Amanda Class 10 English Exam Questions

Please refer to Amanda Class 10 English Exam Questions provided below. These questions and answers for Class 10 English have been designed based on the past trend of questions and important topics in your class 10 English books. You should go through all Class 10 English Important Questions provided by our teachers which will help you to get more marks in upcoming exams.

Class 10 English Exam Questions Amanda

Class 10 English students should read and understand the important questions and answers provided below for Amanda which will help them to understand all important and difficult topics.

Short Answer Type Questions :

Question. What is the central idea of the poem? 
Ans. The central idea of the poem is that children have certain habits and their parents teach them to mend those habits for their benefits. Children have these habits because they want freedom. They want to feel free at home, for example Amanda has certain habits but she is asked to mend those.

Question. Justify the poet’s allusion to Rapunzel in ‘Amanda’.
Ans. It is justified as Rapunzel lived with a witch who would constantly keep a check on her and had several rules to be followed. Amanda too feels caged by the impositions; she desires peace in isolation like Rapunzel had in her tower and clarified that she will not let her hair down for anyone.

Question. What three things did the speaker ask Amanda to do which are expected of a school-going child?
Ans. The three things the speaker asked her were if she had finished her homework, if she had tidied her room and if she had cleaned her shoes. These are the things which are expected of a school-going child.

Question. What impression of Amanda do you get from the poem ‘Amanda’?
Ans. Amanda is a little school-going girl. She is constantly nagged by her parent. It is probably her mother. She keeps asking Amanda to do this or that but poor Amanda longs to be free and live life in her own way.

Question. What all does Amanda dream to do?
Ans. Amanda dreams of being a mermaid drifting on the sea all alone. She dreams of being an orphan walking in the streets with no care. She dreams of being Rapunzel living in a high tower away from everybody.

Question. How does Amanda describe her life as an orphan?
Ans. Amanda says that she is an orphan and roams on the streets. She walks on the surface of the water and creates patterns on the soft dust by her bare feet She finds the freedom into the outer world. Silence is golden for her which is why she loves both freedom and silence.

Question. How does Amanda reply to the ‘nagging’ of the speaker in the first stanza?
Ans. The speaker ‘nags’ Amanda by asking her strange questions. Amanda replies to these in her own way.
She says that she is a mermaid. She lives in the peaceful and green sea and is the only inhabitant in that. She blissfully moves into it alone.

Question. Why does Amanda seem moody most of the time?
Ans. Amanda seems moody most of the time because she is so involved in her world of imagination that she does not pay attention to her mother. Amanda often escapes from reality into her world of fantasy to get away from the continuous scoldings. Her day dreaming makes her look moody and uninterested.

Question. Would you call Amanda a disrespectful child?
Provide one reason to justify your opinion.
Ans. Yes, we can call Amanda a disrespectful child because she does not respond to her parent’s repeated instructions. She is lost in her imagination and does not even look towards her mother when she is yelling at her.

Question. 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? 
Ans. The speaker in stanza 2, 4 and 6 is the child, Amanda. No, Amanda is not listening to the speaker of stanza 1, 3, 5 and 7, as she is lost in the world of her imagination.

Question. Why does Amanda wish to be a mermaid, an orphan, or Rapunzel?
Ans. Amanda wishes to be a mermaid, an orphan and Rapunzel to live a life of freedom. She is constantly scolded by her mother. So, she escapes into her own world of imagination wherein she lives a peaceful life, all alone. As a mermaid shewould be the sole resident of a beautiful sea and as an orphan, she would enjoy freedom. Finally, as Rapunzel she would live a carefree life.

Question. What does the line “never let down my bright hair” tell us about Amanda?
Ans. The line “never let down my bright hair.” tell that Amanda does not want anyone to come and disturb her. She wants to live alone in the silence and hates chaos.

Question. What kind of an image does “languid, emerald sea” evoke? 
Ans. “Languid, emerald sea” evokes an image of a calm and green sea. ‘Languid means moving slowly with little energy, often in an attractive way. ‘Emerald’ is a green coloured gemstone that refers to the green colour of sea water.

Question. Justify the title of the poem ‘Amanda’.
Ans. The title of the poem ‘Amanda’ is very appropriate. The poem is about a little girl, Amanda who is constantly scolded by her mother. Throughout the poem, the focus is on Amanda and her world of imagination. In this world, she lives a free and peaceful life without any interruptions.

Question. How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this? 
Ans. Amanda is a little, middle aged (8-12 years) school going girl. We know this because of the reference of a mermaid and Rapunzel. Also, the instructions given to her, for doing homework, nail biting, correcting posture, etc are generally given to children of such an age group.

Question. What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda? 
Ans. The girl Amanda yearns or desires for freedom and peace in life.
According to the poem, Amanda feels that her freedom has been limited by her mother. She is fed up of the constant scolding and instructions by her mother. She wants to go away and live a peaceful life.

Question. List the things about which Amanda’s mother nag her.
Ans. Amanda’s mother nag or scold her about the following things
● She continuously ask her to sit properly and to not bite her nails.
● Amanda is instructed to not eat chocolates and to clean her room as well as shoes.
● Amanda is also asked to finish her homework.
● Amanda is also pointed out for not paying attention to her mother and for her sulking and moody behaviour.

Question. Who do you think is speaking to her? 
Ans. Any one of Amanda’s elder’s or parents is speaking to her.
From the instructions given to Amanda, one can say that it is most probably Amanda’s mother or governess.

Question. What is the central theme of the poem?
Ans. The central theme of the poem Amanda by Robin Klein is that children love freedom. They do not want any restrictions on their activities. The poem points out that in the endeavour to make their children well-behaved, parents often give too many instructions. Such a scolding behaviour is resented by children and adversely affects their development.

Question. The reader sympathises with the speaker in the poem. Support this opinion with a reason.
Ans. The speaker (probably Amanda’s mother) is worried about Amanda as she is lost in her thoughts. Amanda does not pay attention to what her mother says and this makes the reader sympathise with her mother.

Question. Does Amanda’s mother have a nagging behaviour. Justify your answer.
Ans. Amanda’s mother really have a nagging behaviour. She is always instructing Amanda and finding faults within her. Her mother constantly tell her the do’s and don’ts. Such a nagging behaviour affects Amanda who feels that her freedom is restricted. Amanda’s mothers responsibility to instill (develop) good manners in the child makes Amanda retreat (escape) into her imagination where she seeks peace and freedom.

Question. Why are stanzas 2, 4 and 6 given in parenthesis?
Ans. Stanza 2, 4 and 6 are given in parenthesis because they reflect the inner thoughts of Amanda. Amanda is lost in her dream world and is not listening to what her mother is asking/telling her.

Question. Do you think it is Amanda’s fault in the poem? Justify your answer.
Ans. No, Amanda is not at fault. In the poem, Amanda is constantly instructed and scolded by her mother. Her mother restricts her freedom. Amanda desires the peace and freedom which is not granted to her. So, she escapes into her own world where she enjoys the calmness.

Long Answer Type Questions :

Question. Amanda wants to be a Rapunzel, a beautiful princess living in a tranquil tower. Whrite a character sketch of Amanda in the light of this remark? 
Ans. The given statement shows that Amanda yearns for freedom. She was frustrated and irritated by contant nagging of her mother. She always imagined situations and places in which she wished to remain alone.
In one such imagination, she thought of Rapunzel and felt that she must have had a happy life alone in that tower. She wants to be Rapunzel to live a peaceful life in tower. Her world of dreams give her the freedom and peace that she seeks in reality where she is constantly nagged by her elders.
Amanda did not want to follow the instructions given by her mother and want to live her life on her own terms. This behaviour shows that teenagers do not like to be instructed all the time. They want to take their own decisions and explore the world themselves.

Question. Discuss the importance of proper upbringing with reference to the poem ‘Amanda’ by Robin Klein.
Ans. Upbringing plays an essential role in personality development of a child. Whenever we wish to admire or criticise someone, we talk about the upbringing of that person. Robin Klein’s poem ‘Amanda’ highlights the problems of ‘proper’ upbringing of a child. To instil good values and moral principles in a growing child is the foremost duty of the parents. However, the poem shows how a child feels upset because of constant instructions. Amanda, the little girl in the poem goes through such a situation. She is instructed and scolded for her habits. She gets no freedom and space for herself. As a result, she enters her world of imagination. This world proves to be her defence against her scolding mother. In her world, she seeks freedom and peace. She imagines herself as a mermaid who is the sole resident of a beautiful sea. Then, she imagines herself as an orphan who is free to do anything. Finally, she wants to be Rapunzel and live a peaceful life in a tower. Therefore, elders/parents must maintain a balance. While instilling good manners, they should also give some freedom to their children.

Question. State the key points in the poem ‘Amanda’. What do you learn from it? 
Ans. The key point highlighted in the poem ‘Amanda’ is that every child is special in itself and it requires a great amount of patience and love to make them understand this.
To create such an understanding, parents must give freedom to their children as they learn the best from their own experiences. In this process, children may learn some bad habits which needs to be removed. This undoing also requires a great level of understanding and the right approach. Parents judging each action of a child does more harm.
In the poem, the little girl Amanda goes through constant scoldings for her habits. Everything she does is corrected by her mother and she can’t do anything at her will. Consequently, the girl seeks/desires freedom and a choice. The lack of freedom makes Amanda upset and moody as she escapes her world of imagination. She enjoys the things in her imagination, which she is deprived of in reality.
Therefore, in Amanda, we witness a failed approach of her parents and get a lesson that the parents need to take a more gentle/kind approach to teach their child.

Question. How does Amanda tackle the nagging nature of her mother? Explain with examples from the poem.
Ans. In the poem, ‘Amanda’, the little girl named Amanda often escapes into her own world. Her world of dreams give her the freedom and peace that she seeks in reality where she is constantly nagged by her elders. Her mother continuously instruct and scold her for her ill-manners and laziness.
She is asked not to bite her nails, not to eat chocolates, to clean her room and so on. As Amanda’s mother is giving her instructions, she is lost in her daydreams. The persistance of Amanda’s mother leave a harmful impression in her mind. Her retreat, then, is her way of tackling her mother.
It is her shield and defence against the harsh realities that she goes through. In her reality, her freedom is restricted. Her need for freedom and peace, finds expression in her dreams where she imagines a carefree and happy life as an orphan, mermaid and Rapunzel, without her mother. Amanda may seem moody and upset, to her mother, but is not really so. The nagging nature of her mother makes her escape into a world away from the realities of her life.

Extract Based Questions :

Question. Read the extract to attempt the questions that follow.
Don’t eat that chocolate, Amanda!
Remember your acne, Amanda!
Will you please look atme when I’mspeaking to you,
(i) Why is Amanda not looking at the speaker?
(ii) The speaker is so worried about acne. What does it show?
(iii) Which word in the extract means the same as ‘to gaze’?
(iv) Why does the speaker want Amanda to look at her?
(v) Why is Amanda being reminded about her acne?
Ans. (i) Amanda is lost in her own thoughts and is paying no attention to instructions being given to her. That is why she is not looking at the speaker.
(ii) The speaker being worried about acne shows how much importance is given to physical beauty in a household.
(iii) To look continuously means the same as ‘to gaze’.
(iv) The speaker wants Amanda to look at her to make sure that Amanda is listening to her and following her instructions.
(v) Eating chocolates causes acne to Amanda, thus, she is being reminded about the same.

Question. Read the extract to attempt the questions that follow.
(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!)
(i) Does Amanda live on a tower?
(ii) Why will Amanda not let down her bright hair?
(iii) Which poetic device is used in this stanza?
(iv) Find from the stanza a word which means the same as ‘serene’.
(v) Why does Amanda want to live like Rapunzel?
Ans. (i) No, Amanda stays at her place. Here, she is imagining herself to be Rapunzel who lived in a tower.
(ii) Amanda is aware about the story of Rapunzel. In the story of Rapunzel, all the mishappening and misfortunes are brought to her by letting down the hair. Amanda also wishes to live alone and carefree, without any disturbance.
(iii) The poet has used allusion here as the underlying poetic device.
(iv) The word ‘tranquil’ means the same as serene.
(v) Amanda wants to live like Rapunzel because she had a carefree life in the tower, all alone by herself.

Question. Read the extract to attempt the questions that follow.
(There is a languid, emerald sea,
where the sole inhabitant is me—
a mermaid, drifting blissfully.) 
(i) Who does ‘me’ stand for?
(ii) How does ‘me’ feel?
(iii) Who is ‘me’ compared to?
(iv) Which word in the extract means opposite of ‘sorrowfully’?
(v) Why does Amanda want to be a mermaid?
Ans. (i) Here, ‘me’ stands for Amanda.
(ii) ‘Me’ feels lonely and imagines to bea mermaid who lives alone in a beautiful green sea. She would move in the soft waves of the sea.
(iii) Here, ‘me’ is compared to a ‘mermaid’.
(iv) ‘Blissfully’ is opposite of sorrowful.
(v) As mermaid sails in a sea carelessly and effortlessly, similarly Amanda longs to do so in a place where she is all by herself.