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.
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