“In Mrs Tilscher’s Class” is a poem written in the second-person voice, describing a student's nostalgic memory of a beloved teacher. It is the second poem in Carol Ann Duffy’s 1990 collection The Other Country. In the poem, an adult speaker addresses a "you"—presumably a younger version of themself—describing the affection, entertainment, and joy they experienced under Mrs. Tilscher's tutelage. As the poem continues, the young protagonist begins to learn more about the adult world, and in particular about sex and reproduction. This knowledge is at once distressing and exciting, so that by the end of the year they are eager to leave school and grow up. However, the adult speaker expresses a degree of longing for the innocence of childhood. The work explores themes of innocence and experience, safety and security, and sexuality.
The poem is set in Britain during the mid-twentieth century, as hinted at by various details of school life as well as an allusion to an infamous series of murders from the 1960s. Duffy, who grew up in Scotland during this period, often situates her work in this setting or else alludes to it.
Written in free verse, the poem's tone is informal and its language is highly accessible. Duffy frequently uses figurative language in order to strengthen her poem's mood and setting—for instance, her young speaker's innocence is emphasized through similes related to school games and candy. While the poem has no consistent rhyme scheme or meter, its formal qualities help convey the speaker's evolution. The poem consists of two octaves and two septets; the switch in stanza length midway through mimics the speaker's changing mindset.
