Poetry

In Mrs Tilscher's Class

Summary of the poem:

• The poem explores a young child growing up in a nurturing primary school environment with a beloved teacher, Mrs. Tilscher.
• It is drawn from Carol Ann Duffy's own experience, recalling positive memories of school and the transition from childhood to adolescence.
• The poem's structure consists of four stanzas, with the first two portraying the idyllic classroom, and the last two introducing the theme of change and growing up.
• The poem uses sensory details and vivid imagery to convey the joy and innocence of childhood and the inevitable transition into adulthood.

The inspiration for the poem:

• The poem is inspired by Carol Ann Duffy's own experiences in primary school, particularly her memories of a beloved teacher, Mrs. Tilscher.
• The use of the personal pronoun 'you' places the speaker back into her past, inviting the reader to connect with her experiences.

Explanation of each stanza:

• Stanza 1: Introduces an idyllic primary classroom with vivid sensory details. The teacher makes learning an adventure, and the stanza ends with the joyful sound of the school bell.

• Stanza 2: Continues to portray the wonderful classroom environment, comparing it to a sweetshop. The mention of Brady and Hindley juxtaposes the horrors of the outside world with the classroom's magic.

• Stanza 3: Introduces the theme of change during the Easter term, symbolizing growth and new beginnings. The child learns about birth outside the classroom, signifying a loss of innocence.

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Poetry

• Stanza 4: Depicts the child's sexual awakening and growing up, marked by a hot and feverish atmosphere. Mrs. Tilscher's role changes, and the poem ends with the child leaving the school, entering a new phase.

Form of the Poem:

• The poem consists of four stanzas.
• The first two stanzas have eight lines each, emphasizing the positive atmosphere of the classroom.
• Stanzas three and four have seven lines each, symbolizing the destabilizing nature of adolescence.

Themes

Childhood:

• "This was better than home."

Reflects the idyllic nature of the classroom compared to the speaker's home life.

• "The classroom glowed like a sweetshop."

Highlights the magical and delightful aspects of childhood.

Change/Growing Up:

• "The tadpoles would shift and slide, would blink / like an elderly uncle."

Symbolizes the transition from childhood innocence to adolescence.

• "stared / at your parents, appalled, when you got back home."

Shows the shock and loss of innocence when the child learns about birth.

Images

Sweetshop:

• "The classroom glowed like a sweetshop."

Uses a simile to evoke the colourful and enchanting atmosphere of the classroom.

• "Sugar paper. Coloured shapes."

Creates sensory imagery of a sweetshop-like environment.

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Poetry

Growing Frogs:

• "The tadpoles would shift and slide, would blink / like an elderly uncle." - Uses metaphor to represent the process of growing up and change.
• "jumping and croaking away from the lunch queue"

Implies the children's voices breaking and their journey into adolescence.

Style Techniques

Personification:

• "The laugh of a bell swung by a running child."

Personifies the bell to convey a joyful atmosphere.

Juxtaposition:

• "Ian Brady and Myra Hindley faded, like the faint, uneasy smudge of a mistake."

Juxtaposes the classroom's positivity with the horrors of the outside world.

Language Techniques

Simile:

• "The classroom glowed like a sweetshop."

Uses a simile to compare the classroom to a delightful sweetshop.

Alliteration:

• "The scent of a pencil slowly, carefully, shaved."

Utilises alliteration to create a sensory and nostalgic image of sharpening a pencil.

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Poetry

Personal reflection

1. How does the contrast between the classroom's innocence and real-world darkness affect your view of childhood?

2. What emotions arise as you read about the transition from childhood to adolescence in the poem? How does it relate to your own experiences of growing up?

3. How does the poem's sensory imagery immerse you in childhood, and how does this immersion influence your thoughts on the journey from childhood to adulthood?