In Mrs Tilscher's Class Flashcards
“Tana. Ethiopia. Khartoum. Aswân.”
List of minor one-word sentences - mimics the patient way that Mrs Tilscher pauses after saying things in class which evokes the teaching style of the period.
“You could travel up the Blue Nile with your finger, tracing the route while Mrs Tilscher chanted the scenery.”
Personal pronoun ‘you’ instantly involves the reader and creates a talkative tone. Long sentence mirrors the length of the journey through childhood. ‘Chanted’ conveys the sense of wonder and excitement of the children as they hang onto her every last word.
“a skittle of milk”
The metaphor is a comparison of the milk bottles to bowling skittles. It suggests the fun and excitement the children feel in the classroom because school seems like a game.
“the chalky Pyramids rubbed into dust.”
The poet creates magical connotations here because of the metaphorical image of the ‘dust’ which is associated with desert conditions. It also symbolises the passing of time and the transition from something ending to something beginning.
“The laugh of a bell”
Personification of the bell projects the child’s laughter onto it which creates a positive atmosphere and establishes the nurturing and care-free environment of primary school.
“Enthralling books. […] Sugar Paper. Coloured Shapes”
Series of minor sentences - ‘enthralling’ suggests that the children are completely absorbed in their learning and the short sentence emphasises the strength of the feeling. The activities in the classroom transport the children to a magical world.
“The classroom glowed like a sweetshop.”
Simile - Just as sweetshops typically offer wonder and delight, so too the primary classroom is a source of interest and utter enjoyment to the children. ‘Glowed’ suggests the warm and comfort of the setting.
“Brady and Hindley faded, like the faint, uneasy smudge of a mistake.”
Juxtaposition of the secure classroom environment to mention of serial killers. The power of Mrs Tilscher’s loving nature can wipe away these figures but ‘smudge’ suggests that she can’t completely erase the evil in the world. She can remove the fear and anxiety of the outside world.
“Mrs Tilscher loved you.”
Short declarative sentence to show that the speaker is assured of the love. It contrasts to the previous sentence and brings warmth and security back to the verse.
“A xylophone’s nonsense”
Personification of the xylophone creates an audial image which helps the reader to remember the sounds and setting associated with primary school.
“Over the Easter term,…”
Easter symbolises a time of growth and regeneration which signals a turning point in the poem and the speaker’s growth.
“…the inky tadpoles changed from commas into exclamation marks.”
Metaphor - Just as tadpoles grow into frogs at some point in their life, so too the children are transitioning into young adults. Their growth from ‘commas’ into ‘exclamation marks’ symbolises how they are changing from innocent young children to bolder teenagers with more complex emotions. The punctuation reference links to the educational setting. ‘Exclamation mark’ suggests that the change can be overwhelming and shocking for the children.
“A rough boy told you how you were born.”
‘Rough boy’ suggests that the speaker has lost the security of the classroom. She has been exposed to the real world and her innocence is fading.
“You kicked him, but stared at your parents, appalled, when you got back home.”
‘Kicked him’ suggests that the speaker is overwhelmed with this sudden knowledge and doesn’t know how to deal with her feelings. The parentheses adds emphasis to the speaker’s horror. Her familiar and safe world is disintegrating. The complex sentence structure reflects the complex emotions of the speaker.
“That feverish July”
Word choice of ‘feverish’ conveys the flustered and agitated moods of the pupils while also emphasising the intensity of their emotions.
