Amanda

Amanda AP 10th Class English First Flight 4th Poem Questions and Answers

Thinking about the Poem :

Question 1.
How old do you think Amanda is ? How do you know this ?

Answer: Amanda could be around 10 . Biting nails, slouching etc show us the way children of that age tend to behave

Question 2.
Who do you think is speaking to her ?

Answer: Ithink it is Amandas mother speaking to her. The series of instructions clearly shows the concern of a mother for her child

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

Answer: Stanzas 2,4 and 6 show us the thoughts and dreams of Amanda, the innocent little girl.To distinguish those inner feelings from the open and outward expressions, the poet puts them in parenthesis

Question 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:The speaker in stanzas 2,4 and 6 is Amanda (though she is not exactly speaking but dreaming). She (Amanda) is not paying her full attention (as immersed in dreams as she were) to the speaker in stanzas 1,3,5 and 7

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

Answer: If Amanda were a mermaid, she would, in a carefree manner, drift along the soft green waves of the emerald sea blissfully

.

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

Answer: Amanda is not an orphan. But she wishes she were one. For, she believes that an orphan enjoys more freedom than she

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

Answer: Yes, I know the story of Rapunzel. Amanda feels suppressed. She craves freedom. Her innocence makes her believe Rapunzel enjoyed unrestricted freedom. So, she wishes she were Rapunzel

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

Answer: Amanda yearns for freedom. She loves to live like an uncontrolled bird. But at home, she is constantly instructed to do this, to not do that. She feels suffocated. She seeks escape

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

Answer: Amanda is not exactly sulking. But she is certainly dreamy. Yes, her mood is not in a position to listen to her mothers non-stop instructions. She feels she is being nagged

Additional Questions : I. Read the following lines

Dont bite your nails, Amanda! Dont 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.)

Question 1.
What behavior is Amanda being cautioned against in the poem?

1. Biting her nails
2. Hunching her shoulders and slouching
3. All of the above

Answer: All of the above

Question 2.
Who is addressing Amanda in the poem?

1. The narrator
2. Amanda herself
3. A mermaid

Answer: The narrator

Question 3.
What contrast is presented between Amandas actions and the setting described in the poem?

1. Amanda is busy, while the setting is serene
2. Amandas actions are restless, while the setting is peaceful
3. Amandas behavior is disciplined, while the setting is chaotic

Answer: Amandas actions are restless, while the setting is peaceful

Question 4.
What are Amamdas actions being criticized for in the poem ?

1. Biting her nails
2. Hunching her shoulder and slouching
3. All of the above

Answer: All of the above

Question 5.
Who is the sole inhabitant of the languid, emerald sea in the poem?

1. Amanda
2. The narrator
3. A mermaid

Answer: A mermaid

Question 6.
What is the mood conveyed by the setting described in the poem?

1. Busy and crowded
2. Serene and tranquil
3. Dark and mysterious

Answer: Serene and tranquil

II. Read the following lines

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.)

Question 1.
What tasks is Amanda being asked about in the poem?

1. Tidying her room and cleaning her shoes
2. Finishing homework and cleaning her shoes
3. Finishing homework, tidying her room, and cleaning her shoes

Answer: Finishing homework, tidying her room, and cleaning her shoes

Question 2.
Who is addressing Amanda in the poem?

1. The narrator
2. Amanda herself
3. An orphan

Answer: The narrator

Question 3.
What contrast is presented between Amandas responsibilities and the persona in the poem?

1. Amanda is burdened with chores, while the persona enjoys freedom
2. Amanda is carefree, while the persona is burdened with chores
3. Amanda is alone, while the persona is surrounded by people

Answer: Amanda is burdened with chores, while the persona enjoys freedom

Question 4.
What tasks is Amanda being questioned about in the poem?

1. Finishing homework and tidying her room
2. Finishing homework and cleaning her shoes
3. Finishing homework, tidying her room, and cleaning her shoes

Answer: Finishing homework, tidying her room, and cleaning her shoes

Question 5.
Who is the speaker addressing in the poem ?

1. Amanda
2. An orphan
3. The narrator

Answer: Amanda

Question 6.
How does the persona describe their experience in the poem?

1. As burdensqme and lonely
2. As tranquil and rare
3. As noisy and chaotic

Answer: As tranquil and rare

III. Read the following lines

Dont eat that chocolate, Amanda! Remember your acne, Amanda! Will you please look at me when Im speaking to you, Amanda! (I am Rapunzel, I have not a care; life in a tower is tranquil and rare; Ill certainly never let down my bright hair!)

Question 1.
What is Amanda being cautioned against in the poem?

1. Eating chocolate
2. Remembering her acne and not looking at the speaker
3. All of the above

Answer: All of the above

Question 2.
Who is addressing Amanda in the poem ?

1. The narrator
2. Amanda herself
3. Rapunzel

Answer: The narrator

Question 3.
What contrast is presented between Amandas actions and Rapunzels situation in the poem?

1. Amanda is enjoying indulgence, while Rapunzel lives a restrained life
2. Amanda is carefree, while Rapunzel is burdened with responsibilities
3. Amanda is inattentive, while Rapunzel is attentive

Answer: Amanda is enjoying indulgence, while Rapunzel lives a restrained life

Question 4.
What is Amanda being warned against in the poem?

1. Eating chocolate and remembering her ache
2. Not paying attention when spoken to
3. All of the above

Answer: All of the above

Question 5.
Who is the speaker in the poem ?

1. Amanda
2. Rapunzel
3. A parent or authority figure

Answer: A parent or authority figure

Question 6.
How does Rapunzel describe her life in the tower?

1. Tranquil and rare
2. Busy and crowded
3. Noisy and chaotic

Answer: Tranquil and rare

IV. Read the following lines

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

Question 1.
What behavior is Amanda being admonished for in the poem?

1. Sulking and being moody
2. Ignoring the speaker
3. All of the above

Answer: All of the above

Question 2.
Who is speaking to Amanda in the poem?

1. Amanda herself
2. A friend
3. A family member

Answer: A family member

Question 3.
What is the tone of the speaker towards Amanda in the poem?

1. Affectionate
2. Annoyed
3. Indifferent

Answer: Annoyed

Question 4.
What behavior is Amanda being reprimanded for in the poem?

1. Sulking and moodiness
2. Ignoring the speaker
3. All of the above

Answer:

• All of the above

  Question 5.
  How is Amanda according to her mother?

  1. defiant
  2. grim
  3. moody

  Answer: moody

  Question 6.
  How does the speaker feel about Amandas behavior ?

  1. Supportive
  2. Indifferent
  3. Annoyed

  Answer: Annoyed

  Amanda Poem Summary in English

  Amanda is an interesting poem by Robin Klein. It analyses parents overprotective behaviour. It portrays childrens crave for freedom. Thus, the poem forms a valuable lesson in parenting. Amanda is a young girl. She dreams of enjoying a carefree life. But her mother is a hard taskmaster. She is very particular about Amandas behaviour - even in the most unimportant and trivial matters

  She keeps directing Amanda to do this, not to do that or to do something only in a particular way. Amanda feels sad. Her mothers nonstop supervision and instructions make Amanda feel suppressed. Her suffocation drives her into her own dream world. Mother asks her not to bite her nails, not to slouch, not to hunch and to sit straight. But Amanda escapes into her imaginary world of a peaceful green sea where she is a lone mermaid moving around happily

  Mother enquires if Amanda has completed her homework, hàs cleaned her room and has kept her shoes neat. Amanda prefers to be an orphan with golden silence and sweat freedom. Mother advises Amanda not to eat chocolate and pay attention to her words. Amanda wishes to live like Rapunzel, alone in a tower allowing none to reach her ! Mother asks Amanda not to sulk and not to be moody so that everyone thinks her to be a loving and caring mother ! She turns to be conscious of her image and wants to appear a good and loving mother

  Glossary :

  hunch (v) : to bend the top of ones body; to curve;

  slouching (v+ing-noun) : drooping; hanging;

  languid (adj) : relaxed;

  emerald (adj) : rich green;

  sole (adj) : lone, single;

  inhabitant (n) : dweller; someone who lives in a place;

  mermaid (n) : a mythological creature with a womans head and upper body and a tail of a fish;

  drifting (verb+ing) : moving slowly and smoothly;

  tidy (adj) : neat; in order;

  hushed (adj) : quiet;

  acne (n) : pimples;

  Rapunzel (pro.n) : a strange girl character in German fairy tales;

  sulking (v+ing=n) : the act of expressing ill humour; protest;

  moody (adj) : given to changes in mood; gloomy;

  nagged (v-pt) : bothered continuously;