the water

Blissfully= happily

The poet describes a typical little girl and her parent. Amanda is a little girl who is always pointed out by her mother for her mistakes. Amanda imagines her life to be different. The poet says that the mother is pointing out Amanda for biting nails. Next, she asks her to sit straight without bending her shoulders. Amanda who has the habit of bending her shoulders and sitting lazily is being pointed criticized.  When she is being scolded by her mother, Amanda imagines herself to be in a deep green sea. She imagines herself as a mermaid.  She wants to be carried away by the flow of water and relax. 

Literary devices:

Anaphora: Repeated use of a word at the start of two or more lines (don’t bite… don’t hunch)

Assonance: use of vowel sound ‘o’ (don’t hunch your shoulders)

Rhyme: aaba ccc (Amanda, Amanda, straight, Amanda, sea, me, blissfully)

Metaphor: use of word emerald sea for green colour of sea being similar to the colour of emerald

Repetition: use of word ‘Amanda’

Imagery: drifting blissfully

Alliteration: ‘Stop that slouching and sit up straight’ - ‘s’ sound is being repeated at the start of closely placed words.

Allusion: ‘mermaid’ is a well-known imaginary creature.

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.)

Meanings:

Orphan: A child whose parents are dead

Hushed: quiet and still place

Here the poet says that Amanda’s mother is inquiring whether Amanda has done her homework or not? Then she asks whether she has cleaned her room or not. In addition, Amanda is also reminded to clean her shoes. It is clear that the mother is constantly asking her questions. Amanda imagines herself to be an orphan who is roaming in the streets. This means that she imagines if she would have been without parents she would have walked freely in the streets. She would have drawn designs on the soft dust with her uncovered feet very quietly. So, we can see that she thinks opposite to her mother. Her mother wants her to keep everything neat and clean. But Amanda wants to play in the dust with her bare feet.

Literary devices:

Anaphora: Repeated use of a word at the start of two or more lines (did you finish….did you tidy)

Rhyme: Rhyme scheme is aada eee (Amanda, Amanda, shoes, Amanda, street, feet, sweet)

Assonance: use of vowel sound ‘o’ (Thought, told, you, your, shoes)

Repetition: use of word ‘Amanda’

Metaphor: silence is golden - silence is said to be glorious like golden colour

freedom is sweet - freedom is said to be sweet in taste.

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!)

Meanings:

Acne: Pimples

Rapunzel: A girl in the fairy tale by Brothers Grimm

Tranquil: calm, quiet

Rare: uncommon

Next, Amanda’s mother is not allowing her to eat chocolates. She reminds her of pimples that Amanda has to face due to eating chocolates. At last, she scolds Amanda for not paying attention to what she says. At this moment Amanda imagines herself to be Rapunzel. Rapunzel was a character from a fairy tale. Amanda wants to be Rapunzel because she feels that life in the tower will be peaceful and unusual. She thinks she will be free and live in a peaceful environment in the tower. She also confirms to herself that she will never let her hair down to anyone so that nobody could come to her in the tower.

Literary devices:

Allusion: use of famous fairy tale character Rapunzel

Rhyme: rhyme scheme aafa ggg (Amanda, Amanda, you, Amanda, care, rare, hair)

Assonance: use of vowel sound ‘e’ and ‘o’ (Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to you

Consonance: use of sound ‘r’ (I am Rapunzel; I have not a care …..Bright hair)

Repetition: use of word ‘Amanda’

Stanza - 4

Stop that sulking at once, Amanda!

You’re always so moody, Amanda!       

Anyone would think that I nagged at you,

Amanda!

Meanings:

sulking: be in a bad mood

moody: unstable

nagged: harass

Her mother now warns Amanda for behaving in a very odd manner. She asks her to stop being in a bad mood. Moreover, she blames her for her frequent mood changes. She also scolds Amanda by saying that people may think that Amanda was constantly harassed by her. The poet hadn't written about Amanda's feelings after this. Perhaps Amanda was too distressed to think of anything. 

Literary devices:

Alliteration: ‘Stop that sulking’ - ‘s’ sound is repeated at the start of closely placed words

Repetition: use of word ‘Amanda’

Rhyme scheme: aaha (Amanda, Amanda, you, Amanda)

Repetition: use of word ‘Amanda’