Half past two and Dear Mr Lee Essay Example
Half past two and Dear Mr Lee Essay Example

Half past two and Dear Mr Lee Essay Example

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  • Pages: 3 (555 words)
  • Published: September 11, 2017
  • Type: Essay
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The analysis centers on the poem's theme, encompassing the child's perspective, the teachers' ignorance, and the author's masterful execution.

These two poems prompt the reader to compare and contrast the struggles of two children facing difficulties at school. Both characters endure negative experiences caused by their teachers' lack of comprehension. In "Half Past Two", the student is punished for misbehavior and must remain in class until "half past two." Unfortunately, the teacher failed to teach time-telling skills, leading to further frustration for the student.

As the child awaits the teacher's correction, they experience a sense of confinement. Another former student who once despised English shares their transformation after reading Lorrie Lee's "Cider With Rosie." Although the student speaks highly of the book, they express discontent with their least favorite person - the same teacher who introduce

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d them to it. The student does not wish for the teacher to feel remorseful about their poor exam results but rather ponder on where accountability lies. Upon scrutinizing the poem, it becomes evident that partial responsibility falls on the teacher for the student's lackluster performance.

Mr Smart appears to be a knowledgeable and opinionated English teacher who challenges his students' perspectives, even pointing out the naivety of their views on class struggle. However, he does not encourage aspiring poets and dismissively claims that poor punctuation would make angels weep if one considered poetry as a career. Mr Smart's teaching style doesn't always foster a supportive learning environment, leaving some students feeling like they haven't reached their full potential. The events of Half Past Two imply that the child in question may have gotten into trouble but the teacher's initial forgetfulness doesn't necessaril

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indicate viewing the child as a bad student.

The child's fear of reminding others that he cannot tell time is portrayed in a way that encourages empathy. The clock is personified with "two long legs," highlighting the child's immaturity. Additionally, the child daydreams about escaping through the window and into the air, further exploring this theme. The final line, "he escaped into the clockless land forever," sums up the culmination of his experience as a fantasy adventure.

In "Dear Mr. Lee," the child, like the protagonist, is not a high-performing student and expresses to the author a lack of guilt for failing exams. Despite this, the protagonist maintains enthusiasm for the subject and sees the novel as a constant companion in their life, even stating that they bring it to bed stained with coke and Kit Kat. The book takes on a life of its own and the child's passion is evident in their frequent restarts of their letter, with sentences blending together. The poem "Mr. Lee" is written in letter format with little figurative language, indicating it was written hastily.

Half Past Two employs simplistic language to convey a sense of naivety, starting with the phrase "once upon a school time" reminiscent of fairy tales. The poem does not rely on specific times but instead emphasizes significant moments in a child's life, such as "getting uptime and TV time." The clock is personified, while metaphors are used to explain its inability to communicate the time. Examples of onomatopoeia are also used, including "setting" and "tick," contributing further to the overall playful tone.

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