2. STANZA 1
Line
no
Line Interpretation
1 My dad’s as brave as a dad can
be
The persona makes a statement
about his/her father as a
brave/courageous person (a father
is normally brave)
2 I rate him Number One,
In his/her opinion, his/her father is
the best
3 He’s not afraid of the dead of
night,
His/her father is not scared of the
quietest and darkest part of the
night
4 Or anything under the sun. Or anything that exists around us.
(It can also mean that his/her father
is not afraid of anything during the
day)
3. STANZA 2
Line
no
Line Interpretation
1 He’s not afraid of a late-night
film,
The persona’s father is not
scared of watching horror
movies on television late at
night
2 Full of horrors on the telly,
3 And is he afraid of skeletons? He is also definitely not scared
of skeletons. (“not on your
Nelly!” is a British expression
which means “Certainly not!”)
4 Not dad, not on your
Nelly!
4. STANZA 3
Line
no
Line Interpretation
1 He’s not afraid of meeting
ghosts,
The persona’s father does not
fear meeting ghosts (something
that most of us are scared of)
2 He’d even smile and greet ‘em, He can even smile and greet or
talk to the ghosts. (‘em –
informal British or American,
short form of ‘them’)
3 And things that scare most dads
the most,
His/her father can also
beat/overcome many things or
problems that other fathers are
afraid of/cannot do.
4 My dad could just defeat ‘em.
5. STANZA 4
Line
no
Line Interpretation
1 He’s not afraid of
vampires,
The persona’s father does not
fear vampires
2 Or a wolf-man come to get him, Or a wolf-man that is going to
attack him
3 If Frankenstein’s monster
knocked on our door,
He would not be worried or
scared even if the
horrible Frankenstein’s
monster came to their
house.
4 He wouldn’t let that upset him.
6. STANZA 5
Line
no
Line Interpretation
1 My dad’s as brave as a dad can
be,
The persona makes a statement
about his/her father as a
brave/courageous person (a father is
normally brave) – it is repeated to
emphasize his father’s
bravery/courage
2 And he’s always ready to
prove it.
He is willing and confident to show
his bravery/courage
3 So why, when a spider’s in the
bath,
The persona admires his/her father
and is proud of him, but he/she
cannot understand why his/her
mother has to get rid of a spider (just
a small insect) that is in the bathtub.
(Perhaps, his/her father is scared
of tiny insects!)
4 Does Mum have to come and
remove it?
7. Synopsis
• The persona feels his father is very brave and is not
afraid of any time of the day and anyting in the
world.He rates his father who watches horror movies
late at night is not put off by any horror scenes or
fearful skeletons.If any ghost appears in front of his
father,he will either greet them or fight them
off.Horror figures,big or small,ugly or scary looking
do not give him the creeps even if they appear at his
door.However,the persona's father or his hero has a
weakness-He has a fear of spider.
8. THEMES
• Bravery / Courage
• Heroism
• Admiration
• Father and child
• Leadership by example
9. MORAL VALUES
• We should appreciate the qualities of our
fathers
• We have to be brave/courageous in any
situation
• We should show good examples to others
• Parents are brave/courageous in their own
ways
• Family unity is important
11. Let’s try this out
• 1.How do you think the persona probaly looks
when he talks of his father?Choose two word
from the list given-
sullen,bored,misenerous,serious,proud.
• 2.Why does the persona use the phrase 'dead
of night' to refer to the father being
considered brave?
12. Stanza 3
• Name the object mentioned by the persona
that most people are afraid of.
• What does the persona say his father will do?
