Cruel to be kind
This poem shows that sometimes it is necessary to listen to things that are not nice to hear. Collins illustrates this argument by using irony, telling the story of a history teacher who changes key events in history to make them sound nice to his students. However, in doing so the teacher is misinforming his students, which is never a good thing. Overall, in this humorous poem, Collins shows that sometimes sugar-coating can lead to misinformation.
The Truth
Ultimately, for this poem to work on a humorous level, we must value the truth. As readers, we understand that the teacher's sugar-coated reading of history is something that students should not be taught, as it clouds the truth. Perhaps Collins is suggesting that children ought to be told the truth, even if it might upset them.
The importance of history
The poem suggests that knowing about history is important, as we can learn from what has happened in the past. In this poem, when the children don't learn about history there is an increase in bullying. Collins suggests that this is a direct result of their ignorance about history.
