Amanda Poem by Robin Klein
Introduction
This blog post provides a summary of Amanda. Robin Klein is the poet. The poem is about the parenting of a young girl named Amanda. It focuses on the difficulties that a child is experiencing. Robin Klein, a poet, raises a crucial point: children should never be denied of their independence. However, it is the parents’ responsibility to ensure their child’s correct upbringing. The youngsters should not feel imprisoned as a result of this. Amanda is ready to be accepted by society, and this training seeks to limit her independence. Her imagination is not allowed enough room to flourish, which irritates her. This discomfort is driving her to want to be an orphan. This constant annoyance was exacerbating her mood. As a result, the entire trajectory of this poem is something we are all quite familiar with.
Summary of Amanda
This poem expresses the state of mind of a young girl who is continually lectured by her mother about what she should and should not do. The name of the girl is Amanda, and her mother is irritated by her blunders. Her mother would tell her not to hunch her shoulders and to sit up straight. Her mother tells her that she needs to finish her schoolwork. Amanda, the tiny girl, continues to fantasise about the freedom of living life out in the open.
Her mother also believes she is sitting in a sluggish manner. Amanda imagines herself as a mermaid swimming freely and joyfully in the light green sea in response. She wishes to spend a peaceful and tranquil life in the lovely green sea. Amanda is also dragged out of her dreams by her mother’s question on whether she cleans her room and shoes.
Amanda has another daydream in which she imagines herself as an orphan roaming freely, barefoot, in a golden calm and unbroken independence. She says she would have cherished her independence then by making sand designs with her bare feet. She planned to live a tranquil life. Her daydream is interrupted by her mother’s persistent concerns. Amanda’s mother stopped her from eating chocolate because of her acne and pimples. She also chastises her for not looking her in the eyes while she is speaking to her.
Amanda is having another dream in which she fantasises about herself as Rapunzel, a character from a fairy tale, and wishes to live happily in a great tower-like her. She fantasises about never letting her hair fall from the tower like Rapunzel. She will live alone and peacefully in the tower. She will never let anyone enter the tower. Finally, the mother prohibits her from being grumpy since she does not want anyone to make her feel bad about tormenting her daughter.
At this time, the poet has not received a response from Amanda. This incessant nagging has left her so depressed that she has ceased daydreaming about herself as someone else. She always attempts this merely to get away from her parents’ constant pestering and tyranny.
Questions and Answers
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 a little girl named Amanda. Her life is full of struggles where she is denied freedom and expression. Amanda is so much irate (angry) 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 of 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 a 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 (total silence), 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 times 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 (streets) and make pattern using her bare feet in the dust. Being Rapunzel means she could live carefree on a high tower. Amanda wishes to be there so that she could avoid her suffocating reality.
Question 6: 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 in 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 7: 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 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.
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