NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Amanda Poem

NCERT Solutions for CBSE Class 10 English Poem Amanda are provided here. This poem is written by Robin Klein and includes many questions that are important for exams. We have solved all the NCERT questions of the lesson with a detailed explanation that help students to complete their assignments & homework. We have provided NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Poem Amanda in PDF format so that you can download them for offline use.

Class 10 English Poem Amanda NCERT Questions and Answers

Thinking about the Poem

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

Answer: Amanda is about a 9-10 year old school going girl. She is being scolded for things typical for that particular age. Her parents are trying to inculcate in her good manners and etiquettes. Amanda is very innocent and immature.

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

Answer: One of her parents is speaking to her. Most probably it is her mother. In a traditional household mother is held responsible for the conduct of child. In this case also, the range of instructions suggests that the speaker is Amanda’s mother.

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

Answer: In stanza 2, 4 and 6, the speaker is Amanda. In stanza 2, the speaker is Amanda in the form of a mermaid, in stanza 4 in the form of an orphan and in stanza 6, in the form of a fairy. She does not listen to the speaker in stanzas 1, 3, 5 and 7 as she is a day-dreaming girl.

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 of the stanzas 2, 4 and 6 is the child, Amanda herself. No, she is not listening or paying heed to her mother’s words in stanzas 1, 3 and 5 as she is lost in her own dream world. Her imagination lets her escape from reality as she is lost in her own world.

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

Answer: If Amanda were a mermaid, then she would drift slowly on a languid emerald sea. She would be the sole inhabitant of the relaxed green sea and would move slowly on it.

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

Answer: No, Amanda is not an orphan, though she wishes to be one. She is so much stressed with the continuous nagging of her parents that she imagines herself to be better without them. The mere presence of her parents around her depresses her. Amanda is a little girl who seeks ‘golden’ silence and ‘sweet’ freedom. She wishes to roam around streets and draw patterns with her bare feet. Indeed it is horribly depressing that Amanda expects being an orphan.

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

Answer: Rapunzel is the heroine of a fairy story. She is a beautiful girl with long hair. She is imprisoned in a tall tower by a witch. In the story, a handsome prince comes and is able to climb to the top of the tower to meet her. He calls out to her. “Rapunzel. Rapunzel, let down your long hair”. Amanda wants to be Rapunzel because then she will have long hair and her prince will come to rescue her from her dull life.

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

Answer: A girl like Amanda yearns for freedom and space for herself. She is incapable to fulfil the expectations of her parents. Amanda is no less than a symbol for all the children who face similar fate irrespective of class, colour or nationality. Traditional societies demand a certain type of behaviour from the individuals and the training to produce such begins at a very young age. Parents ignore the innocence and understanding level of their children and thereby the young ends up killing their imagination and thoughts.

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

Answer: It does not seem that she is sulking, though she could be moody. She is completely lost in her thoughts and is not even listening to her mother. Her mother perceives her to be sulking as she does not react to her instructions at all. As Amanda does not listen to her, she concludes that she is very moody and continues to nag her.