stanza 3

• "Over the Easter term"

  • Turning point: stanzas get slightly shorter suggesting time running out in Mrs Tilscher's class. Easter/ Spring is a time of rebirth, marking the beginning of the movement from innocence to maturity.
• "the inky tadpoles changed from commas into exclamation marks."

  • Metaphor: tadpoles developing into frogs, linking the classroom to the real world where life undergoes constant change. This could also symbolise the children growing up, suddenly more aware of their bodies and each other.
• "freed by a dunce"

  • Word choice suggests they are no longer equals, sitting in awe in Mrs Tilscher's room. They are now smart or stupid.
• "jumping and croaking"

  • The boys are growing up - their voices breaking. Comparison to frogs furthers impression of them maturing from swimming tadpoles to jumping frogs.
• "A rough boy told you how you were born."

  • Suggests she is a bit of a snob/has had a fairly sheltered upbringing. She is now learning about sex - change and transition from the innocence of childhood.
• "You kicked him"

  • Shock is conveyed through her violent reaction - she is still very childish.
• "appalled"

  • The parenthesis highlights the word conveying her horror and distress. As the primary school experience ends, so too does the innocence of the child.