Kid

By Simon Armitage

www.1966batfan.com/video2.html

KidBatman, big shot, when you gave the orderto grow up, then let me loose to wander leeward, freely through the wild blue yonderas you liked to say, or ditched me, rather,in the gutter … well, I turned the corner.Now I’ve scotched that ‘he was like a fatherto me’ rumour, sacked it, blown the coveron that ‘he was like an elder brother’story, let the cat out on that caperwith the married woman, how you took herdowntown on expenses in the motor.Holy robin-redbreast-nest-egg-shocker!Holy roll-me-over-in-the-clover,I’m not playing ball boy any longerBatman, now I’ve doffed that off-the-shoulderSherwood-Forest-green and scarlet numberfor a pair of jeans and crew-neck jumper;now I’m taller, harder, stronger, older.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,punching the palm of your hand all winter,you baby, now I’m the real boy wonder.

KidBatman, big shot, when you gave the orderto grow up, then let me loose to wander leeward, freely through the wild blue yonderas you liked to say, or ditched me, rather,in the gutter … well, I turned the corner.Now I’ve scotched that ‘he was like a fatherto me’ rumour, sacked it, blown the coveron that ‘he was like an elder brother’story, let the cat out on that caperwith the married woman, how you took herdowntown on expenses in the motor.Holy robin-redbreast-nest-egg-shocker!Holy roll-me-over-in-the-clover,I’m not playing ball boy any longerBatman, now I’ve doffed that off-the-shoulderSherwood-Forest-green and scarlet numberfor a pair of jeans and crew-neck jumper;now I’m taller, harder, stronger, older.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,punching the palm of your hand all winter,you baby, now I’m the real boy wonder.

Feminine rhyme – each line ends in an unstressed syllable, leading naturally to the last “the real boy wonder”. Half or full rhymes. Effect is that the reader/listener is left to wonder what is coming next and it increases the pace, adding to the humour of the poem.

KidBatman, big shot, when you gave the orderto grow up, then let me loose to wander leeward, freely through the wild blue yonderas you liked to say, or ditched me, rather,in the gutter … well, I turned the corner.Now I’ve scotched that ‘he was like a fatherto me’ rumour, sacked it, blown the coveron that ‘he was like an elder brother’story, let the cat out on that caperwith the married woman, how you took herdowntown on expenses in the motor.Holy robin-redbreast-nest-egg-shocker!Holy roll-me-over-in-the-clover,I’m not playing ball boy any longerBatman, now I’ve doffed that off-the-shoulderSherwood-Forest-green and scarlet numberfor a pair of jeans and crew-neck jumper;now I’m taller, harder, stronger, older.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,punching the palm of your hand all winter,you baby, now I’m the real boy wonder.

The rhythm accentuates the final word and places a heavy stress on the last-but-one syllable.

Kid Superiority, arroganceBatman, big shot, when you gave the orderto grow up, then let me loose to wander leeward, freely through the wild blue yonderas you liked to say, or ditched me, rather,in the gutter … well, I turned the corner.Now I’ve scotched that ‘he was like a fatherto me’ rumour, sacked it, blown the coveron that ‘he was like an elder brother’story, let the cat out on that caperwith the married woman, how you took herdowntown on expenses in the motor.Holy robin-redbreast-nest-egg-shocker!Holy roll-me-over-in-the-clover,I’m not playing ball boy any longerBatman, now I’ve doffed that off-the-shoulderSherwood-Forest-green and scarlet numberfor a pair of jeans and crew-neck jumper;now I’m taller, harder, stronger, older.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,punching the palm of your hand all winter,you baby, now I’m the real boy wonder.

Revealing Batman’s secrets.

Could this be symbolic of leaving home?

Ambiguity:-shadow of his former self, suggesting that he cannot cope on his own-Robin used to be his shadow, mimicking everything Batman did (hero image)-Robin was unimportant

Kid Alliteration, sounds like he is spitting it outBatman, big shot, when you gave the orderto grow up, then let me loose to wander leeward, freely through the wild blue yonderas you liked to say, or ditched me, rather,in the gutter … well, I turned the corner.Now I’ve scotched that ‘he was like a fatherto me’ rumour, sacked it, blown the coveron that ‘he was like an elder brother’story, let the cat out on that caperwith the married woman, how you took herdowntown on expenses in the motor.Holy robin-redbreast-nest-egg-shocker!Holy roll-me-over-in-the-clover,I’m not playing ball boy any longerBatman, now I’ve doffed that off-the-shoulderSherwood-Forest-green and scarlet numberfor a pair of jeans and crew-neck jumper;now I’m taller, harder, stronger, older.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,punching the palm of your hand all winter,you baby, now I’m the real boy wonder.

Kid Batman, big shot, when you gave the orderto grow up, then let me loose to wander leeward, freely through the wild blue yonderas you liked to say, or ditched me, rather,in the gutter … well, I turned the corner.Now I’ve scotched that ‘he was like a fatherto me’ rumour, sacked it, blown the coveron that ‘he was like an elder brother’story, let the cat out on that caperwith the married woman, how you took herdowntown on expenses in the motor.Holy robin-redbreast-nest-egg-shocker!Holy roll-me-over-in-the-clover,I’m not playing ball boy any longerBatman, now I’ve doffed that off-the-shoulderSherwood-Forest-green and scarlet numberfor a pair of jeans and crew-neck jumper;now I’m taller, harder, stronger, older.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,punching the palm of your hand all winter,you baby, now I’m the real boy wonder.

Sarcastic cliché, note the tone in which this might be said.

Kid Batman, big shot, when you gave the orderto grow up, then let me loose to wander leeward, freely through the wild blue yonderas you liked to say, or ditched me, rather,in the gutter … well, I turned the corner.Now I’ve scotched that ‘he was like a fatherto me’ rumour, sacked it, blown the coveron that ‘he was like an elder brother’story, let the cat out on that caperwith the married woman, how you took herdowntown on expenses in the motor.Holy robin-redbreast-nest-egg-shocker!Holy roll-me-over-in-the-clover,I’m not playing ball boy any longerBatman, now I’ve doffed that off-the-shoulderSherwood-Forest-green and scarlet numberfor a pair of jeans and crew-neck jumper;now I’m taller, harder, stronger, older.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,punching the palm of your hand all winter,you baby, now I’m the real boy wonder.

Punning: the capes they wore and the name Caped Crusader associated with Batman.

Kid Batman, big shot, when you gave the orderto grow up, then let me loose to wander leeward, freely through the wild blue yonderas you liked to say, or ditched me, rather,in the gutter … well, I turned the corner.Now I’ve scotched that ‘he was like a fatherto me’ rumour, sacked it, blown the coveron that ‘he was like an elder brother’story, let the cat out on that caperwith the married woman, how you took herdowntown on expenses in the motor.Holy robin-redbreast-nest-egg-shocker!Holy roll-me-over-in-the-clover,I’m not playing ball boy any longerBatman, now I’ve doffed that off-the-shoulderSherwood-Forest-green and scarlet numberfor a pair of jeans and crew-neck jumper;now I’m taller, harder, stronger, older.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,punching the palm of your hand all winter,you baby, now I’m the real boy wonder.

Scandal or bad taste, sexual innuendo and fiddling the books.

Kid Batman, big shot, when you gave the orderto grow up, then let me loose to wander leeward, freely through the wild blue yonderas you liked to say, or ditched me, rather,in the gutter … well, I turned the corner.Now I’ve scotched that ‘he was like a fatherto me’ rumour, sacked it, blown the coveron that ‘he was like an elder brother’story, let the cat out on that caperwith the married woman, how you took herdowntown on expenses in the motor.Holy robin-redbreast-nest-egg-shocker!Holy roll-me-over-in-the-clover,I’m not playing ball boy any longerBatman, now I’ve doffed that off-the-shoulderSherwood-Forest-green and scarlet numberfor a pair of jeans and crew-neck jumper;now I’m taller, harder, stronger, older.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,punching the palm of your hand all winter,you baby, now I’m the real boy wonder.

Word association, again very humorous

Kid Batman, big shot, when you gave the orderto grow up, then let me loose to wander leeward, freely through the wild blue yonderas you liked to say, or ditched me, rather,in the gutter … well, I turned the corner.Now I’ve scotched that ‘he was like a fatherto me’ rumour, sacked it, blown the coveron that ‘he was like an elder brother’story, let the cat out on that caperwith the married woman, how you took herdowntown on expenses in the motor.Holy robin-redbreast-nest-egg-shocker!Holy roll-me-over-in-the-clover,I’m not playing ball boy any longerBatman, now I’ve doffed that off-the-shoulderSherwood-Forest-green and scarlet numberfor a pair of jeans and crew-neck jumper;now I’m taller, harder, stronger, older.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,punching the palm of your hand all winter,you baby, now I’m the real boy wonder.

Repetition, emphasising his strength, dominance and superiority

Kid Batman, big shot, when you gave the orderto grow up, then let me loose to wander leeward, freely through the wild blue yonderas you liked to say, or ditched me, rather,in the gutter … well, I turned the corner.Now I’ve scotched that ‘he was like a fatherto me’ rumour, sacked it, blown the coveron that ‘he was like an elder brother’story, let the cat out on that caperwith the married woman, how you took herdowntown on expenses in the motor.Holy robin-redbreast-nest-egg-shocker!Holy roll-me-over-in-the-clover,I’m not playing ball boy any longerBatman, now I’ve doffed that off-the-shoulderSherwood-Forest-green and scarlet numberfor a pair of jeans and crew-neck jumper;now I’m taller, harder, stronger, older.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,punching the palm of your hand all winter,you baby, now I’m the real boy wonder.

Is it all in Robin’s imagination?

KidBatman, big shot, when you gave the orderto grow up, then let me loose to wander leeward, freely through the wild blue yonderas you liked to say, or ditched me, rather,in the gutter … well, I turned the corner.Now I’ve scotched that ‘he was like a fatherto me’ rumour, sacked it, blown the coveron that ‘he was like an elder brother’story, let the cat out on that caperwith the married woman, how you took herdowntown on expenses in the motor.Holy robin-redbreast-nest-egg-shocker!Holy roll-me-over-in-the-clover,I’m not playing ball boy any longerBatman, now I’ve doffed that off-the-shoulderSherwood-Forest-green and scarlet numberfor a pair of jeans and crew-neck jumper;now I’m taller, harder, stronger, older.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,punching the palm of your hand all winter,you baby, now I’m the real boy wonder.

Batman’s favourite adjective (Parody)

British slang

Naval jargon

Self-ridicule, mocking the superhero outfit

Bathos, showing how he used to rely on Robin to shop for food

Enjambment

Colloquial language

What the poem is about!

• It is written as Robin’s point of view and so is a dramatic monologue.

• Robin is fed up of always being in Batman’s shadow.

• He was portrayed as a ‘Boy wonder’ making him out to always be the younger/naïve one, like Batman’s apprentice. This is quite patronising.

Structure

• 1 BIG LONG STANZA

• It is well set out in connection with the theme of the poem because it shows how Robin is rambling on.

• The sentences are quite long to show, again, that he is rambling on.

Theme

• The main theme is that of Robin’s bitterness towards Batman and also jealousy that Batman was always the more important one.

Imagery“…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, punching the arm of your hand all

winter…”

• This quote gives the image that Batman has been reduced to this mean image of him stewing chicken giblets-pathetic and lonely. It shows that he has let himself go and doesn’t care anymore.

Rhythm

• The rhythm reflects the popular comic book/show theme tune to give the poem more meaning and relation with the duo of batman and robin.

• The poem also has iambic pentameter to relate to the theme tune again, and also to show the list that robin is giving about all of the things that he finds fault with batman.

Language• Dramatic Monologue• The use of slang: “doffed”, “scotched” and

“sacked it”.• There are also time references in the poem which

relate to the 1930-40’s – “Kid”, “Big shot”, “Wild Blue Yonder” and “Caper”.

• Movie References: “Ditched me”• There is one Metaphor: “…I’m not playing ball boy

any longer…” – he refers himself to always being the one who did all the work.

• References to the cartoon: “Holy Robin-Redbreast-nest-egg-shocker”

Symbols

• “…now I’m taller, harder, stronger, older…” – this shows that Robin has broken free from his previous life in Batman’s shadow, which symbolises that people can change their lives.

• Also the symbol that batman is left as nothing.

Comparison with another poem

• Kid can be compared with Education for Leisure because in this poem the persona also shows bitterness because people didn’t take any notice of him either.

• Also you could compare the Laboratory with Kid because this also shows anger and bitterness to someone close to them.