• The history teacher uses repression and denial, key defense mechanisms in psychoanalytic theory, by sugar-coating historical events to avoid confronting harsh truths.

  
  

• His choice to soften reality may stem from his own unresolved trauma or discomfort with the past.

  
  

• He projects this avoidance onto his students, believing he is protecting them from the pain he once experienced.

• This can be due to the fact that the history teacher is himself uncomfortable with how the world has been.

  
  

• This behavior suggests that shielding people from truth doesn’t protect them — it distorts their worldview and stunts emotional maturity.

• A poem that reflects on maternal feminism.

• Dissects the underappreciation of maternal labour in society and households despite their efforts and imperative roles.

  
  

• The Lanyard focuses on the efforts of the mother. The vital efforts that can never be truly paid back

• It symbolizes how society and children, especially sons, attempt to repay their mothers sacrifices with inadequate gestures that are insignificant.

• The receiving from the mother represents the silent acceptance that women in society bear without complaint. A critical interpretation of this poem can be demanding recognition of their work. 

• The mother never complains, or expects more, reinstating how mothers are expected to give without ever expecting anything in return.

"She gave me life and milk from her breasts, and I gave her a lanyard."

Billy Collins goes on to write about how much she had done for him, and how he thought giving this meaningless gift would make them even, displaying how little women in this society are appreciated and thought for.

• Focuses on symbols and the types of characters in a story. Symbols can range from rocks to the sun or the moon. This theory focuses on generalizing common occurrences in stories.

• The initial connection is the quest. The quest refers to a journey or endeavor a character takes on. Applying this to the poem, we see the poet vividly describe a path. He gives a description of the nature and the elements of said path.

• The theme of birth and rebirth is seen in an excerpt from the poem, Collins speaks as though nature loses itself and, through a natural process, comes back alive, greener than ever.

• Written later in Billy Collins life.

• Inspired by a real story.

• Combines humour with a heartfelt message.

• Explains the thought that children misunderstand their mothers sacrifices.

• Written by Billy Collins while he was a teacher.

• Reflecting on education and sugarcoating information to children.

• Highlights the dangers of misinformation.

• Uses irony to demonstrate that avoiding the truth leads to ignorance and cruelty.

• Written in a time of Billy Collins life when he was reflecting on his life.

• Uses metaphors, such as 'directions' meaning finding peace and preparing for death.

• Not a literal poem, instead an analogy for an emotional journey inwards.

• Uses lots of Archetypal imagery, to create mood and symbolism.

• Using archetypal theory, this poem is seen as the hero's journey.

"Follow your nose and the road will start to appear beneath your feet."

This line symbolizes a call to adventure, one that starts a journey of self discovery.

"Trying to protect his students’ innocence he told them the Ice Age was really just the Chilly Age, a period of a million years when everyone had to wear sweaters."

This stanza demonstrates the teacher trying to protect his students by lying to them, but this instead implies him projecting due to his discomfort for reality.