by Armitage

“I’m the real boy wonder” This poem uses the voice of Robin, Batman’s sidekick. Robin is no longer with Batman, he is now grown up and independent – and proud of it. He is not afraid about putting the record straight and has ‘blown’ Batman’s cover, claiming he was not the father figure everyone thought he was. “Now I’ve scotched that ‘he was like a father figure to me’ rumour”

Attitudes and ideas This is a poem that sends up Batman, it is light-hearted and amusing. Perhaps Armitage is making a slightly more serious comment about heroes and icons generally - that they do not live up to their reputations, while they depend on others for their continued success.

Themes Parent and child Youth and age Loneliness Relationships Independence Betrayal

“Holy robin-redbreast” Language Armitage uses the language to effect the reader. The poem is written in first person and Armitage has imagined how Robin felt. There is use of American slang, such as ‘wide blue yonder’. This is effective as it establishes the poem’s setting and emphasises Robin’s casual attitude. The language uses contrasts, Robin says Batman ‘let me loose to wander…..or ditched me”. This shows the change in their relationship. He is quite bitter – this is shown in the last line; “You baby, now I’m the real boy wonder” Robin presents a metaphor of himself as Batman’s ‘shadow’. Maybe now he is independent, perhaps he feels like a whole person and not a shadow of someone else.

Structure The rhyme scheme of the poem reminds us of the old bat man theme tune … der der der der der der der der BATMAN! It makes the poem have a spiralling sound as all lines end with an –er sound. The comma in the last line gives a dramatic pause before Robin’s last vindictive comment.

What does it compare to? PoemWhy? ‘Song of the old mother’ Youth and age/ relationships/ unhappiness ‘Havisham’Difficulties in relationships/ unhappiness

For 11.1 with lots of help from Google, and Philip Alan Updates GCSE Student Text Guide.