Updated on 14/06/2026
*Poem-6. Amanda (Robin Klein)*
*1. Who is the poet of the poem ‘Amanda’?*
Ans. Robin Klein
*2. What had the speaker asked Amanda to do?*
Ans. To do her homework
*3. What does the speaker forbid Amanda to eat?*
Ans. Chocolate
*4. Why does the mother tell Amanda not to eat chocolate?*
Ans. Because it causes acne on Amanda's face.
*5. Name the three characters Amanda imagines herself to be to escape reality. *
Ans. A mermaid, an orphan, and Rapunzel.
*6. What does Amanda love?*
Ans. Freedom and silence
*7. Where did the legendary character Rapunzel spend her days?
Ans. High up in a lonely, quiet tower.
*8. Who had imprisoned Rapunzel in that tower?*
Ans. A witch
*9. What kind of life does Rapunzel lead?*
Ans. A peaceful life in a tower
*10. What final warning does the speaker give Amanda regarding her mood?*
Ans. To stop sulking and being moody.
Textual Questions
Q. 1 What could Amanda do, if she were a mermaid?
Ans. If Amanda were a mermaid, she would be the sole inhabitant of a vast, emerald-green sea. She could move about in the green sea blissfully. She would spend her time in the water waves, completely free from parental control.
Q. 2 Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so?
Ans. No, Amanda is not an orphan. She says so because she wants freedom. So that she can roam in the streets.She wishes to be an orphan because she is exhausted by the non-stop scolding. She wants to imagine a life where she can wander barefoot in the streets, making quiet patterns in the soft dust without anyone stopping her.
Q. 3 Why does Amanda want to be Rapunzel?
Ans. Rapunzel was a beautiful girl with long hair. She was locked up in a tower by a witch. Amanda thought herself to be like Rapunzel who led a peaceful life in a tall tower where no one could disturb her. However, unlike Rapunzel, Amanda promises she will never let down her long hair, because she never wants anyone to climb up and break her peace.
Q. 4 What is the central idea of the poem, ‘Amanda’?
Ans. The central idea of the poem is that children love freedom. They do not want many restrictions on their activities. They have a dream world of their own. They like to spend most of their time in that dream world. While guidance is necessary, parents must give their children enough space to grow, dream, and think independently without feeling suffocated.
Q.5 Why does the mother call Amanda a moody girl at the end of the poem?
Ans. The mother thinks Amanda is sulking and being moody because Amanda stops responding to her constant instructions. In reality, Amanda is not angry; she is simply tuning her mother out and escaping into her deep dream world to save herself from the mental stress of being scolded.