(Poem) Amanda English class 10 in English Medium ncert book solutions NCERT Textbook Questions & Answers

Chapter 4. (Poem) Amanda!

This section contains the original NCERT textbook questions from the latest NCERT Class 10 English First Flight textbook. The questions are arranged in the same order as the NCERT book, while the answers are written in simple, accurate, and exam-oriented language to help students understand the poem effectively.

NCERT Textbook Questions & Answers

The following questions are based on the poem Amanda! by Robin Klein. Read the questions carefully to understand Amanda's feelings, imagination, and the poet's message about childhood freedom.

Thinking About the Poem

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

Answer:

Amanda appears to be a young school-going girl, probably around 9 to 12 years old. This can be understood from the way she is repeatedly instructed not to bite her nails, not to hunch her shoulders, to sit properly, clean her room, and complete her homework. These are common instructions usually given to young children by parents.

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

Answer:

The speaker is most probably Amanda's mother or another elder family member. The speaker keeps advising Amanda about her habits, behaviour, cleanliness, and discipline out of concern for her well-being.

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

Answer:

Stanzas 2, 4, and 6 are written in parentheses because they represent Amanda's thoughts and imagination. Whenever she is constantly instructed by the adult, she escapes into her own imaginary world, where she dreams of living freely without restrictions. The parentheses help distinguish her inner thoughts from the adult's spoken instructions.

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:

Amanda herself is the speaker in Stanzas 2, 4, and 6. These stanzas express her imagination and silent feelings. She is not really paying attention to the instructions given by the adult. Instead, she mentally escapes into her own fantasy world, where she feels peaceful and independent.

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

Answer:

If Amanda were a mermaid, she would drift freely in the calm, emerald sea. She would enjoy complete peace, happiness, and freedom without anyone giving her orders or interfering in her life.

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

Answer:

No, Amanda is not an orphan. She only imagines herself to be one because she feels that an orphan would be free from constant instructions and restrictions. She wishes to enjoy independence and make her own choices without being repeatedly corrected.

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

Answer:

Rapunzel is a famous fairy-tale character with very long hair who lives alone in a tall tower. Amanda wants to be Rapunzel because she believes that living alone in a tower would give her peace, privacy, and freedom from constant supervision and instructions.

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

Answer:

Amanda longs for freedom, peace, and independence. She wants to live without being constantly told what to do. The poem shows that Amanda is imaginative, sensitive, intelligent, and emotionally disturbed by excessive control. It also suggests that children need love, understanding, and freedom instead of continuous criticism and unnecessary restrictions.

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