The poem explores children who are unable to contain their laughter and they pass the laughter from one to another endlessly. This eventually inspired the teaches to seize their moment and follow the dreams, quitting school. Duffy presents education as stifling and being more concerned with churning out identical students than favouring individuality and creativity. The poem explores the power of female voices, young girls inspiring others with their free expression, and aiming to change modern society by gaining equality and being who they want to be.

The first laugh comes from Carolann Clare’s note passed to Emily Jane, which spreads across the school. One by one the students all begin to laugh, infectiously spreading across the school. With laughter aiming to represent freedom of expression, contrasting against the repetitive learning the girls are forced to learn. There are several teachers mentioned throughout the poem. With each eventually following their own individual dream careers, all inspired by the girls’ free laughter, which Duffy argues is what society is missing, with schools and the education system being too robotic.

All staff eventually leave their positions at the school, resulting in the headmistress having to close the school for further notice. The main characters are Miss Batt, Miss Dunn, Miss Nadiambaba, and Mrs. Mackay. Miss Batt and Miss Dunn have a lesbian relationship together, which is only revealed at the end of the poem, symbolising the freedom of each induvial now that the robotic nature of life and education has been removed.

Miss Nadiambaba becomes a poet, while Mrs. Mackay climbs Mount Everest. The ending of the poem concludes the female rebellion, dreams being achieved, however some teachers pursuing their desires too late in life. Duffy does this to symbolise the importance of youth and the need to be individuals and follow your own dreams and not careers chosen as a result of societal pressures.