Question

How does the title of the poem contribute to the development of the poem’s theme?

The theme: Something that looks ordinary at first can actually be beautiful or magical when you look more closely.

Here is the text-
“After Hours in Kindergarten” by Kim Roberts

It’s geography week at school.
The kindergarten halls are lined
with identical pictures: Mrs. Benton’s
penguins, repeated blobs in black and white.

I move out of the polar regions.
What is that odd smell hiding beneath
disinfectant? On a low table I find
white styrofoam painted mud-brown,

notched rectangles that once enclosed
computer components,1now glued
in a standing row, topped with toilet paper rolls,
also painted, topped with little paper

Chinese flags, yellow stars on red.
Why, it’s the Great Wall of China!
Styrofoam walls, cardboard watch towers
— I kneel to look closely —

one of the wonders of the world,
here between the girl’s bathroom
and the janitor’s closet,
fantastic in fluorescent2 light.

Answer 1

The title of the poem contributes to the development of the theme because, one would not expect much from Kindergarten pupils. So, they might look small at first, but were able to create very nice pictures.

Step-by-step explanation:

Before the poet took a closer look, the Styrofoam smelt awful. On closer observance, he was amazed to find that this was a construction of the Great Walls of China. The title of the poem contributes to the theme that "Something that looks ordinary at first can actually be beautiful or magical when you look more closely."

Kindergarten students were able to produce beautiful artworks even though one might have thought them to be too small.