Unit 5
The Moon The moon has a face like the clock in the hall; She shines on thieves on the garden wall, On streets and fields and harbour quays, And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees. The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse, The howling dog by the door of the house, The bat that lies in bed at noon, All love to be out by the light of the moon. But all of the things that belong to the day Cuddle to sleep to be out of her way; And flowers and children close their eyes Till up in the morning the sun shall arise.
Robert Louis Stevenson
6 Which creatures in the poem are awake at night? 7 According to the poet, which things belong to the day? 8 Who or what does the poet refer to as she in this poem? 9 Compare the two poems.
a) How are they similar? b) How are they different? 10 Which poem do you like better? Why? Features of poems
Poems are written in lines . The lines are often grouped together in stanzas . Many poems have lines which rhyme . Two lines, one after the other, which rhyme with each other are called a rhyming couplet .
line
How beautiful is the rain! After the dust and heat, In the broad and fiery street,
stanza
rhyming couplet
1 How many verses are there in ‘Rain in Summer’ and ‘The Moon’?
2 Find two examples of rhyming couplets in each poem.
• Practise reading the poems aloud with students. Focus on correct enunciation, pace and rhythm. • Encourage students to explore their personal response to poems. They could complete a Reading Response chart (see page 172) in their learning journals .
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