Amanda Explanation

Poem: Amanda by Robin Klein

Stanza 1

Poem:

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.)

Word Meanings:

Hunch: Bend forward

Slouching: Sitting lazily with poor posture

Languid: Relaxed, slow-moving

Emerald: Green-coloured like the gemstone

Inhabitant: Resident

Drifting: Floating slowly

Blissfully: Happily

Explanation:

In this stanza, Amanda is being constantly scolded by her mother. She is told not to bite her nails and to sit properly without slouching. Her mother insists she should sit straight and in good posture. While her mother keeps instructing her, Amanda escapes into her imagination. She dreams of being a mermaid in a calm, green sea where she is the only inhabitant. As a mermaid, she imagines herself floating freely and peacefully in the water, far away from her mother's nagging.

Literary Devices:

Anaphora: Repetition of "Don’t" at the beginning of lines.

Repetition: Word "Amanda" repeated for emphasis.

Imagery: Creates visual image of a calm sea and mermaid.

Metaphor: "Emerald sea" compares the sea to the colour of emerald.

Alliteration: "Stop that slouching and sit up straight" (repetition of 's' sound)

Rhyme Scheme: aaba ccc

Stanza 2

Poem:

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.)

Word Meanings:

Orphan: A child without parents

Hushed: Quiet

Pattern: Make designs

Bare: Without shoes

Golden: Precious

Sweet: Pleasant

Explanation:

Here, Amanda is again questioned and reminded of her responsibilities. Her mother asks if she has done her homework, cleaned her room, and her shoes. These continuous instructions make Amanda feel suffocated. So, in her imagination, she becomes an orphan, wandering alone in the streets. She imagines the freedom she would have if she didn’t have anyone constantly instructing her. She enjoys the thought of quietly walking barefoot in dust and making patterns. For Amanda, silence and freedom are more valuable than the overprotective love and care of her mother.

Literary Devices:

Anaphora: Repetition of "Did you..." at the start of lines.

Metaphor: “Silence is golden” – silence compared to something precious.

“Freedom is sweet” – freedom compared to something pleasant.

Imagery: Describing walking barefoot and drawing in dust.

Repetition: Word "Amanda"

Rhyme Scheme: aada eee

Stanza 3

Poem:

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!)

Word Meanings:

Acne: Pimples

Tranquil: Calm and peaceful

Rare: Unusual

Rapunzel: A fairy tale character who was locked in a tower

Explanation:

In this stanza, Amanda is scolded again—this time for eating chocolates, which could cause acne (pimples). Her mother also gets angry because Amanda is not paying attention to her while she talks. Amanda, again, escapes to her fantasy world. She now imagines herself as Rapunzel, a girl from a fairy tale who lived alone in a tower. But Amanda wishes to live in the tower forever, without letting anyone come in (unlike the original story). She believes living alone in peace is far better than being constantly corrected.

Literary Devices:

Allusion: Reference to the fairy tale character Rapunzel.

Repetition: Word "Amanda" is used repeatedly.

Imagery: Life in a tower, peaceful and distant.

Alliteration: “Bright hair” – repetition of the ‘h’ sound.

Rhyme Scheme: aafa ggg

Consonance: Repetition of ‘r’ sound – “I am Rapunzel...bright hair”

Theme of the Poem “Amanda”:

The poem highlights the constant nagging and over-disciplining of a child by adults, especially parents. Amanda, the child, feels burdened by endless instructions. To escape this, she uses her imagination to find peace and freedom in fantasy worlds. The poem stresses the importance of understanding children’s emotional needs and giving them space to grow freely.

Amanda Poem

Amanda –Summary

The poem "Amanda" by Robin Klein presents the life of a young girl named Amanda, who is constantly being corrected and scolded by her mother for small things like biting her nails, sitting with a bad posture, not cleaning her room or shoes, and not finishing her homework. Her mother’s constant nagging makes Amanda feel restricted and frustrated.

To escape this daily scolding, Amanda daydreams and imagines herself in different peaceful roles — as a mermaid swimming freely in the green sea, as an orphan walking barefoot and enjoying the silence, and as Rapunzel living alone in a quiet tower, away from all interference. These dreams show her desire for freedom, peace, and a life without control.

Towards the end, the mother tells Amanda not to be moody, as she doesn’t want others to think she is troubling her daughter. By now, Amanda is so emotionally affected that she does not even react — she has gone silent, having given up on even imagining a better world.

This poem highlights how constant criticism can deeply hurt a child’s emotions and how they mentally escape into a world of fantasy to find peace and freedom.

✅ Amanda – कविता का सारांश (हिंदी में)

कविता "Amanda" में कवि ने एक छोटी लड़की अमांडा और उसकी मां के बीच के रिश्ते को दर्शाया है। अमांडा की मां उसे बार-बार डाँटती रहती है – कभी नाखून चबाने के लिए, कभी ठीक से न बैठने के लिए, कभी कमरा और जूते साफ न रखने के लिए और कभी होमवर्क न करने के लिए।

इस लगातार टोके जाने से परेशान होकर, अमांडा अपने मन में अलग-अलग कल्पनाओं में खो जाती है। वह कभी खुद को एक जलपरी के रूप में सोचती है जो हरे समुद्र में शांति से तैर रही है। फिर वह खुद को एक अनाथ बच्ची के रूप में सोचती है जो अकेली घूमती है और बिना किसी रोक-टोक के जीवन का आनंद लेती है। बाद में वह खुद को परी कथा की राजकुमारी रपुंज़ेल के रूप में देखती है जो ऊँचे मीनार में अकेली रहती है और किसी को भी अंदर नहीं आने देती।

अंत में, उसकी मां उसे मूडी यानी चिड़चिड़ा होने से मना करती है ताकि लोग ये न कहें कि वह अपनी बेटी को परेशान करती है। अब तक अमांडा इतना दुखी हो चुकी होती है कि वह कोई प्रतिक्रिया ही नहीं देती। उसकी कल्पनाओं की दुनिया ही उसकी शांति का एकमात्र साधन थी।

यह कविता यह संदेश देती है कि बच्चों को बार-बार डाँटना, टोका-टाकी करना और उन पर नियंत्रण रखना उनके मानसिक विकास पर नकारात्मक प्रभाव डाल सके |

Amanda 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

 

Q9- What does she picure herself as in the last stanza?

A) Mermaid

B) Orphan

C) Rapunzel

D) None of the Above

 

Q10- What will Amanda's behaviour make people think?

A) her mother loves her

B) her mother harasses her

C) her mother is understanding

D) both 1 and 3

 

 

ANSWER KEY

1

D

2

B

3

C

4

D

5

A

6

C

7

C

8

C

9

D

10

B

 

Present Perfect

 

Present Perfect

 

Definition

The present perfect tense is used to describe the actions that are completed in the present. The actions may start in the past and continued until the present time.

Formula / Structure

The formula for affirmative, negative and question sentences is given here.

Affirmative Sentences

Formula for affirmative sentences.

Subject + has/have + past participle(V3) + object

He/She/It + has + past participle(verb-3)+obj

 

I/We/They/You + have + past participle

Examples

They have performed the duty.

Kohima has done her work.

• have They   performed the duty?
• Has She  not  informed me about her decision.

 

Negative Sentences

Subject + has/have + not + past participle(V3) + object

Examples

• They have not performed the duty.
• She has not informed me about her decision.

Interrogative Sentences

Has/have + subject + past participle(V3) + object + ?

Examples

• Have they performed the duty?
• Has she informed me about her decision?

 

Examples

Affirmative Sentences

1. He has spilt milk.
2. I have visited Paris three times.
3. Ram has taken her meal in the afternoon.
4. The court has given its verdict today.
5. Jimmy has attended the business meeting.
6. The chef has cooked the meal.
7. She has been at work since 6 a.m.
8. I have learned my lesson.
9. I have drunk two cups of coffee today.
10. He has stopped responding to my emails.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rules / Usage

Rules/Usage	Example
To show the work that is recently completed.	She has just baked the cake.
For a specific moment of time.	I have lived in this city since 2011.
How long actions continued?	He has had a pup for two years
To express the time period	They have been at duty for 8 hours.
To describe the finished or completed actions.	He has taken the exam today.
Announcement in media	The corona-virus has damaged the economy of the world.

Negative Sentences

• He has not spilt milk.
• I have not visited Paris three times.
• Roshana has not taken her meal in the afternoon.
• The court has not given its verdict today.
• Jimmy has not attended the business meeting.
• The chef has not cooked the meal.
• She has not been at work since 6 a.m.
• I have not learned my lesson.
• I have not drunk two cups of coffee today.
• He has not stopped responding to my emails..

Interrogative Sentences

1. Has he spilt milk?

why has he spilt milk ?

2. Have I visited Paris three times?

with whom have I visited the paris three times?

How many times  have I visited Paris?

3. Has Roshana taken her meal in the afternoon?

When has Roshan taken his meal ?

4. Has the court given its verdict today?

why Has the court given its verdict today?

5. Has Jimmy attended the business meeting?

with whom has  Jimmy attended the business meeting?

6. Has the chef cooked the meal?

where has the chef  cooked the meal?

7. Has she been at work since 6 a.m.?

why has she been at work since 6 am?

8. Have I learned my lesson?

   when have I learned my lesson?

9. Have I drunk two cups of coffee today?

when have I drunk two cups of coffee ?

10. Has he stopped responding to my email?
11. why Has he stopped responding to my email ?

 

12.  Exercises

1.  He _______________ to the office. (not come)

2.  Jimmy _______________ a bike since 2018. (has)

3.  I ________________ this novel twice. (read)

4.  Snake charmer ______________ bagpipe in his hand. (has)

5.  Who _______________ you? (deceived)

6.  I _______________ at home for three months. (stay)

7.  The company ______________ a bonus salary for its employees. (announce)

8.  He _______________ off the stairs. (fall)

9.  Tom _______________ some flowers. (plant)

10.                  The sales manager ______________ the target of sales for this quarter. (achieve)

Answers

1.  He has not come to the office.

2.  Jimmy has had a bike since 2018.

3.  I have read this novel twice.

4.  Snake charmer has had bagpipe in his hand.

5.  Who has deceived you?

6.  I have stayed at home for three months.

7.  The company has announced a bonus salary for its employees.

8.  He has fallen off the stairs.

9.  Tom has planted some flowers.

10.                  The sales manager has achieved the target of sales for this quarter.

 

AMANDA

 

About the Poet

Robin  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.

 

 

 

Introduction to 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.

Amanda 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 tower.

 Amanda Poem and explanation

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.)

Word 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 is describing Amanda, a little girl who is always pointed out by her mother for her mistakes and how she imagines her life to be. The poet says that the mother is pointing out Amanda for biting nails which is a bad habit. Next she asks her to sit straight without bending her shoulders. Amanda who has habit of bending her shoulders and sitting lazily is being pointed out because her mother wants her to sit in the right posture. At this point of time, when she is being scolded by her mother, she imagines herself to be in a deep green sea. She says that she wants to be the only resident of this beautiful green sea. She imagines herself like a mermaid who is alone there and leads her life in a very relaxing way. She says that she wants to be carried away by the current of water and feel the relaxing environment there.

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: 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 emrald
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.

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.)

Word meanings

Orphan: A child whose parents are dead
Hushed: quiet and still place

Here the poet says that Amanda’s mother is inquiring her about whether she has done her homework or not? And then she asks her whether she has cleaned her room or not. Moreover she is also reminded to clean her shoes. So, here we can see that the mother is constantly asking her questions regarding her homework being done or not or whether she had cleaned up her room and shoes or not. But on the other hand, while Amanda is listening to her mother’s instructions, she 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 dust with her bare feet. Moreover, she is so fed up of these constant instructions from her mother, that she says silence is golden which means that silence is very crucial and precious. She further says that freedom is sweet. This means she never feels free when she is with her mother.

Literary devices:
Anaphora: Repeated use of a word at 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.

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!)

Word meanings

Acne: Pimples
Rapunzel: A girl in the fairy tale by Brothers Grimm
Tranquil: calm, quiet
Rare: uncommon

 

Important Videos Links

https://youtu.be/mbHSd-7ylKM

https://youtu.be/n3oN1CGK22w

 

Next, Amanda’s mother is disallowing her to eat chocolates. She reminds her of pimples that Amanda faces due to eating chocolates. At last she scolds her for not paying attention to what her mother says. At this moment Amanda imagines herself to be Rapunzel. Rapunzel was a character from a fairy tale that was captured in tower by a witch. The witch used to climb the tower with the help of long hair of Rapunzel that were let down by her through the window. So, now 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’

Stop that sulking at once, Amanda!
You’re always so moody, Amanda!        
Anyone would think that I nagged at you,
Amanda!

Word meanings

Sulking: be in a bad mood
Moody: unstable
Nagged: harass

Amanda’s mother now warns her for behaving in a very odd manner. She asks her to stop being in a bad mood. Moreover she blames her of having such an unstable mood. She also scolds her by saying that her behavior will one day make people think that Amanda was constantly being harassed by her mother. So, here we can say that though Amanda is always pointed out by her mother on every small thing but she can’t react to this.  If she reacts towards this by getting emotional her mother takes this against her sense of pride and scolds her that she should not behave like this as others would think that Amanda’s mother is very dominating towards her child.

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)