Activity 6f- How are Teenagers Represented in the Given Poems?

Activity 6b- How are Teenagers Represented in the given Poems?

Through these given poems, teenagers are represented as wild and rebellious towards adults. All four poems describe adolescents as having a rebellion towards adults' expectations; not wanting to follow the adults, wearing different clothes that change every month, wanting to escape expectations etc...

The first poem is based on an adult's point of view, describing the teenagers on the bus and comparing them to their past experiences as a teenager. The poet states that teenagers seem to have no trouble or fuss about entering adolescence, in contrast to their 'awkward ages' she and her peers felt during their teenage years.

 

The second poem is based on the perspective of a teenager created by an adult poet. The person speaking is a teenager who is rebellious towards adults, wants to behave in a disrespectful manner and has a sneaky character. The poet even makes the teenager in the poem poke fun at his name (towards the end, the poet's name, Steve Turner, becomes a subject of mocking).

The third poem, titled Clothes, is written in a teenager's point of view. The poet first remembers her mother telling her how clothes were different in her time, responding with a laugh. Immediately afterwards, the poet wonders about the clothes of teenagers in the future, whether they would be laughing at the clothes of today, just like the poet laughing at her mother's clothing styles.

The fourth and final poem, Anthem for Youth, is written through the eyes of a teenager. The poet expresses a strong message to adults who want teenagers to 'grow up'  faster.