In Mrs Tilscher's Class Essay Questions

Discuss the formal elements of this poem such as rhyme, meter, and stanza.

"In Mrs Tilscher's Class" is written in free verse and composed of four stanzas. The choice of free verse—which is to say, no consistent or predictable pattern of rhyme or meter—creates a mood of relaxed informality. That mood helps evoke the informal, inviting, and playful atmosphere of Mrs. Tilscher's class. However, the four stanzas create a greater sense of structure. The first two of those four stanzas are octaves, while the final two are septets. Thus, gradual changes in the speaker's life are reflected in slight alterations to stanza length.

What are some of the ways that Duffy portrays her speaker's innocence in this work?

Duffy's strategies for conveying a state of innocence include evoking an impressionistic sense of time and using playful metaphorical language. To accomplish the former, she moves quickly between descriptions, favoring language that links events in a loose, list-like chronology rather than highly specific units of chronological measurement. Meanwhile, to achieve the latter, Duffy generally opts for figurative language firmly linked to the world of childhood and education. For instance, a milk bottle is compared to a "skittle," a piece used in a childhood game similar to bowling. As Duffy shifts gears to show her speaker growing up, she begins to use more precise language about time, and uses figurative language evocative of adulthood and later life.