Nat 5 English- ‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’ Annotations

"You..."

Use of personal pronouns- shows you always feel as though you're a member of her class. Indicates a sense of belonging. By starting the poem with this word, it immerses the reader and shows that everyone is welcome in Mrs Tilscher's class.

"...could travel..."

Potential, journey, exploration. This suggests excitement and shows that the classroom was a place that she enjoyed being in with limitless possibilities.

"...up the blue Nile with your finger, tracing the route..."

Metaphor- compares children's journey growing up with an adventure along the Nile.

"You could...the scenery."

Long sentence + enjambment- this creates the idea that the reader is travelling across the page. Mirrors the long journey the children take through childhood.

"...chanted..."

Magic and being spellbound. Shows that the children were captivated by her words. Image of children being held captive by what she was teaching. Also helps add a positive happy atmosphere, the sweet singing voice of Mrs Tilscher.

"Tana. Ethiopia. Khartoum. Aswan."

Minor sentences. The list of places along the Nile. Continues the idea of her being captivated and hanging on to every word Mrs Tilscher says shows that Duffy is sharing the experience through hearing the names.

"...skittle..."

Milk, bottle, game. Shape of milk bottle. Fitting comparison because it is a game children play. The idea of milk is symbolic of her innocence at this young age highlighting her purity as a child.

"...chalky Pyramids rubbed into dust."

Metaphor. Pyramids literally disappear as she cleans the chalkboard. Adds to the image of her magic- and able to conjure things up and then make them disappear. Suggesting passing of time, something ending and being lost.

"...laugh of a bell..."

Personification. Laughter links to childhood and the author looks back nostalgically on starting school as a happy time. Establishes an uplifting and carefree world, where children are free to grow and find themselves within a nurturing setting and shows the excitement of the speakers school day routine.

"This was better than home."

Simple, blunt statement. Reiterates how happy and content pupils were to be in school- safety.

"Enthralling..."

Amazement + engaged. Continues the idea of a captivating atmosphere being created in the classroom. The short sentence also emphasises the strength of their feelings.

"...glowed..."

Shining, bright, and warmth. This suggests how much of a sparkling and joyous atmosphere the classroom contained. It was a place the pupils desired to be in.

"Classroom glowed like a sweet shop."

Simile. Just as a sweet shop is colourful and a place excitement for kids, so too is the classroom place they long to be in and that brings the bliss. Highlights the abundance of treats that Mrs Tilscher brought to the kids.

"Sugar paper. Coloured shapes."

Minor sentence. Extended simile continues describing the classroom as a sweet shop and magical places. Highlights the inventive activities the pupils enjoyed.

"Brady and Hindley..."

Reference to Moor's murderers. Terrifying ordeal for children (and parents). Juxtaposed- security and danger of the Moors Murders. Simile- Power of loving environment, removes fear.

"...faded, like the faint, uneasy smudge of a mistake."

Simile- they felt so safe and loved by Mrs Tilscher that even something as horrifying as these murders felt like a small blemish on an otherwise happy childhood.

"...good gold star..."

Positive, trophy, achievement. The build up of positive vocabulary suggests the thrill of of being valued tangibly covered by Mrs Tilscher.

"Scent of a pencil slowly, carefully, shaved."

Sibilance. Appeals to senses- mimics sound of pencil sharpening a universal memory of childhood but also evokes the universal memory of pencil shavings from childhood. The use of 'slowly' and 'carefully' suggests the lingering time taken on the task, shows the pleasure felt in class.

"A xylophone..."

Contrast cuts i- harsher. Emphasise her pride in her class. Personification- implies that hasn't been mastered it yet but sounds fun and appealing.

"...nonsense..."

Chaos and ridiculousnesses. Suggests that the classroom was a place where the pupils could explore their imaginations and were comfortable being free.

"Over the Easter term,..."

Easter = spring- indicates passing of time- time for change/growth. Turning point in the poem and the speaker's growth.

"...inky tadpoles..."

Development and maturity. Reference to spring and the change continues to specifically show the physical journey the pupils are taking towards maturity.

"...commas into exclamation marks."

Metaphor- as the children grow, they start to learn more complex aspects- moved away from 'adventure'. As they grow they start to become more boisterous. Move from something soft to something harsh.

"...hopped..."

Structure/form- reader forced to hop across the page like kids playing leap frog.

"...dunce..."

Connotations of stupid- old fashioned statement.

"...croaking..."

Voices, inarticulate, struggle. This references the change in the boys voices but also suggests the awkward self-consciousnesses of developing maturity.

"...away from the lunch queue."

Distance, removal, not a part of. This suggests the children's movement away from accepted rules of behaviour as they grow older.

"...rough..."

Uneven, violent, pain. Reference to growing up/experiencing puberty showing the struggles of maturity and the brutality of adult knowledge which destroys their innocence.

"...told you how you were born."

Force, non-consenting, unsettling. At this moment realisation/change/shift in tone. Suggests shelters background, snobbish behaviour, immature, lack of knowledge of world. Links to growing up and gaining knowledge of sex without the desire to know- maturity is forced on us.

"You kicked him,..."

Violence, childish reaction. The simple statement evokes her disbelief and perhaps her fear/rejection of the unknowns she is unable to deal with her feelings effectively at this stage in the speaker's development.

"...appalled..."

Disgust, shock, snapped out of the safe place she knew. Shows the horror she felt at what maturity and growing up is like, the childlike view of the world being pleasant and nice is now gone. Parenthesis places the word in the middle of the line, adding emphasis to her horror as her familiar and safe world disintegrates in front of her eyes. Complex sentence to highlight the complex thoughts of the reader.

"...feverish..."

Oppressive heat, out of control, unbearable. Heat building be symbolises tension building. Conveys the flustered, agitated mood, suggests illness, heat or even excitement.

"...air tasted like electricity."

Metaphor- compares the air to electricity, suggests danger, warnings and also excitement. New energy and excitement fuelling the children but it also suggests the threat of lightening and storms, suggesting the difficult time of adolescence.

"...electricity."

Thunder, spark, pain. Suggests the building of sexual tension and chemistry/puberty.

"...alarm..."

Fear, awake, alert. Anxiety building within the author. Compares change of laughing bell to the speaker. Links to stress and excitement that the child perceives in physical terms. "Alarm" also suggests a warning.

"...untidy,hot,fractious..."

List- suggest the speaker feels uncomfortable, experiencing the beginning of puberty and feeling a lack of self-control.

"...heavy, sexy sky."

Pathetic fallacy- suggests an oppressive/restrictive atmosphere creates by awakening sexual awareness. Word choice suggests a storm is building. "Heavy" suggests the burden of new knowledge and emotions, "sexy" refers to sexual awakening.

"...Mrs Tilscher's smiled, then turned away."

Hint at distance forming. Mrs Tilscher’s done her job. This time, when the child goes to Mrs Tilscher for help and security it is no longer there. The line break is deliberate here to mimic the new division between teacher and pupil.

"Reports were handed out."

Contrast stanza 1 and 2. Instead of magical world provided by Mrs Tilscher, reality sets un with school reports. Mrs Tilscher's role has become ordinary and matter of fact.

"...impatient to be grown..."

Parenthesis- creates emphasis of the speaker's feelings, fear has melted away and turned into eagerness to experience life and leave this harsh, cruel world.

"...sky split open into a thunderstorm."

Representative of the chaos ahead of their looming puberty/adulthood suggests a threatening and ominous power. Pathetic fallacy link to speaker's feelings. Metaphor- compares with the dramatic feelings about growing up, scary/exciting + word choice of split, parting away from childhood into adulthood.