Mrs Tilscher Flashcards
Introduction
Mrs Tilscher is a teacher who has a pivotal force on Duffy as she is a young child who is growing up. The poem talks about all the details of Duffy’s childhood classroom and as she develops into a teenager and how Mrs Tilscher is such an important part of her growing up.
Classroom Setting
The poem talks about children tracing their fingers on the map of Africa. This suggests a sense of wonder for the children as it is a sensory thing. This brings out the excitement in the first stanza of the poem. The settling of the poem is very nostalgic as it goes back to when children first started school and how the time passes quickly.
The Teacher - Mrs Tilscher
Mrs Tilscher is portrayed as a mother figure to the children as she is there to teach them and to be with them for the journey of them growing up and developing into teenagers. This signifies the relationship between the teacher and the student.
Nostalgia and Memory
“Skittle of milk” suggests that the skittles are being compared to milk bottles. This creates a fun but nostalgic time which was spent with Mrs T.
“The laugh of a bell swung by a running child ” this creates a happy atmosphere for the children. ‘Swing’ and ‘running’ establishes a carefree world where children are carefree to grow and find themselves. This is a core memory for children when looking back on them running and laughing at lunch time during lower school.
Transition to Adolescence
“The inky tadpoles changed from commas to exclamation marks” this metaphor represents children growing up. It links developing frogs to writing. WC links to language associated with classroom. Exclamation mark anticipates the shock the child feels when she’s told how she’s born.
“Hopped” and “Dunce” WC - growing up children described as frogs croaking which implies their voices breaking.
“Heavy, sexy sky” pathetic fallacy - links to speakers feelings of experiencing puberty.
Symbolism and Imagery
“Glowed like a sweet shop” suggests that sweet shops are places full of wonder for children, they offer temptation and delight emphasises joyful and exciting environment-anticipation.
“This was better than home” this suggests the safety/happiness and enthusiasm of the children who enjoy being in Mrs T’s class.
This image enhances the poems meaning of children’s senses. This helps the reader to understand that lower school is an exciting place, which is fun and joyful.
The Shift in Mood
“Like the faint, uneasy smudge of a mistake” suggests the power of loving environment wipes away horrible figures. Children can not be harmed but there’s always a ‘smudge’, an evil mark that Mrs T cannot erase.
“Over the Easter Term” clear indication of passage of time. Turning point. Poems theme of growing up, childhood begins to develop. Easter suggests rebirth, childhood is over.
Language and Tone
The tone is happy and exciting. As the children are young and Mrs T is creating a safe learning environment for them. The tone then changes as the children change into their adolescence. Talks about how the children deal with being independent and not having Mrs T to rely on.
Personal Reflections
Having a lot of play time in lower school. Learning about different shapes and using all the coloured paper. The smell of paint from doing arts and crafts all day. Drinking milk at lunch when we were given it. Having a teacher which portrays as a mother figure to us all.
Comparison with Other Poems
This poem compares to Originally when it says in the second stanza “All childhood is an emigration” which suggests that all children is a constant movement and that everyone is evolving and growing up everyday. The common themes in these poems are growing up, identity and change.
The Title
Mrs Tilscher Class gives the reader a comforting expectation of the poem as it’s about a primary school teacher who has a pivotal force on the writer. This poem explores young children growing up.
Conclusion
The overall message and impact this poem has is how quickly children develop into adolescence and that your primary school teacher is not going to be with you all the way until you’re an adult. This indicates that the children are being taught independence when going into the world on their own.
