In Mrs Tilscher's Class Flashcards
'’Travel up the Blue Nile’’
Metaphor compares children’s long journey growing up with an adventure along the Nile. Long sentence mirrors the long journey children take through childhood.
'’Chanted’’
Word choice shows that the mood in the classroom is happy and that the children and Mrs Tilscher are singing.
'’Chalky pyramids rubbed into dust’’
Suggests magical passing of time, something ending and being lost.
'’This was better than home’’
Short sentence suggests safety and happiness, which creates an informal tone.
'’The classroom glowed like a sweet shop’’
Simile shows that the classroom is full of things to trigger the children’s interests
'’The scent of a pencil, slowly, carefully, shaved’’
List and long sentence structure mimics the slow act of sharpening a pencil, a universal memory of childhood.
'’Over the Easter Term’’
Word choice shows that this is a time of growth and regeneration, which signals a turning point in the poem and the speakers growth.
'’Inky tadpoles changed from commas into exclamation marks’’
Metaphor represents children growing up, and the punctuation links to growing up and to learning.
'’jumping and croaking’’
Word choice links to the boys’ voices breaking through comparison to frogs.
'’A rough boy told you how you were born’’
Word choice suggests that the speaker comes from a sheltered background and is oblivious to growing up and knowing about sex.
'’You kicked him’’
Short sentence structure evokes her disbelief and perhaps her fear of the unknown.
'’Air tasted of electricity’’
Metaphor compares the air to electricity which suggests danger, warnings and also excitement.
'’Heavy sexy sky’’
Heavy suggests the burden of new knowledge and emotions, sexy refers to sexual awakening, suggesting that this is what they are burdened by.
'’Impatient to be grown’’
Shows how the speaker’s fear has melted away and turned into eagerness to experience life and leave the world of Mrs Tilscher’s classroom behind.
