Amanda
About the Poet
Robin Mc Maugh Klein is and Australian author of books for children. She writes Children’s
and young adult fiction. Some of her famous books are Hating Alison Ashley, People might
hear you, etc.
Introduction of the lesson
Robin Klein has expressed the views of a little girl, Amanda who is constantly pointed out by
her mother for making mistakes. Mistakes which she considers so as they are not part of the
code of good conduct laid out by the society in which we live.
Summary
The poem describes a girl named Amanda and her mother who is nagging her 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 in a very lazy manner. To
this, Amanda imagines herself as a mermaid who lives a calm and relaxing life in the beautiful
green sea. Further, she 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 this causes pimples. She is also scolded
for not listening to her mother. So, now Amanda thinks of being Rapunzel, a character from a
fairy tale and wants to live in a huge tower like her. In the tower she will be alone and will live a
peaceful life and will never allow anyone to come in. Finally, the mother asks her to stop being
moody because she doesn’t want anyone to blame her for harassing her daughter. At this time
the poet has not written any reaction from Amanda’s side. This constant nagging has made
her so sad that she has even stopped to imagine herself as someone else. She used to do so
in order to escape from the continuous harassment and dominance of her parents.
Word Meaning
Hunch: bend
Slouching: sitting in a lazy way
Languid: relaxed
Emerald: here, green color
Inhabitant: resident
Drifting: carried slowly by the water
Blissfully: happily
Orphan: A child whose parents are dead
Hushed: quiet and still place
Acne: Pimples
Rapunzel: A girl in the fairy tale by Brothers Grimm
Tranquil: calm, quiet
Rare: uncommon
Sulking: be in a bad mood
Moody: unstable
Nagged: harass
Literary devices:
Anaphora: Repeated use of a word at start of two or more lines (don’t bite… don’t hunch)
, Assonance: use of vowel sound ‘o’ (don’t hunch your shoulders)
Rhyme: aabaccc (Amanda, Amanda, straight, Amanda, sea, me, blissfully)
Repetition: use of word ‘Amanda’
Alliteration: ‘Stop that slouching and sit up straight’ - ‘s’ sound is being repeated at the start of
closely placed words.
MCQs
Q1- Who is the poet of the poem "Amanda"?
A) Leslie Norris
B) Robert Frost
C) Carolyn Wells
D) Robin Klein
Q2- What is the meaning of "slouching"?
A) Bend
B) Sit in a lazy way
C) lie down
D) bend backwards
Q3- What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?
A) be in the green sea
B) lead a relaxing life
C) All of the above
D) None of the above
Q4- Name the literary devices used in the line "Stop that slouching and sit up straight".
A) Anaphora
B) Assonance
C) Metaphor
D) Alliteration
Q5- Name the literary device used in the line "Don't bite your nails, Amanda! Don't hunch your
shoulders,
Amanda!"
A) Anaphora
B) Enjambment
C) Metaphor
D) Alliteration
Q6- What does she want to do as an orphan?
A) walk freely in the streets
B) play in dust with bare feet
C) All of the above
D) None of the above
Q7- Name the literary device used in the line "freedom is sweet"
A) Anaphora
B) Enjambment
C) Metaphor
D) Alliteration
Q8- What does she imagine being when she pictures herself in a tower?
A) Mermaid
B) Orphan
C) Rapunzel
D) None of the Above
About the Poet
Robin Mc Maugh Klein is and Australian author of books for children. She writes Children’s
and young adult fiction. Some of her famous books are Hating Alison Ashley, People might
hear you, etc.
Introduction of the lesson
Robin Klein has expressed the views of a little girl, Amanda who is constantly pointed out by
her mother for making mistakes. Mistakes which she considers so as they are not part of the
code of good conduct laid out by the society in which we live.
Summary
The poem describes a girl named Amanda and her mother who is nagging her 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 in a very lazy manner. To
this, Amanda imagines herself as a mermaid who lives a calm and relaxing life in the beautiful
green sea. Further, she 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 this causes pimples. She is also scolded
for not listening to her mother. So, now Amanda thinks of being Rapunzel, a character from a
fairy tale and wants to live in a huge tower like her. In the tower she will be alone and will live a
peaceful life and will never allow anyone to come in. Finally, the mother asks her to stop being
moody because she doesn’t want anyone to blame her for harassing her daughter. At this time
the poet has not written any reaction from Amanda’s side. This constant nagging has made
her so sad that she has even stopped to imagine herself as someone else. She used to do so
in order to escape from the continuous harassment and dominance of her parents.
Word Meaning
Hunch: bend
Slouching: sitting in a lazy way
Languid: relaxed
Emerald: here, green color
Inhabitant: resident
Drifting: carried slowly by the water
Blissfully: happily
Orphan: A child whose parents are dead
Hushed: quiet and still place
Acne: Pimples
Rapunzel: A girl in the fairy tale by Brothers Grimm
Tranquil: calm, quiet
Rare: uncommon
Sulking: be in a bad mood
Moody: unstable
Nagged: harass
Literary devices:
Anaphora: Repeated use of a word at start of two or more lines (don’t bite… don’t hunch)
, Assonance: use of vowel sound ‘o’ (don’t hunch your shoulders)
Rhyme: aabaccc (Amanda, Amanda, straight, Amanda, sea, me, blissfully)
Repetition: use of word ‘Amanda’
Alliteration: ‘Stop that slouching and sit up straight’ - ‘s’ sound is being repeated at the start of
closely placed words.
MCQs
Q1- Who is the poet of the poem "Amanda"?
A) Leslie Norris
B) Robert Frost
C) Carolyn Wells
D) Robin Klein
Q2- What is the meaning of "slouching"?
A) Bend
B) Sit in a lazy way
C) lie down
D) bend backwards
Q3- What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?
A) be in the green sea
B) lead a relaxing life
C) All of the above
D) None of the above
Q4- Name the literary devices used in the line "Stop that slouching and sit up straight".
A) Anaphora
B) Assonance
C) Metaphor
D) Alliteration
Q5- Name the literary device used in the line "Don't bite your nails, Amanda! Don't hunch your
shoulders,
Amanda!"
A) Anaphora
B) Enjambment
C) Metaphor
D) Alliteration
Q6- What does she want to do as an orphan?
A) walk freely in the streets
B) play in dust with bare feet
C) All of the above
D) None of the above
Q7- Name the literary device used in the line "freedom is sweet"
A) Anaphora
B) Enjambment
C) Metaphor
D) Alliteration
Q8- What does she imagine being when she pictures herself in a tower?
A) Mermaid
B) Orphan
C) Rapunzel
D) None of the Above
