The poem takes a long look at the effect of feminism on different generations. The initial response of the female staff at the school is to supress the girls' laughter and control it, and this can be compared to what has been called the 'CONSERVATISING' effect of the world wars on women in Europe, and perhaps the subsequent limitation that came about for feminists. It is only with second-wave feminism, which belongs to the generation who were teenagers in the 1960s and beyond, that these earlier conservative views are overcome. For this reason, ultimately, the female teachers are also emancipated by laughter in the poem, but not at the beginning. This shows the power of feminism.