L – 4 FROM THE DIARY OF

ANNE FRANK
• The Diary of a Young Girl, also known as The Diary of
Anne Frank, is a book of the writings from the Dutch
language diary kept by Anne Frank while she was in
hiding for two years with her family during the Nazi
occupation of the Netherlands. The family was
apprehended in 1944, and Anne Frank died
of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in
1945. The diary was retrieved by Miep Gies, who gave
it to Anne's father, Otto Frank, the family's only known
survivor, just after the war was over. The diary has
since been published in more than 60 languages.
 Major Highlights…
• Anne got a diary as a birthday gift on her 13th birthday.
• They were four members in the family. Parents and two sisters. Anne was
the youngest one.
• Mother’s name was Edith Hollander Frank
• Father’s name was Otto Frank
• Sister’s name was Margot Frank
• She had a great attachment with her diary. She named it ‘Kitty’. Though
she had many relatives and friends but she could confide only with kitty.
• She wrote many of her experiences in her diary.
• As a student, she always distracted her Maths teacher, Mr. Keesing and so
he gave her a name Ms. Chatterbox. He also loaded her with the
homework by giving her writing tasks.
• She also took the task with great zeal and wrote nicely that when Mr.
Keesing read it in the class, the whole class including Mr. Keesing burst
into laughter.
 L – 4 FROM THE DIARY OF
ANNE FRANK
• WRITING in a diary is a really strange
experience for someone like me. Not only
because I’ve never written anything before,
but also because it seems to me that later on
neither I nor anyone else will be interested in
the musings of a thirteen-year -old schoolgirl.
Oh well, it doesn’t matter. I feel like writing,
and I have an even greater need to get all
kinds of things off my chest.
 *Musings- a period of reflection or thought
• The author feels that it is strange and unusual for her
to write in a diary about her feelings and experiences
because it was the first time she was doing it. She feels
this because she thinks that in the future, no one would
be interested in reading about a young school going
girl’s past. She thinks that later, even she will not be
interested in reading it. But then she puts these
thoughts away and decides that she should write if she
feels like doing so. She feels the need to write because
there were a lot of thoughts she had been holding on
to lately and she needed to get them off her mind. It is
known that writing one’s thoughts act as therapy; she
makes the decision of writing a diary.
 *Listless- with no energy or interest
*Brooding- engaged in or showing deep thought about something that makes
one sad, angry, or worried.
*Prompted- provoke
• Paper has more patience than people.’ I thought of this
saying on one of those days when I was feeling a little
depressed and was sitting at home with my chin in my
hands, bored and listless, wondering whether to stay in
or go out. I finally stayed where I was, brooding: Yes,
paper does have more patience, and since I’m not
planning to let anyone else read this stiff-backed
notebook grandly referred to as a ‘diary’, unless I
should ever find a real friend, it probably won’t make a
bit of difference. Now I’m back to the point that
prompted me to keep a diary in the first place: I don’t
have a friend.
• The author feels that paper has much more capacity to absorb
thoughts than people. People have low patience levels but a piece of
paper, being a non living thing would not refuse from absorbing her
thoughts. This realisation came to her one day when she was feeling
more sad and confused than usual. She could not even decide
whether to go out or stay at home at that time. When she finally
decided to stay at home, she sat being depressed and in deep
thought. Again, she thought that paper had more patience and she
decided to write everything that came in her mind because she did
not intend on making someone read it unless she found a “real
friend”. By “real friend”, she meant a friend with whom she could
share all her secrets. The author then comes back to the point
where she thought of beginning to write. It is because she is lonely
and has no friend to talk to.
 *Confide- to tell personal things privately to a person that one trusts
*Liable- likely (here)

• Let me put it more clearly, since no one will believe that a

thirteen-year-old girl is completely alone in the world. And
I’m not. I have loving parents and a sixteen-year-old sister,
and there are about thirty people I can call friends. I have a
family, loving aunts and a good home. No, on the surface I
seem to have everything, except my one true friend. All I
think about when I’m with friends is having a good time. I
can’t bring myself to talk about anything but ordinary
everyday things. We don’t seem to be able to get any
closer, and that’s the problem. Maybe it’s my fault that we
don’t confide in each other. In any case, that’s just how
things are, and unfortunately they’re not liable to change.
This is why I’ve started the diary.
 Explanation

• She then goes on explaining why she feels the need for a friend. She
feels that no one is going to believe that a young girl like her is so
alone, which practically, she is not because she has a loving family,
near about 30 people that can be called “friends”, loving aunts and
a good place to stay. This depicts a clear picture of a happy family
but the one thing that lacks in her life is the presence of a true friend
with whom she can share everything. She does have a good time
with friends; they talk about stuff but not real stuff that is actually
going on in their lives. Despite trying hard, they are unable to get
closer. She feels that maybe it is her who is not able to trust anyone
with her private stuff that she is not able to come any close to her
friends. She feels that the current situation can not be changed and
thus, she needs to write her feelings in the diary.
•
*Enhance- intensify, increase, or further improve the quality, value, or extent
of.
*Plunge- jump or dive quickly

• To enhance the image of this long-awaited friend

in my imagination, I don’t want to jot down the
facts in this diary the way most people would do,
but I want the diary to be my friend, and I’m
going to call this friend ‘Kitty’. Since no one would
understand a word of my stories to Kitty if I were
to plunge right in, I’d better provide a brief sketch
of my life, much as I dislike doing so.
•
• Usually, when someone is writing in a diary, they
list down all the facts about them in a formal
manner which the author does not want to do.
This is because she wanted to give her need for a
friend a shape and thus, decides to name the
diary as “kitty”. Hoping that someone would read
her diary one day, she thinks that writing without
giving details about the background story would
be ineffective. So, despite not wanting to do so,
she gives brief details about her life.
 *Adorable- lovable, cute
*Emigrated- leave one's own country in order to settle permanently in another.
*Plunked- to put down

• My father, the most adorable father I’ve ever

seen, didn’t marry my mother until he was thirty-
six and she was twenty-five. My sister, Margot,
was born in Frankfurt in Germany in 1926. I was
born on 12 June 1929. I lived in Frankfurt until I
was four. My father emigrated to Holland in 1933.
My mother, Edith Hollander Frank, went with him
to Holland in September, while Margot and I were
sent to Aachen to stay with our grandmother.
Margot went to Holland in December, and I
followed in February, when I was plunked down
on the table as a birthday present for Margot.
• She refers to her father as the most lovable father
one could get. He father married her mother
when he was at the age of 36 and she was 25.
She and her sister Margot were both born in
Frankfurt. As soon as Anne turned 4, her father
moved to Holland followed by her mother in
September while both the sisters stayed with their
grandmother in Aachen. Margot was also sent to
Holland in December followed by Anne in
February who was brought as a birthday present
for Margot.
 *Farewell- an act of parting or of making someone’s departure

• I started right away at the Montessori nursery

school. I stayed there until I was six, at which
time I started in the first form. In the sixth
form my teacher was Mrs Kuperus, the
headmistress. At the end of the year we were
both in tears as we said a heartbreaking
farewell. In the summer of 1941 Grandma fell
ill and had to have an operation, so my
birthday passed with little celebration.
• In Holland, Anne was sent to Montessori
nursery school. (It was her first school) She
started from first form. She had Mrs Kuperus,
the headmistress, as her teacher in sixth form
who even cried at the time of farewell. In
1941, the author’s birthday could not be
celebrated well because her grandmother fell
ill and underwent an operation.
 *Intended- planned
*Solemn- characterised by deep sincerity
*Dedication- commitment

• Grandma died in January 1942. No one knows

how often I think of her and still love her. This
birthday celebration in 1942 was intended to
make up for the other, and Grandma’s candle
was lit along with the rest. The four of us are
still doing well, and that brings me to the
present date of 20 June 1942, and the solemn
dedication of my diary.
• Unfortunately, her grandmother left them in
January, 1942. Anne misses her grandmother
more than anyone knows. This year’s birthday
was to be celebrated with great zeal so as to
compensate for last year’s. She then mentions
that her family is doing well which sums up
her background and brings her to the present
date of June 20, 1942 when she is writing her
diary.
• Saturday, 20 June 1942
• Dearest Kitty,
• Our entire class is quaking in its boots. The reason, of
course, is the forthcoming meeting in which the teachers
decide who’ll move up to the next form and who’ll be kept
back. Half the class is making bets. G.N. and I laugh
ourselves silly at the two boys behind us, C.N. and Jacques,
who have staked their entire holiday savings on their bet.
From morning to night, it’s “You’re going to pass”, “No, I’m
not”, “Yes, you are”, “No, I’m not”. Even G.’s pleading
glances and my angry outbursts can’t calm them down. If
you ask me, there are so many dummies that about a
quarter of the class should be kept back, but teachers are
the most unpredictable creatures on earth.
• Quaking- shake or tremble
Staked- bet, chanced
Pleading- to make an emotional appeal
Glances- take a brief or hurried look
Outbursts- a sudden release of strong emotion
Dummies- an object designed to resemble and
serve as a substitute for the real or usual one
Unpredictable- not able to be predicted;
changeable
• On June 20, 1942, Anne begins writing in her diary addressing it as
her friend “kitty”. She mentions how her entire class is nervous
about their results. It is unpredictable and will be decided by a
meeting of teachers in which they will select students to be moved
to next class or kept back. Many students were making bets. Some
had put in their entire summer savings at stake. She and her friend,
G, also made fun of the nervous boys. They kept on saying to each
other that “I am not going to pass!” while others would console
them and say, “Yes, you would”. G was polite as she tried to stop
them from making noise while Anne scolded them, but none of it
worked. According to Anne, about a quarter of class should not be
allowed to pass because they hardly respond or take part in any of
the activities. She refers to them as “dummies”. But this may not be
the case because teachers’ decisions can’t be predicted.
 *Not to lose heart- not be discouraged

• I’m not so worried about my girlfriends and

myself. We’ll make it. The only subject I’m not
sure about is maths. Anyway, all we can do is
wait. Until then, we keep telling each other
not to lose heart.
• The author says that she is not bothered about
her friends because she is sure that they will
pass. The only thing subject that she is unsure
about is mathematics. She seems to be having
a tough time with the subject. But all they
could do was wait for the results and not lose
their hope.
 *Old fogey- an old fashioned person
*Annoyed- slightly angry; irritated
*Chatterbox- a person who likes to chatter; talkative
*Jotted- write (something) quickly

• I get along pretty well with all my teachers. There

are nine of them, seven men and two women. Mr
Keesing, the old fogey who teaches maths, was
annoyed with me for ages because I talked so
much. After several warnings, he assigned me
extra homework. An essay on the subject, ‘A
Chatterbox’. A chatterbox — what can you write
about that? I’d worry about that later, I decided. I
jotted down the title in my notebook, tucked it in
my bag and tried to keep quiet.
• She tells how she has a great relationship with all her
teachers except the maths professor. He was constantly
irritated by the author’s talkativeness. Despite several
warnings, Anne did not stop talking in his classes which
prompted him to give her extra homework as
punishment. The first one was to write an essay on
“Chatterbox” which she thought was a weird topic to
write on because what could one write about that.
• For the moment, she wrote the topic in her notebook,
kept it in her bag and focussed on staying quiet.
 *Ramble- to talk or write at length in a confused or inconsequential ways
*Convincing- capable of causing someone to believe that something is true or real; powerful,
*Trait- quality ,
*Inherited- derived genetically from one's parents or ancestors.

• That evening, after I’d finished the rest of my homework,

the note about the essay caught my eye. I began thinking
about the subject while chewing the tip of my fountain pen.
Anyone could ramble on and leave big spaces between the
words, but the trick was to come up with convincing
arguments to prove the necessity of talking. I thought and
thought, and suddenly I had an idea. I wrote the three
pages Mr Keesing had assigned me and was satisfied. I
argued that talking is a student’s trait and that I would do
my best to keep it under control, but that I would never be
able to cure myself of the habit since my mother talked as
much as I did if not more, and that there’s not much you
can do about inherited traits.
• The author came across the note she made as reminder
for the essay after she had finished the rest of her
homework. She began thinking about the topic. “While
chewing the tip of my fountain pen” is a gesture that
signifies a person is in deep thinking. While anyone
could mention random stuff written for the sake of
filling pages, she wanted to present concrete
arguments in support of talking. She mentioned that
she will try to better herself as a student but talking is
something that cannot be eliminated completely. This
is because she got it as an inherited trait from her
mother and this is how she ended up writing 3 pages
on the topic.
 *Proceeded- to begin a course of action
*Incorrigible- not able to be changed
*Mistress- a woman in a position of authority or control

• Mr Keesing had a good laugh at my arguments,

but when I proceeded to talk my way through the
2next lesson, he assigned me a second essay. This
time it was supposed to be on ‘An Incorrigible
Chatterbox’. I handed it in, and Mr Keesing had
nothing to complain about for two whole lessons.
However, during the third lesson he’d finally had
enough. “Anne Frank, as punishment for talking in
class, write an essay entitled — ‘Quack, Quack,
Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox’.”
• The professor found Anne’s arguments to be amusing
but when she did not stop talking in the next lesson
also, he gave her yet another assignment as
punishment. The topic was “An incorrigible chatterbox”.
Incorrigible refers to a bad habit that is difficult to
change. He gave her this topic because he was
annoyed of her unstoppable chattering during his
lessons. On receiving this assignment, the professor did
not say anything to her for a while but when he lost his
patience, he handed her yet another assignment as
punishment on the topic ‘Quack, Quack, Quack, Said
Mistress Chatterbox’.
 *Roared- laughed (here)
*Exhausted- completely used up
*Ingenuity- the quality of being clever, original and inventive
*Verse- writing arranged with a metrical rhythm, typically having a rhyme
*Ridiculous- deserving or inviting derision or mockery; absurd

• The class roared. I had to laugh too, though I’d

nearly exhausted my ingenuity on the topic of
chatterboxes. It was time to come up with
something else, something original. My friend,
Sanne, who’s good at poetry, offered to help
me write the essay from beginning to end in
verse and I jumped for joy. Mr Keesing was
trying to play a joke on me with this ridiculous
subject, but I’d make sure the joke was on
him.
• When the professor scolded her for the third
time and punished her, the whole class started
laughing. As a result, she had to pretend to be
amused too. After writing twice on similar
topics, she ran out of thoughts. Thus, her
friend Sanne who was good at poetry offered
to help her write in rhyme. This whole
assignment scenario was to make Anne feel
ashamed but she made sure that she gave an
effective reply.
 *Contrary- opposite in nature, direction, or meaning

• I finished my poem, and it was beautiful! It was about a

mother duck and a father swan with three baby
ducklings who were bitten to death by the father
because they quacked too much. Luckily, Mr Keesing
took the joke the right way. He read the poem to the
class, adding his own comments, and to several other
classes as well. Since then I’ve been allowed to talk and
haven’t been assigned any extra homework. On the
contrary, Mr Keesing’s always making jokes these days.
Yours,
Anne
• She finally wrote her third assignment in the form
of a poem which turned out to be great. She
wrote a satire that a father swan bit his three
baby ducklings to death because of their noisy
nature. To her good luck, the professor took it
lightly. The professor recited the entire poem in
front of the class while giving his own remarks
simultaneously. The author being fortunate
enough, talked uninterruptedly after this incident
without any further homework as punishment.
Also, Mr Keesing, the professor started cracking
jokes every now and then in front of the class.
 Phrasal verbs used in this lesson:
• plunge in – go straight to the topic
• kept back – not promoted
• move up – go to the next grade
• ramble on – speak or write without focus
• get along with - – have a good relationship with
• calm down – make (them) remain quiet
• stay in – stay indoors
• make up for – compensate
• hand in – give an assignment (homework) to a
person in authority (the teacher)
Compound words used in this lesson:
A B Sentences

Heartbreaking -producing great sadness It would be heartbreaking to see it all collapse.

Homesick -missing home and family very much He was homesick for America after five weeks in
Europe.

Blockhead -an informal word which means a very stupid He did not understand the lecture as he is a
person blockhead.

Law-abiding -obeying and respecting the law The spirit of freedom turned Nelson Mandela
from a law-abiding attorney into a criminal.

Overdo -do something to an excessive degree I’d simply overdone it in the gym.

Daydream -thinking about pleasant things, forgetting about He was lost in a daydream.
the present

Breakdown -An occasion where vehicles/machines stop Breakdowns could totally disrupt production.
working

Output -something produced by a person, machine or an This machine gives a good output.
organisation
 Idiomatic expressions:
• Our entire class is quaking in its boots.
• Until then, we keep telling each other not to
lose heart.
• Mr Keesing was annoyed with me for ages
because I talked so much.
• Mr Keesing was trying to play a joke on me
with this ridiculous subject, but I’d make sure
the joke was on.
Practice these idioms: Try to use them
in sentences of your own.
• caught my eye
• laugh ourselves silly
• he’d had enough
• can’t bring myself to
• Break somebody’s heart.
• close/dear to heart
• from the (bottom of your) heart
• have a heart
• have a heart of stone
• your heart goes out to somebody
Reference to context : Question 1
Writing in a diary is a really strange experience for someone like me.
Not only because I have never written anything before, but also
because it seems to me that later on neither I nor anyone else will
be interested in the musing of a thirteen year old school girl. Oh
well, it doesn’t matter. I feel like writing and I have an even greater
need to get all kind of things off my chest.
‘Paper has more patience than people.’ I thought of this saying on
one of those days when I was feeling a little depressed and was
sitting at home with my chin in my hands, bored and listless,
wondering whether to stay in or go out.

(a) To whom does I refer in the given passage?

(b) ‘Paper has more patience than people’ – Why did Anne Frank
say that?
(c) Find a word in the passage that means ‘deep thought’.
(d) Which word in the passage is a synonym of lethargic?
 Question 2
Let me put it more clearly, since no one will believe that a thirteen-year-
old girl is completely alone in the world. And I’m not. I have loving parents
and a sixteen-year-old sister, and there are about thirty people I can call
friends. I have a family, loving aunts and a good home. No, on the surface I
seem to have everything, except my one true friend. All I think about
when I’m with friends is having a good time. I can’t bring myself to talk
about anything but ordinary everyday things. We don’t seem to be able to
get any closer, and that’s the problem. Maybe it’s my fault that we don’t
confide in each other. In any case, that’s just how things are, and
unfortunately they’re not liable to change. This is why I’ve started the
diary.

(a) Why was Anne Frank disturbed even when she had loving parents,
relatives and friends?
(b) Why did Anne decide to write a diary?
(c) Find the word that means the same as ‘unluckily’.
(d) To confide in somebody is to ………
 Revision....
• Describe Anne’s Feelings about having a diary.
• Why does Anne Frank think that ‘paper’ has
more patience than ‘people’?
• Why does Anne Frank think that ‘paper’ has
more patience than ‘people’?
• Describe your views about Mr Keesing as a
teacher.
• What does Anne write in her first essay to
support her habit of talking so much?
• What was Mr Keesing’s reaction after reading
Anne’s poem on the third essay that he had given
to her to write?
• Why was Anne’s entire class anxious and
nervous?
• Describe Anne’s love for her grandmother.
• Why did Anne think that she could confide more
in her diary than in the people?
• Who helped Anne in writing the essay and how?
• Write the character sketch of Anne Frank.
• Paper has more patience than people’. Justify.
• Describe about Anne Frank’s early education.
 Amanda
- Robin Mc Maugh Klein
• About the Poet
• Robin Mc Maugh Klein is and 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.
• 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.
 Stanza - 1
• 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.)
• Hunch: bend
Slouching: sitting in a lazy way
Languid: relaxed
Emerald: here, green color
Inhabitant: resident
Drifting: carried slowly by the water
Blissfully: happily
 Explanation of stanza 1…
• 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 (stanza 1):
• 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 emerald

• 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.

 Stanza 2….
• 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.)
• Orphan: A child whose parents are dead
Hushed: quiet and still place
 Explanation of stanza 2….
• 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 (stanza - 2):
• 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.
 Stanza 3…
• 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!)

• Acne: Pimples
Rapunzel: A girl in the fairy tale by Brothers Grimm
Tranquil: calm, quiet
Rare: uncommon
 Explanation of stanza 3…
• 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 (stanza 3):
• 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’

 Stanza 4….
• Stop that sulking at once, Amanda!
You’re always so moody, Amanda!
Anyone would think that I nagged at you,
Amanda!

• Sulking: be in a bad mood

Moody: unstable
Nagged: harass
 Explanation of stanza 4…
• 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 (stanza 4):
• 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)
 Textual question – answers…
• Q1- How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?

• A1- Amanda’s age could be between 10-12 years old. We can guess this
because of the reference to mermaid or Rapunzel. These stories are read
by children of age group of 10-12 years.

Q2- Who do you think is speaking to her?

• A2- One of her parents is speaking to her. We think that probably it could
be her mother. We think this because it’s a general perception that
children are taken care of by their mothers at home.

• Q3- Why are Stanzas 2, 4 and 6 given in parenthesis?

• A3-Parenthesis is a remark that is added to a sentence, often to provide an

explanation. So, in stanzas 2, 4 and 6 parenthesis is used to describe the
reaction of child Amanda towards her mother’s continuous nagging.
• Q4- 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?
• A4- The speaker in Stanzas 2, 4 and 6 is
Amanda. No, she is not paying any attention
to what her mother says. She is lost in her
own thoughts. She imagines herself as a
mermaid, an orphan and Rapunzel.
• Q5- What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?
• A5- The little girl Amanda wants to be a mermaid and the only
resident of the beautiful green sea. She thinks that her life will be
very relaxing in the sea and she will be taken away with the
currents of water. She will be able to enjoy her freedom.
•
• Q6- Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so?
• A6- No, Amanda is not an orphan as she is constantly being pointed
out by one of her parents in the poem. She said so because she is
sad and depressed because of the continuous scolding and nagging
which she faces because of her parents. Therefore, she feels that it
would have been much better and peaceful if she would have been
an orphan.
•
• Q7- Do you know the story of Rapunzel? Why does she want to be
Rapunzel?
• A7- The story of Rapunzel is of a girl who is captured by an old witch
in a tower. The old witch climbs up the tower with the help of
Rapunzel’s very long hair which she lets down for her through a
window of the tower. One day, a Prince visits her by climbing the
tower with the help of her long hair. When the witch comes to
know this, she separates both of them. But both Rapunzel and
Prince meet after a gap of many years and then live their life
happily. Amanda wants to be Rapunzel because she knew that in
the story, there was no staircase to enter the tower. It was only
possible with the help of Rapunzel’s long hair that she would let
down to help others to climb. Amanda feels that life in the tower
will be very calm and nice and also makes it a point to never let her
hair down for anyone as she doesn’t want to get disturbed by
visitors.
• Q8- What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about
Amanda?
• A8- The girl Amanda yearns for freedom and peace in her life. She is
constantly reminded of her mistakes. Her parents want her to follow the
code of conduct of good behavior. They are doing so because they want
their child to be well mannered and obedient. But while doing this they
forget that she is a child and should be allowed some freedom. The poet
has drawn the reader’s attention towards the condition of children who
are constantly oppressed by their elders in the name of good behaviour.

• Q9- Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking and is moody?
• A9- In our sense, Amanda is not moody. She feels oppressed because of
her mother’s constant nagging. She doesn’t want to be pointed out for
such small things like cleaning the room, sitting straight, cleaning her
shoes, completing her homework, etc. She feels that she is not free and is
under a constant pressure of trying to be a well behaved girl as per her
parent’s demand.
 Reference to context : Question 1.
Don’t bite your nails, Amanda!
‘ Don’t hunch your shoulders, Amanda!
Stop that slouching and sit up straight, Amanda!
• (i) Name the poem and poet.
• (ii) Who, do you think could be the speaker in the
stanza?
• (iii) What is the tone of the speaker towards
Amanda?
• (iv) Who is Amanda?
 Question 2
• (There is a languid, emerald sea, where the
sole inhabitant is me a mermaid, drifting
blissfully.)
• (i) Who is the speaker?
• (ii) What does the speaker wish?
• (iii) Pick out the word from the stanza an
antonym of‘energetic’.
• (iv) Name the poem and poet.
 Revision....
• What is Amanda’s desire ? Why ?

• What can you depict of Amanda’s nature ?

• Does the title ‘Amanda’ suet the poem ?

• What is the age of the girl in the poem ? How do
you come to know her age ?
• What do you learn from the poem ‘Amanda’ ?
(Long answer)