AMANDA : SEBA / SMEBA / NCERT CLASS 10 ENGLISH SOLUTIONS

SEBA / SMEBA / NCERT CLASS 10 ENGLISH SOLUTIONS (FIRST FLIGHT)

CHAPTER  : AMANDA

 

AMANDA

CLASS 10 ENGLISH SOLUTIONS (FIRST FLIGHT)

SEBA / SMEBA / NCERT

ASSAM CLASS 10 (SEBA / NCERT / CBSE) First Flight

দশম শ্রেণী ইংরাজী পদ্য

পাঠ : AMANDA! (আমাণ্ডা)

লেখক - Robin Klein

 

AMANDA! (আমাণ্ডা)

Summary :

This poem shows the contrast between a child's dreams and how he/she wants to live his life, against the ways in which the child is supposed to behave by his elders. At every step his/her freedom is restrained by the elders. The child dreams of being a mermaid, walking down the streets alone, living as Rapunzel in a tower, whereas for the elders it is always about doing homework, tidying up the room, cleaning the shoes etc.

 

সারাংশ

পরিবারের গুরুজনেরা একটি শিশু কিভাবে থাকিতে চায় এবং শিশুটি কি এখন স্বপ্নের জগতে বাস করে— তাহাই এই কবিতাটিতে প্রকাশ করা হইয়াছে। দেখা যায় যে, একটি শিশু প্রতি পদক্ষেপে গুরুজনদের নিকট হইতে বাধাপ্রাপ্ত হয়। এখানে আমাণ্ডা নামক একটি মেয়ে মৎস্যকন্যা হইয়া ঘুরাফেরা করা, রাপুঞ্জেলের মত স্তম্ভের উপরে শান্তিপূর্ণ জীবন কাটানো, অথবা একটি অনাথ শিশুর মত রাস্তাঘাটে এদিকে-সেদিকে ঘুরাফেরা করার স্বপ্নগুলির বিপরীতে তাহার গুরুজনদের তাহাকে শুধু বিদ্যালয়ের ঘরের কাজ, নিজের ঘরটি পরিপাটি করা অথবা সে তাহার জুতাজোরা পরিস্কার করিয়াছে কিনা, সেই কথাগুলি নিয়াই ব্যস্ত থাকিতে দেখা যায়।

 

Word Meanings (শব্দার্থ)  

Hunch - A lump (কুঁজা হওয়া); Slouching - To sit in a loose attitude (অলসের মত গা ছাড়িয়া দিয়া বসা); Languid-Spiritless, dull (অনুৎসাহী); Emerald - Green coloured jewel (একপ্রকার সবুজ পাথর) ; Sole - Lonely, alone (একাকী; একমাত্র) ; Mermaid - Having upper body of a woman with a trunk of a fish (মৎসকন্যা); Drifting - Swayed with flow of waves (ঢেউয়ের গতিতে এদিকে সেদিকে চলা) ; Blishful - great happiness (অতিশয় আনন্দ); Hushed - Silence (নীরবতা); Acne - Pimple (ব্রণ); Tranquil - Peaceful (নীরব এবং শান্তিপূর্ণ) ; Sulking - Sullen morose (রাগ করিয়া চুপচাপ থাকা); Naggad - To tease, to scold (জ্বালাতন করা, তিরস্কার করা) ; Rare - Not common (বিরল, অসাধারণ)

 

বাংলা অনুবাদ (স্ট্যানজা-1):

(নখ কামড়াইবেনা, আমাণ্ডা।

কুঁজা হইয়া বসিবে না, আমাণ্ডা। '

ঝুঁকিয়া পড়িয়া কুশ্রীভাবে চলিবে না, এবং সোজা হইয়া বস আমাণ্ডা।)

বাংলা অনুবাদ (স্ট্যানজা-2):

(একটি শান্ত, শ্যামল সমুদ্র আছে।

 যেখানে শুধু মাত্র আমি একা থাকি,

আমি একটি মৎস্যকন্যা, পরম আনন্দে ঘুরাঘুরি করি।)

বাংলা অনুবাদ (স্ট্যানজা-3):

(আমাণ্ডা! তুমি তোমার ঘরের কাজ করিয়াছ কি?

তোমার কোঠাটি পরিস্কার-পরিচ্ছন্ন করিয়াছ কি আমাণ্ডা?

আমি ভাবি, আমি তোমাকে তোমার জুতা,

পরিস্কার করিতে বলিলাম, আমাণ্ডা।)

বাংলা অনুবাদ (স্ট্যানজা-4):

(আমি একজন অনাথ, রাস্তায় ঘুরাফেরা করি

আমার নীরব খালী পাথেয় কোমল ধূলির উপর

বিশেষ নমুনা তৈয়ার করি।

নীরবতা স্বর্ণময়, স্বাধীনতা মধুর।)

বাংলা অনুবাদ (স্ট্যানজা-5):

(সেই চকলেট খাইবে না, আমাণ্ডা

তোমার ব্রণের কথা মনে রাখিবে, আমাণ্ডা

তোমার সাথে কথা বলার সময় তুমি কি

আমার দিকে তাকাইবে, আমাণ্ডা?)

বাংলা অনুবাদ (স্ট্যানজা-6):

(আমি রাপুঞ্জেল, আমি কিছুকেই গণ্য করিনা,

স্তম্ভের জীবন শান্তিময় এবং দূর্লভ,

আমার উজ্জ্বল চুলকে কখনও নীচু হইতে দিব না।)

বাংলা অনুবাদ (স্ট্যানজা-7):

(তোমার অভিমান তৎক্ষণাৎ বন্ধ কর, আমাণ্ডা,

তুমি সবসময় বিষন্ন থাক, আমাণ্ডা, (লোকে ভাবিবে যে

আমি তোমাকে ক্রমাগত জ্বালাতন করি, আমাণ্ডা।)

Question and Answers

 

CLASS 10 ENGLISH FIRST FLIGHT CHAPTER 6 : AMANDA

 

Central Idea of the Poem

 

The poem deals with the upbringing of a small child, Amanda. It highlights the struggles faced by the child. Poet Robin Klein makes an important point that a child should never be denied freedom.
Though it is parents who are responsible for proper upbringing of their child but that should not make a child feel trapped. Here, Amanda is prepared to be acceptable in society, and this training needs her freedom to be cut short. Her imagination is not given enough space, thus making her so angry that she wishes to be an orphan. The continuous nagging has, thus, made her moody.

 

EXPLANATION OF THE POEM

 

Stanza 1

Don’t bite your nails, Amanda!

Don’t hunch your shoulders, Amanda!

Stop that slouching and sit up straight, Amanda!

WORD MEANINGS

Hunch – Bending the upper portion of body in forward position

Slouching – To stand, sit or move in lazy and downward direction

Exp – In the above lines, Amanda is getting instructed, most probably by her parents for biting nails and sitting lazily with her shoulders bent. The tone of instructions here is not a friendly one and thus fails to make any sense to Amanda. The poet here, focusses on the aspects related to the upbringing of a child (girl) and how parents go to any limit to bring proper sense to their child. Amanda is thus, getting trained for the society she is a part of. The pressure of making oneself presentable to the society triumphs over every other behaviour and manners. The last phrase or word ‘Amanda!’ is used with an exclamation mark which shows the irritation and frustration of the parent.

 

Stanza 2

(There is a languid, emerald sea,

where the sole inhabitant is me—

a mermaid, drifting blissfully.)

WORD MEANINGS

Languid – Without any force or interest

Mermaid – An imaginary sea creature having a woman’s head and body with a fish’s tail instead of tegs .

Drifting – A slow and steady movement

Exp – It is to be noted that the above lines are given within brackets. Brackets are used to provide ) more meaning to the phrase. Here poet uses it  to present the imagination of the little girl, the free-flow of pure thoughts. Amanda uses her imagination as an escape point from day to day commands of her parents.

he feels suffocated in the real world and thus finds peace in her very own created world where there are no restrains. Amanda is lost in a world of her own away from the disorders and principles of the society. She imagines herself to be a joyful mermaid sailing without any confines alongside soft waves of the green sea. This world of Amanda is free and contained in itself and her happiness doesn’t require any other human being.
It is important to note that Amanda not requiring her father or mother points that she is being tortured by both of them. Her life is not going the way she wants, and there is no one to support her. For a child, mermaid is a symbol of freedom and wonder. Another meaning that is attached with mermaid is that they don’t wish to be disturbed as they live in their own environs and would do anything to be like that. For this reason Amanda wishes to be a mermaid.

 

Stanza 3

Did you finish your homework, Amanda?

Did you tidy your room, Amanda?

I thought I told you to clean your shoes, Amanda!

WORD MEANING

Tidy – To be in right order

Exp – Amanda is now being asked about whether she has finished her homework, or tidied up her room and also whether she has cleaned her shoes. These set of instructions marks a shift from the instructions given in Stanza 1. Now Amanda is being coached about the things that are related to her surroundings. The pattern of instructions explains that how every aspect of her is related to questioning and proper guidance. She is being disciplined for every little thing, making her lose every aspect of hers. Her innocence is eventually getting lost with passage of time. The way these instructions arte delivered points out the regular nature of these lessons. Her name being called again with an exclamation mark shows that the parents seem to be losing their cool and are troubled. They are helpless in bringing correct ‘senses’ to this girl as she is not paying proper heed to the instructions given by them.

 

Stanza 4

(I am an orphan, roaming the street.

I pattern soft dust with my hushed, bare feet.

The silence is golden, the freedom is sweet.)

WORD MEANINGS

Orphan – A child whose parents are either dead or gone missing

Roaming – To move about aimlessly, especially over a wide area

Hushed – Very quiet and still

Bare – Something not clothed or covered

Exp – Amanda is again lost into her own world. After getting a fresh list of instructions from her parents, she wishes to be away from this daily routine life. The very first line is awfully depressing where Amanda hopes to be an orphan suggesting how much depressed she is because of her parents. This is indeed a very sorry place for a child to be in. Parents should be very careful in making their kids understand the ways of the world. While doing so, they should SUso respect their child’s awareness about the things around them. Amanda perceives herself as an orphan roaming on the streets, moving aimlessly without any purpose. She seems happy as she draws patterns using her bare feet. Patterning of dust by Amanda is important here as it brings order to the carefree world of hers. The shouting and yelling of- her parents are too harsh for her to bear that she desires for this calmness.

 

Stanza 5

Don’t eat that chocolate, Amanda!

Remember your acne, Amanda!

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

WORD MEANING

Acne – Common skin disease characterised by pimples especially on face

Exp – The set of instructions provided here indicates how much essential it is for Amanda to understand the value of external beauty, and steps to be taken to preserve it start from a very tender age. Amanda is stopped by her parents from eating a chocolate as previously that had caused her acne. Here, -we see how a child is made conscious of a natural experience such as acne. However, Amanda is still lost in her own thoughts and doesn’t care enough to iook up to her scolding parents. This carelessness further angers the parents and they ask for her attention when she is being scolded. The role of appearance in the society is given more significance than the basic values and creativity.

 

Stanza 6

(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!)

WORD MEANINGS

Rapunzel – Rapunzel is the name of a German fairy tale character yvho was made to live alone in a high tower and had very long, beautiful golden hair. She was held captive by a witch Dame Gothel, who used to come up to the tower by climbing her long hair. The only way one could make a contact with her was only using her long hair.
Tranquil – Free from any trouble or anxiety, to be in peaceful state of mind.

Exp – Amanda is still lost in her own dreams. She pictures herself to be the long golden-haired Rapunzel who lived in a castle and had no care about anything. Amanda imagines that the life of Rapunzel must have been very peaceful and fantastic in the tower. But she wishes to evade the fate that was met out to Rapunzel as she is unwilling to let her hair down. Amanda doesn’t want her peace to be disturbed anyhow. She seeks a life which is away from any other human form. We can see here how the presence of her parents and their inhuman behaviour had made her against any human connection. In the story of Rapunzel, it is because of a prince that Rapunzel is able to understand and receive happiness but Amanda doesn’t require any prince, even though she is totally unaware about the feelings of love. The terrific effect of her parent’s teaching on Amanda can be seen pretty apparently. Hence, she only wanted to live by herself as the presence of another being in her life would require her to act in a certain way. Amanda wanted to live free and happy.

 

Stanza 7

Stop that sulking at once, Amanda!

You’re always so moody, Amanda!

Anyone would think that I nagged at you, Amanda!

WORD MEANINGS

Sulking – To be angry or upset about something.

Nagged – To irritate (someone) by complaining about his or her attitudes again and again.

Exp – The parents keep instructing Amanda on the do’s and don’ts, but Amanda remains lost in her own dreams. The parents believe that Amanda is not reacting because she is annoyed. Amanda’s behaviour has made her parents look bad and they are worried about their image. They are concerned about how society will perceive them if their child always remains in a foul mood. They want to prove themselves as responsible parents who manage to balance out what the child wants and what the society expects out of Amanda. However, they have already failed in their efforts.

 

Poetic Devices Used in the Poem

 

The poem is in conversation tone.

Alliteration
Stop that slouching and sit up straight

I thought I told you to clean your shoes

Stop that sulking at once, Amanda!

Allusion
Mermaid – To be free and contained in their own. (Taken from fairy tales)

Rapunzel. Who lived happily alone on a tower for a long time. (Part of German fairy tale)

Metaphors
Orphan – Who don’t have nagging parents above their head as Amanda’s.

Languid, emerald sea – languid and emerald type qualities are assigned to sea.

Silence is golden

Freedom is sweet

Rhyme Scheme

aaba ccc aada eee aafa ggg aaha

 

Thinking about the Poem

 

1.                 How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?
Answer: Amnada is must be about 9−10 years old. She is school going girl. The things that her mother scolds her for are all typical instructions given to a 9 or10 year old girl.

2.               Who do you think is speaking to her?

Answer: Her mother is speaking to her.

3.               Why are Stanzas 2, 4 and 6 given in parenthesis?

Answer: Stanzas 2, 4 and 6 are given in parenthesis because they are the thoughts of the child in between the instructions that she is being given by her mother, which are given in stanzas 1, 3 and 5. The scolding by the mother and the child’s thoughts are placed in alternate stanzas by the poet.

4.               Who is the speaker in stanzas 2, 4 and 6? Do you think this speaker is listening to the speaker in stanzas 1, 3, 5 and 7?

Answer: In stanzas 2, 4 and 6, the speaker is the child, Amanda. No, she is not listening to her mother who is the speaker in stanzas 1, 3 and 5. She is lost in her own dreams and doesn’t listen to what is being said to her.

5.                What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?

Answer; If Amanda were a mermaid, then she would drift slowly on a languid emerald sea. She would be the sole inhabitant of the relaxed green sea and would move slowly on it.

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

Answer : No, Amanda is not an orphan. She says so because she wants to be alone. She wants to roam around in the street alone and pattern dust wit her bare feet. She finds silence ‘golden’ and freedom ‘sweet’. It is for this reason that she calls herself an orphan.

7.                Do you know the story of Rapunzel? Why does she want to be Rapunzel?

Answer: She wants to be Rapunzel because she wants to live alone. Rapunzel lived alone in a tall tower and had long, beautiful hair. She was held captive by her grandmother, who came up the tower by climbing her long hair. The girl also wants to live alone in a tower as she would not have to care about anything as life in a tower would be tranquil, peaceful and rare. However, she also decided that she would never throw down her hair for anyone to come up as she wanted to live alone always.

8.               What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda?

Answer:- The girl yearns for a life of freedom. The poem tells us that she is an imaginative girl who is constantly nagged by her unimaginative parent.

9.               Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking and is moody?

Answer:- No, Amanda is neither sulking, nor is she moody. She is simply longs for her freedom. She wants to go out and play where she likes.

 

Question Bank Chapter 6 Amanda

 

Summary

The poem Amanda is about a small child whose parents are forever nagging her about what to do and what not to do. This frequent interference makes her very unhappy. It seems as if she is not free to do anything that she wants to do. She wants freedom from all restrictions. She dreams to lead a life of a mermaid in a Languid, emerald sea with her being the only inhabitant there. She feels that an orphan has more freedom than her. She also wished to lead a calm and quiet life in a tower like that of Rapunzel with nobody to disturb her.

 

Extract Based Questions (4 marks each)

 

Read the following extracts and answer the questions/complete the sentences that follow :

Question 1.

Don’t bite your nails, Amanda ! 

Don’t hunch your shoulders, Amanda !

Stop that slouching and sit up straight,

Amanda!
(a) The speaker wants Amanda……           

(b) The speaker is …… .

(c) The word from the passage which means the same as ‘erect’ is ………… .                

(d) Who is the poet ?

Answer:
(a) to learn good habits.            

(b) Amanda’s mother.

(c) straight.                         

(d) Robin Klen.

Question 2.

Stop that sulking at once, Amanda ! 

You’re always so moody, Amanda !

Anyone would think that I nagged at you,

Amanda!
(a) Who is the speaker of these lines ?                          

(b) What kind of a girl was Amanda ?

(c) Did the speaker rebuke her ?                          

(d) Which word in the passage means the same as bending ?

Answer:
(a) Amanda’s parent is the speaker in these lines.              

(b) Amanda was a girl who loved freedom.

(c) The speaker didn’t rebuke her but pointed out certain habits of her.    (d) Sulking.

Question 3.

There is a languid, emerald sea, 

where the sole inhabitant is me— a mermaid, drifting blissfuly.

(a) Who is me omit the in these lines ?

(b) What does the desire to be “sole inhabitant” tell you about ‘Amanda’ ?

(c) Which word in the extract means the same as : ‘Relaxed’    

(d) What is the colour of the sea ?

Answer:
(a) Amanda.              

(b) Her desire is to be a mermaid, living in the green sea.

(c) blissfully.             

(d) Emeral/Green.

Question 4.

There is a languid, emerald sea,  where the sole inhabitant is me — a mermaid, drifting blissfully.

(a) The speaker here is ………….. .               

(b) The stanza is bracketed as it ……….. .

(c) Amanda imagines herself as ………. .            

(d) Which word in the passage refers to resident ?

Answer:
(a) Amanda herself.                             

(b) Brackets are used to provide more meaning to the phrase. And poet uses it to present the imagination of the little girl.

(c) a mermaid living in the green sea.                 

(d) ‘Inhabitant’

Question 5.

Did you finish your homework, Amanda ?        

Did you tidy your room, Amanda ?

I thought I told you to clean your shoes, Amanda      
(a) According to the narrator, Amanda is a very ……….. girl.    

(b) What the narrator asks Amanda is to ………

(c) …. is talking to Amanda.               

(d) Who is the poet ? 

Answer:
(a) careless                          

(b) finish her homework and then clean her room and shoes.

(c) One of the parents.               

(d) Robin Klein

Question 6.

I am an orphan, roaming the street.

I Pattern soft dust with my hushed, bare feet.

The silence is golden, the freedom is sweet.      
(a) “I” calls herself an orphan but …….. .                     

(b) “I” is really not speaking but ………… .

(c) The reason why she wants to be an orphan is ………. .  

(d) Which word in the passage refers to naked ? 

Answer:
(a) She is not an orphan, only imagines herself to the one.                  

(b) Only thinking of these thoughts.

(c) her parents always nags at her which she doesn’t like.

(d) Bare.

Question 7.

I am an orphan, roaming the street.

I Pattern soft dust with my hushed, bare feet.

The silence is golden, the freedom is sweet.

a) Who is described here ?                 

b) The speaker makes design ……….. .

c) The speaker looks at freedom with ………. .

d) Which word in the passage means the same as ‘wandering’. A child, fed up of his parents instructions thus feels himself, with her bare feet on the soft dust underneath, intense love, roaming.

Answer:
(a) A child, fed of his parents instructons thus feels himself

(b) With her bear feet on the soft dust underneath

(c) intense love                   

(d) roaming

Question 8.

Don”t eat the chocolate, Amanda !

Remember your acne, Amanda !

Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to you Amanda !

(a) Who is scolding Amanda ?           

(b) Amanda should not eat chocolate because ………. .

(c) Amanda does not look at the speaker because ………    

(d) Which word in the passage refers to ‘memorize’ ? 

Answer:
(a) Amanda’s mother is scolding her.                 

(b) it will cause acne.

(c) she is displeased with her.                     

(d) remember

 

Short Answer Type Questions

 

Question 1. 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.

Question 2. 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.

Question 3. Does the title ‘Amanda’ suet the poem ?

Answer: The title of the poem revolves around the little girl. Her life is full of struggle with no freedom. She experiences calmness away from her nagging parents.

Question 4. What is the age of the girl in the poem ? How do you come to know her age ?

Answer: Amanda is 9 -10 years old school going girl. This fact is known because her parents are trying to inculcate good habits in her, but she is very innocent and immature.

 

Long Answer Type Question (4 marks)

 

Question 1. What do you leam from the poem ‘Amanda’ ?

Answer: The poem ‘Amanda’ teaches us that children tend to learn bad habits, Any child can not be taught in one day. It is natural for a child like Amanda to seek freedom. Parents who are judging their children every time would do more harm than good. She is corrected every time by her parents we witness miserable failure of parents when Amanda wishes to be an orphan so that she could be free.

 

Extra Questions Chapter 6 Amanda (Poem)

Extract Based Questions

[3 Marks each]

 

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1. Don’t bite your nails, Amanda! Don’t hunch your shoulders, Amanda! Stop that slouching and sit up straight, Amanda!
(a) Amanda is getting instructions for what purpose?       

(b) Give a synonym of ‘hunch’.

(c) What does the speaker of above lines instruct Amanda in the first stanza?
(d) What is the literary device used in the third line?

Answer:
(a) Amanda is getting instructions as a part of her upbringing. Her conduct and manners are getting refined for future purposes.

(b) Bend.

(c) Amanda is getting instructed for biting her nails and sitting lazily with her shoulders bent.

(d) Literary device used in third line is Alliteration. ‘Stop that slouching and sit up straight’.

Question 2. (There is a languid, emerald sea, where the sole inhabitant is me – a mermaid, drifting blissfully.)

(a) Why are these lines given within brackets?

(b) Give the word from the passage which means free flowing act of going with the motion and force?

(c) What is the role of mermaid here?                

(d) Which word in the extract means opposite of ‘sorrowful’?

Answer:
(a) These lines are given within brackets because they reveal the inner thoughts of Amanda. Brackets are used for visual contrast between what Amanda is saying and what her mother is instructing.
(b) Drifting means free flowing act of going with the motion.

(c) Mermaid is a part of Amanda’s fantasy in her own created world. As mermaid sails in a sea carelessly and effortlessly, similarly Amanda longs to do so in a place where she is all by herself.

(d) Blissfully is opposite of sorrowful.

Question 3. Don’t eat that chocolate, Amanda!

Remember your acne, Amanda!

Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to you,

Amanda!
(a) Why is Amanda not looking at the speaker?         

(b) Find the word in the extract which means same as consume?

(c) The speaker is so worried about acne. What does it show?

(d) Which word in the extract means the same as ‘to gaze’?

Answer:
(a) Amanda is lost in her own thoughts and is paying no attention to instructions being given to her. That is why she is not looking at the speaker.
(b) Eat means same as consume.

(c) Speaker being worried about acne shows how much importance is given to physical beauty in a household. Amanda is prepared for the unforeseen future. Natural experience such as acne is also taken care of at any cost.

(d) To look means the same as ‘to gaze’.

Question 4. (I am an orphan, roaming the street,

I pattern soft dust with my hushed, bare feet.

The silence is golden, the freedom is sweet.)

(a) How come silence is golden?                          

(b) Give a synonym of ‘roaming’.

(c) What is Amanda upto in this stanza?            

(d) What poetic device is used in this stanza?

Answer:
(a) Silence is shown golden using the poetic device metaphor. By making silence golden the poet is estimating the worth of silence. For Amanda seeks peace and calmness, which is absent in her reality.
(b) Wandering.

(c) Amanda is again taking refuge in her imagination. Here, she wishes to be an orphan, away from her nagging parents. Amanda wants to roam aimlessly in streets and draw patterns using just her bare feet.

(d) The poet uses metaphor such as ‘orphan’, ‘silence is golden’, and ‘freedom is sweet’.

Question 5. (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)

(a) Does Amanda live on a tower?              

(b) Why will Amanda not let down her bright hair?

(c) What is the underlying poetic device used in this stanza?

(d) Find from the passage a word which means the same as ‘serene’.

Answer:
(a) No, Amanda stays at her place. Here, she is imagining herself to be Rapunzel who lived on a tower.

(b) Amanda is aware about the story of Rapunzel. In the story of Rapunzel all the mishappening and misfortunes are brought to her by letting down the hair. Amanda also wishes to live alone apd carefree, without any disturbance.

(c) Poet uses allusion here as the underlying poetic device.       

(d) The word is ‘tranquil’.

Question 6.  Stop that sulking at once, Amanda!

You’re always so moody, Amanda!

Anyone would think that I nagged at you,

Amanda!
(a) Is Amanda really sulking?            

(b) Why does the speaker care for others?

(c) Give the word from the passage which means same as unstable.

(d) What poetic device has been used in the first line of this stanza?

Answer:
(a) Amanda is not sulking. She just doesn’t care about instructions given to ber as she is lost in a world of her own.

(b) The whole poem revolves around the aspect that how one is presented in a society. Speaker doesn’t wish to be regarded as a nagging parent in the society, so Amanda is expected to put up a happy face all the time.

(c) Moody means same as unstable.

(d) ‘Alliteration’ has been used in the first line; words ‘stap’ and ‘sulking’ start with the same sound.

 

Short Answer Type Questions

[2 Marks each]

 

Question 1.  Write a short note on the title of the poem?
Answer:  The title of the poem is Amanda as it revolves around the upbringing of little girl named Amanda. Her life is full of struggles where she is denied freedom and expression. Amanda is so much irate that she escapes reality by living in her imaginative world. Through this gateway she experiences calmness, away from her nagging parents.

Question 2. Why is Amanda getting scolded for having chocolate?
Answer:  Amanda is getting scolded for having chocolates as previously it had caused her acne. Amanda’s mother is very particular about such things.

Amanda is made conscious about her physical appearance. It is very sad that at such a young age Amanda is made to worry about natural experiences.

Question 3. How life on a tower would be different from life anywhere else for Amanda?

Answer: Life on tower for Amanda would be very different from her reality. Just like Rapunzel, even she desires to live on top of a tower, away from everyday chaos. Amanda suffers due to the constant nagging from her parents. She seeks a place full of peace and serenity, where there is no one to disturb her. Hence, she wishes to live on a tower.

Question 4. Why does Amanda seem moody most of the times? 
Answer:  Amanda seems moody most of the time because she is trying to make an escape from her sorry reality where she is nagged most of the times. It is indeed a sorry state for a small child like Amanda to bear. Here the only defence against such reality is her imagination where she often escapes to.

Hence, it makes her look moody and uninterested.

Question 5.  Why does Amanda wish to be a mermaid, an orphan, or Rapunzel?
Answer:  Amanda wishes to be a mermaid so she could drift alone by blissfully languid, emerald sea. She yearns to be an orphan so that she is able to roam the sea and make pattern using her bare feet. Being Rapunzel means she could live carefree on a high tower. Amanda wishes to be these so that she could avoid her suffocating reality.

Question 6.  How does it help Amanda to be an orphan?
Answer: Amanda feels troubled around her parents, so she wishes herself to be an orphan. As then only she could live a life of her own without much hassle.

Question 7.  Do you consider Amanda’s mother to be a nagging mother?
Answer:  Amanda’s mother is indeed a nagging mother. She is all about instructions and finding faults. No doubt it is her responsibility to instil good values into her daughter, but not at the cost of her child’s happiness. One should know how to strike a balance between maintaining responsibilities and taking good care.

Question 8.  Is Amanda at fault at all?

Answer:  Amanda is not at fault at all. It is too harsh for a small child to understand the concept of acne and not eating a chocolate. Love of parents is missing from Amanda’s life. It is with pity that we look towards Amanda. There is nothing worst for a child who wishes to be an orphan. Amanda just seeks freedom from the overpowering environment around her.

Question 9.  What is the central theme of the poem Amanda?
Answer: The poem Amanda by Robin Klein highlights the importance of upbringing of a child. It points out that upbringing doesn’t involve making a child responsible and fit for the society only. It is important to note that upbringing involves understanding from both the sides. One cannot just force a child to be civilised and good mannered. “Love and proper care is required in nurturing of a child.

 

Long Answer (Value Based) Type Questions

[4 Marks each]

 

Question 1. Discuss the importance of proper upbringing with reference to the poem Amanda by Robin Klein.

Answer: Upbringing plays an essential role in personality development of an adult. Whenever we wish to admire or criticise someone we question the upbringing of that person. Robin Klein’s poem Amanda highlights the tension in the ‘proper’ upbringing of a child. To instil good values and moral principles in a growing child comes as a foremost duty for the parents. However, the poem Amanda shows how a child feels trapped within the cluster of instructions. Amanda is no less than a victim in this travesty. No proper space is given to her creativity. She is instructed for everything. As a result, she feels trapped and seeks an escape. Her imagination proves to be her escape and also her defence against her nagging parents. Situation of Amanda is so worse that she wishes to be an orphan, in order to get rid of her parents. She imagines enacting various roles varying from mermaid to Rapunzel. Amanda wishes to live alone and carefree. It is very important to understand the situation of Amanda where her freedom is cut short by constant instructions and guidelines. Proper balance should be maintained when dealing with such delicate issues. Love and care should always be part of this two way transaction.

Question 2. How does Amanda tackle the nagging nature of her parents? Explain with examples from the poem. What values does it portray about Amanda?

Answer: Amanda is a small girl who is termed as moody for her careless behaviour. But it is very surprising to know that this is her defense mechanism to shield against her nagging parents. Amanda is getting instructions from her parents, which become too much to handle for the small girl. She is told not to eat her nails and sit in a proper position. Amanda’s response to it is her work of imagination where she is a mermaid drifting effortlessly by the languid river. Further, she is asked about cleaning her room and finishing her homework to which she reacts being an orphan roaming in the street and making patterns with her bare feet. Amanda then faces the heat for eating a chocolate, which had once caused her acne. She takes the form of Rapunzel and wishes to live on top of a tower away from everyone in her imagination. Amanda’s parents are upset over her behaviour and casualness, but she stays in her own world. All these portray Amanda in a positive light while her parents in a negative light. We as readers feel very sorry for a child like Amanda.

Question 3. State the key points in the poem Amanda. What do you learn from it? 

Answer: Every child is special in itself, and it requires a great deal of patience and love to make them understand this. Parents should give proper space to children, as they learn through experiences as well. Children do tend to learn certain bad habits, to undo that requires great level of understanding and right approach. One cannot teach their child everything in one day and expect them to behave properly henceforth. It is natural for a child like Amanda to seek freedom at her place, to curb that freedom means to make her angry and moody. Growing up of child should not be about dos and don’ts only. To have nagging parents judging every action of child would do more harm than good. Robin Klein points to the fact that Amanda is forbidden to do anything without seeking permission. Everything she does it is corrected by her mother all the time, she cannot perform a single thing according to her will. She can’t sit lazily around, she can’t eat chocolate for that could cause acne. Life of Amanda is very suffocating and limited in itself. She yearns for freedom and choice. Her mother doesn’t understand the fact that Amanda is innocent and naive, she is too small to understand the benefits of advice. Only thing that matters to Amanda’s mother is what society will make of Amanda. We witness miserable failure of parents when Amanda wishes to be an orphan so that she could be free.

 ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q.1. Who is the poet of the poem “Amanda"?

Ans. Robin Klein is the poet of the poem ‘Amanda'.

Q.2. What is the wrost about Amanda?

Ans. The wrost about Amanda is that she used to bite her nails.

Q.3. What did Amanda not do?

Ans. Amanda didn't do her homework.

Q.4. How is Amanda sitting and behaving as described in the first stanza? Ans. As described in the first stanza Amanda was sitting in an abnormal way, bitting her nails, raising her shoulders, she even used to behave in an absurd way which the speaker didn't like.

Q.5. What were the three things that the speaker ask Amanda to do as a school going girl?

Ans. The speaker asked Amanda to do the following three things as a school going girl :

(i) To finish her homework, (ii) to tidy her room (iii) to clean her shoes.

Q.6. Give the central Idea of the poem in brief.

Ans. The central idea of the poem is centered round the habits of children which their parents instruct them to mend for their own benefit. Amanda too has certain habits and she is politely asked to mend those.

 

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