Poem : 1 English - Poem : 1

When the poet went around the tree, the squirrel …………….

The squirrel’s tail looks like …………………

The squirrel is …………… as described in the poem.

When did the squirrel do it someone came too close to his tree ?

What is being compared to a gray overcoat ?

Discuss the posture of the squirrel as discussed in line 3 of the poem.

Why does the poet say the squirrel “wore a question mark for tail” ? Draw a squirrel, or find a picture of a squirrel sitting on the ground. How would you describe its tail ?

Do we usually say that an animal ‘wears’ a tail ? What do we say ? (Think: Does an animal wear a coat ? Consult a dictionary if you like, and find out how ‘wear’ is used in different ways.)

What does the poem say about the poet’s choice of subject?

What does the poem say about the poet's choice of subject ?

“He liked to tease and play.” Who is teasing whom ? How ?

He wore a question mark for tail,
An overcoat of gray,
He sat up straight to eat a nut.
Questions:
(1) What is referred to as a ’question mark’ ?
(2) What is compared to the gray overcoat ?
(3) Who is sitting on the ground and ‘ what is it doing?

He liked to tease and play,
And if we ran around his tree,
He went the other way.
Questions:
(1) Teasing is the poet’s way of with the squirrel.
(2) Choose a befitting adjective to describe the nature of squirrel.
A. playful   B. scornful  C. introvert  D. jealous
(3) Who went the other way?
A. the poet  B. the squirrel  C. the onlooker  D. the gardener