Part one of term paper
McAvley's purpose in "Merry-Go-Round" is to show the innocent beliefs of children viewed by a cynical adult. It portrays children caught up in the magical, surreal world of childhood before thrown into reality and the discordant life of adulthood. He employs specific stylistic devices such as imagery and diction, structure and tone to reveal ...

Part two of term paper
... the meaning and understanding of the poem. McAvley uses the theme of this poem to suggest the tone, which shifts from excitement in the first two stanzas to detached cynicism in the last three stanzas. The tone of excitement is depicted by "the silent waiting merry-go-round invites" and by describing the riders as "eager" leaning in "intent, lips parted" with their "brief smiles float towards the watching crowd". The last three stanzas show the emphasised view of the cynical adult who is simply obs ...