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Essay / Analysis of In Mrs. Tilscher's Class by Carol Ann Duffy
The poem “In Mrs. Tilscher's Class” written by Carol Ann Duffy is written in free verse and consists of four stanzas. The poem consists of metaphors, similes and the five senses. This essay will describe areas in which Duffy uses different literary terms to define the theme of growth. The first two stanzas have a happy tone as Duffy remembers his precious childhood memories. The classroom atmosphere is full of enthusiasm as the children learn new things. Using the five senses: touch, smell, sight, taste and hearing helps us embark on the journey. You could travel up the Blue Nile with your finger, tracing the route while Mrs. Tilscher sang of the scenery. Tana. Ethiopia. Khartoum. Aswan. Duffy's use of one-word sentences and the effective third-person term "You" allows the reader to feel more engaged with the poem. The reader can hear the names of these tropical places chanted and imagine the image in their head. The chanted word also suggests that the children were in a trance state, listening to the teacher they loved teaching them interesting things about these faraway places along the Nile, almost as if they were on a boat but still in safety of the classroom. It was better than at home. Exciting books. The classroom shone like a candy store. Sweet paper. Colorful shapes. Brady and Hindley faded into the background, like a faint, worried stain in the event of a mistake. As we move into the second stanza, we learn more about the classroom and how it "shined like a candy store", which suggests that the room was filled with bright colors and was a good learning environment. learning. We then continue to read about Brady and Hindley, known as the Moorland Murderers. The faint, worried words tell us that the middle of the paper is coming to an end. The children ran through the doors, but this time they are running away from the school rather than entering it, they are running towards the outside world which is full of new adventures and much more to learn, without the protection of the classroom. “The sky opened in a storm” can symbolize two things: either a new beginning for children as they grow up, or the beginning of an uncertain beginning where they will struggle. I enjoyed this poem and I liked the way Duffy made it interesting. read. She is a very talented writer and I would love to do another of her poems someday. This one really made me think back to my childhood and realize it was true, the changes, the feelings, everything. The message also made me realize how much I have actually changed and it's quite scary although funny to think about it..