1. Kid Simon Armitage

2. Kid Batman, big shot, when you gave the order to grow up, then let me loose to wander leeward, freely through the wild blue yonder Consider whether Robin has grown up or whether he is still a kid. Alliteration highlights Robin’s feeling of being abandoned. American sounding and derogatory, shows Robin’s anger Romantic imagery.

3. as you liked to say, or ditched me, rather, in the gutter... well, I turned the corner. Verb implies abruptness of their parting. Compare the reality with Batman’s version – ‘wild blue yonder’. Ellipsis implies passage of time as Robin has sorted his life out. Entire poem written in rhyming couplets all ending with same phoneme.

4. Now I've scotched that 'he was like a father to me' rumour, sacked it, blown the cover on that 'he was like an elder brother' story, Speech marks show direct speech. These were things Robin and other people used to say about their relationship. Slang, sounds like something from a ‘Batman and Robin’ episode.

5. let the cat out on that caper with the married woman, how you took her downtown on expenses in the motor. Caper = to jump about playfully / an escapade. Doesn’t fit with Batman’s squeaky clean image. Tax evasion.

6. Holy robin-redbreast-nest-egg-shocker! Holy roll-me-over-in the-clover, I'm not playing ball boy any longer Excessive play on language of Robin’s from original 1960s. Implications of tennis imagery - always running around after the star, never in the spotlight himself.

7. Batman, now I've doffed that off-the-shoulder Sherwood-Forest-green and scarlet number for a pair of jeans and crew-neck jumper; now I'm taller, harder, stronger, older. Doffed = Taken off. Connection with Robin Hood. Green and scarlet are colours of his old suit. Older, sensible clothing.

8. Batman, it makes a marvellous picture: you without a shadow, stewing over chicken giblets in the pressure cooker, next to nothing in the walk-in larder, Taking pleasure in imagining his current suffering. Perhaps also play on words: Marvel comics. Like ‘ball boy’, this shows he has felt undermined by Batman. Stewing = to cook; to brood over something in anger. Imagery of poor or non-existent food. The adult cannot cope now the helper has left.

9. punching the palm of your hand all winter, you baby, now I'm the real boy wonder. Violence of verb and the alliteration of the plosive ‘p’ highlight the pleasure Robin takes in imagining his former friend’s current loneliness and frustration. Is Robin still a boy? Has he grown up at all? Does his petty desire for revenge imply he is still immature?