1. Poem Introduction
“Amanda” by Robin Klein is a relatable and psychological poem that focuses on the upbringing of a young girl. The poem highlights the constant nagging and instructions given by a parent (most likely the mother) and how it affects the child’s mind. Fed up with the continuous scolding and restrictions, Amanda constantly escapes into her own imaginary world where she is completely free, lonely, and at peace. The poem beautifully contrasts the harsh reality of parental control with the dreamy world of a child’s imagination.
2. The 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.)
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.)
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!)
Stop that sulking at once, Amanda!
You’re always so moody, Amanda!
Anyone would think that I nagged at you,
Amanda!
– Robin Klein
3. Word Meanings (Vocabulary)
- Hunch: झुक कर बैठना (To bend one’s back/shoulders)
- Slouching: सुस्त तरीके से बैठना (Sitting or standing lazily)
- Languid: शांत / आलस भरा (Relaxed, slow, and peaceful)
- Emerald: गहरे हरे रंग का (Bright green color)
- Inhabitant: निवासी (A person or animal that lives in or occupies a place)
- Drifting: पानी के बहाव के साथ बहना (Moving slowly with the water)
- Blissfully: आनंद से (Happily and peacefully)
- Hushed: शांत (Silent/Quiet)
- Tranquil: शांत / तनावमुक्त (Peaceful/Calm)
- Rare: दुर्लभ (Uncommon/Unique)
- Sulking: रूठना / मुँह फुलाना (Being silently angry or upset)
- Moody: चिड़चिड़ा (Having unpredictable changes of mood)
- Nagged: बार-बार डांटना या टोकना (Constantly scolded or harassed)
4. Key Characters & Escapes
- The Parent (Speaker): Overly protective, dominating, and constantly instructing Amanda. She cares more about social appearance (posture, acne, not looking sulky) than Amanda’s mental peace.
- Amanda: A teenage girl who feels suffocated. Instead of arguing, she ignores the nagging and escapes into three different imaginary worlds.
- The Mermaid Escape: She imagines herself as a lonely mermaid in a calm green sea to escape the noise and instructions of her house.
- The Orphan Escape: She wishes to be an orphan walking barefoot in the dust, just to experience the “sweet freedom” and “golden silence” without anyone ordering her around.
- The Rapunzel Escape: She wants to live in a high tower like Rapunzel, far away from humans, but decides she will never let her hair down so nobody can come up and disturb her peace.
5. Full Summary
Instructions on Posture
The poem begins with a parent continuously instructing Amanda. The parent scolds her for biting her nails and hunching her shoulders. She is strictly told to stop sitting lazily (slouching) and to sit up straight. While hearing this, Amanda mentally drifts away. She imagines herself as a mermaid, the only resident of a calm, beautiful, green (emerald) sea, moving peacefully with the water.
Questions about Chores
In the next stanza, the parent starts interrogating Amanda about her daily chores. She asks if Amanda has finished her homework, tidied her room, and cleaned her shoes as instructed. Amanda, who is completely ignoring these questions, retreats into her second fantasy. She imagines she is an orphan roaming the streets freely. She visualizes herself walking barefoot, making patterns in the soft dust. For her, the silence of being an orphan is ‘golden’, and the freedom is ‘sweet’ compared to her noisy house.
Restrictions and Scolding
The nagging continues as the parent orders Amanda not to eat chocolate, reminding her that it causes acne (pimples). The parent gets frustrated because Amanda is lost in her thoughts and demands, “Look at me when I’m speaking to you!” Amanda, however, imagines herself as Rapunzel. She dreams of living alone in a high, peaceful tower where life is calm and rare. Unlike the real Rapunzel, Amanda vows that she will never drop her bright hair down because she doesn’t want any prince (or anyone else) to enter her life and ruin her peace.
The Final Irony
In the final stanza, the mother tells Amanda to stop sulking and looking moody. The mother is highly concerned about society. She worries that if other people see Amanda looking so sad and upset, they will think that the mother has been nagging and harassing her. The supreme irony of the poem is that the mother is, in fact, nagging Amanda continuously, yet she only cares about her own image.