FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL

BY ROGER MCGOUGH

Group Members

CHAN MEI YI PHAN CHEI KUAN

YAP SZE MINMINDY LAU SHIUAN INN

First Day At School

The Poet- Roger McGough

• Born on 9 November 1937

• In Liverpool, England• Philip Larkin correspond

him in poetry.• poem : humor and

popular• genre: children, drama,

non-fiction and poetry

OverviewThe poet epitomize the innocent, ignorance, insecurity, confused and misunderstanding of a child on his/her first day at school.

In stanza 1, the content is a typical observation that could be expected by the children on the first day at school.The poet conveys the state of confused. [in stanza 1, line 2, “Waiting for the way to go. ( To go where?) ]

The poet also arouses the sense of insecurity and anxiety inside the child.

In stanza 2, the poet also portrays the theme of insecurity and innocent of a child.Examples: ‘to keep out wolves and monsters', 'things that carry off and eat children’

There are several misspelled words such as “lessin” , “glassroom” and “millionbillionwillion” ,these words show that the child is not expert in vocabulary and he/she is frightened and not-confidence.

In stanza 3, the poet shifts into his own childhood and he is also innocent as the other children.

On his first day at school, he missed the moment that his mother just left him for a few minutes. He also desires the presence of his mother to comfort him as well.

When it was raining, he also missed his yellow wellingtons when he walked through the puddles on the road.

There are many children that do not know what their names are when they are still small.

When the poet was young, he misunderstood the meaning of teacher. “cher” in French word means expensive. So, the poet might think that teacher is the one who will make the tea or the teacher is an expensive tea.

First Day at SchoolLiterary Devices

Hyperbole: “A millionbillionwillion miles

from home”WHY use Hyperbole?-“millionbillionwillion”, the

author wants to show us the

though of a child is usually

exaggeration and wordplay,

to them first day to school is

very far from home.

Imagery “And the railings.”“All around, the railings.”

“Are they to keep out wolves and

monsters?”“Things that carry off and eat children?”

WHY use imagery?- To show that fi rst day at school the

child's impression to school is

frightening, as he or she imagines that

the railings may serve to keep out

monsters.

MetonymyLessin, glassroomWHY use Metonymy?-To show that the child misspelled

words in the poem also serve to

emphasis that the feeling of this

poem is written by a child, who

lacks the literary training to don’t

know how to spell certain words

correctly. 

Rhetorical questionAre they to keep out wolves and monsters?

Things that carry off and eat children?

Things you don't take sweets from?WHY use Rhetorical question?

- To show that the child fi rst day

at school usually curious about

something. They ask and ask to

get answer.

First Day At School

Tone and mood

Apprehension

• Life-changing when go to school

• Because he don't know the person around them.

Naivety and ignorance

• Want to keep away the wolves and monsters in the school

• Do not take sweets from strangers

Fear• He’s mind switches back to

his mother who only left him a few minutes before

• Desire for the comfort of his mother’s presence

First Day at School

Themes

THEME : INNOCENCE OF A CHILD

• Child has been told about what to expect but he has only half understood them

• He gets confused • Let him plays with his own imagination• strange words and concepts make the child

experienced the moment of confusing and slightly scary

EXAMPLES First line • expresses childhood confusion describes the school as a strange place and far from home “A millionbillionwillion miles from home”

Second line • Child has been told: “Waiting for the bell to go. (To go where?)”• He now becomes aware of something scary “Why are they all so big, other children?

So noisy? So much at home they Must have been born in uniform.”

• He immediately sees them as something alien. They also display alienation towards him.

“Spent the years inventing games That don't let me in. Games That are rough, that swallow you up.”

THEME : INSECURITY OF A CHILD • voices the feelings of the child on his unknowing

mind of the new world • misinterpretations of his new life and how he

had gotten the wrong idea• child's confusion in facing the new world he yet

has to explore and discover• insecurity when went through this life-changing

experience• Funny things happen - repeated wrong spelling

words ('...lessins','...glassrooms')