CBSE Class 10 - English Literature (First Flight) - Poem: Amanda (Theme, Summary, MCQs and Questions and Answers)(#class10English)(#eduvictors)(#cbsenotes)

Poem: Amanda (Theme, Summary, MCQs and Questions and Answers)

CBSE Class 10 - English Literature (First Flight)

Poetess: 

Robin Mc Maugh Klein is an 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.

Theme / Central Idea of the poem

The greatest wealth that a child wants to possess is his/her freedom. The things that he doesn’t like is constant nagging, unwanted instructions and even over-protection from parents. Like every child Amanda also romanticizes to enjoy her world of dreams, doesn’t want anyone to interfere in her life or curtail her freedom. She doesn’t want to grow up rather enjoy her childhood for a little longer.

Summary of the poem

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.

Questions and Answers

Q1: How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?

Answer: Amanda is an about 10-year-old school-going girl or might be in her teens. She is being scolded for things typical for that particular age. Her parents are trying to inculcate in her good manners and etiquette. Amanda is very innocent and immature. The reference to ‘acne’ also could indicate that she is in her teens.

Q2: What is Amanda's desire? Why?

Answer: Amanda's desires herself to be an orphan as she wants to live a life of her own without any disturbance. She feels troubled by her parents.

Q3: Who do you think is speaking to her (Amanda)? 

Answer: One of her parents is speaking to her. Most probably it is her mother. In a traditional household, the mother is held responsible for the conduct of the child. In this case, also, the range of instructions suggests that the speaker is Amanda’s mother.

Q4: Why are stanzas 2, 4 and 6 given in parenthesis?

Answer: Stanzas 2, 4 and 6 are given in parenthesis because they reflect the inner thoughts of Amanda. They can be taken as the reaction of the child for the instructions given in stanzas 1, 3 and 5. Here, there is an alternate sequence of scolding of the mother and corresponding reaction to it given by the child. Also, parenthesis is used here to make the reading of ‘ the poem friendly.

Q5:  What can you depict of Amanda’s nature?

Answer: Amanda is a moody girl. She is nagged most of the time. She often escapes from reality, which makes her moody and uninterested.

Q6: What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?

Answer: Amanda wishes to be a mermaid so she could carelessly move along on a languid emerald sea. She just wishes to be carried away by the green sea waves slowly and gradually. Amanda longs for a place where she is all by herself as her happiness is not dependent on any other human being. Hence, she desires to be a mermaid because, for a child, the mermaid is a symbol of freedom and wonder.

Q7: Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so? 

Answer: No, Amanda is not an orphan, though she wishes to be one. She is so much stressed with the continuous nagging of her parents that she imagines herself to be better without them. The mere presence of her parents around her depresses her. Amanda is a little girl who seeks ‘golden’ silence and ‘sweet’ freedom. She wishes to roam around streets and draw patterns with her bare feet. Indeed it is horribly depressing that Amanda expects being an orphan.

Q8: What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda? 

Answer: A girl like Amanda yearns for freedom and space for herself. She is incapable of fulfilling the expectations of her parents. Amanda is no less than a symbol for all the children who face similar fate irrespective of class, colour or nationality. Traditional societies demand a certain type of behaviour from the individuals and such training begins at a very young age. Parents ignore the innocence and understanding level of their children and thereby the young end up killing their imagination and thoughts.

MCQs

Don't bite your nails, Amanda!

Don't hunch your shoulders, Amanda!

Stop that slouching and sit up straight, Amanda!

Q9: The speaker wants Amanda

 (i) to learn bad manners 

 (ii) to enjoy

 (iii) to learn good habits 

 (iv) all of the above

Answer: (iii) to learn good habits

Q10: What is the meaning of "slouching"?

 (i)   Bend

 (ii)  Sit in a lazy way

 (iii) lie down

 (iv) bend backwards

Answer: (ii)  Sit in a lazy way

Q11: Who is the speaker in the above stanza?

  (i) Amanda’s teacher 

  (ii) Amanda’s mother

  (iii) Amanda’s Tennis coach 

  (iv) Amanda’s doctor

Answer: (ii) Amanda’s mother

Q12: The word from the passage which means the same as ‘erect’ is –

 (i) fast 

 (ii) hunch 

 (iii) slouching

 (iv) straight

Answer: (iv) straight

Q13: Who is the poet of the poem "Amanda"?

 (i) Leslie Norris

 (ii) Robert Frost

 (iii) Carolyn Wells

 (iv) Robin Klein

Answer:  (iv) Robin Klein

Stanza:

Don’t eat that chocolate, Amanda!

Remember your acne, Amanda!

Will you please look at me when I am speaking to you, Amanda!

Q14: To whom are these lines are spoken?

(i) Rapunzel 

(ii) mother

(iii) father 

(iv) Amanda 

Answer: (iv) Amanda 

Q15: What is she asked to remember?

(i) eating something 

(ii) chocolate

(iii) acne 

(iv) to look at her parent

Answer: (iii) acne 

Q16: Trace a word phrase which means ‘to see’ in the extract

(i) remember 

(ii) acne

(iii) look at 

(iv) none of the above

Answer: (ii) acne

 Poetic Devices used in the poem:

 

 Metaphor: Use of word ‘emerald sea’ for the green colour of the sea being similar to the colour of emerald 

 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. 

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

 

👉See Also:

A Letter to God (Chapter Summary)
A letter to God (Questions and Answers)

Long Walk to Freedom (Key Points)
Long Walk to Freedom (Oral Comprehension Check-1)

Two Stories About Flying (Q & A)  
Two Stories About Flying (MCQs)

The Making of Scientist (Q & A)
The Hundred Dresses-1 (Chapter Summary)

A Tiger in the Zoo (Poem Summary, Theme, Important Points)

Figures Of Speech