Unit 9
2 In line 19, why does the poet say the bats have a single shadow ? a) Because there is really only one bat. b) Because the two bats are very close together. c) Because the bats are near to the moon. d) Because they can’t see very well. 3 ‘ Like shining needlepoints of sound ’ (line 11). What poetic device is this? 4 The poet writes, ‘ She folds her wings about her sleeping child ’(line 26). Is this an example of a simile or of personification? 5 How do you think the poet wants the reader to feel about the bats? Compare the expository text with the poem. 1 In line 2 of the poem, what words are used to describe these observations? a) ‘ Its eyes are closed. ’ b) ‘ It has no fur .’ 2 Which do you find easier to understand – the poem or the expository text? Why? 3 Compare this line from the poem, They hang themselves up by their toes..., with this line from ‘About Bats’, ‘ Bats rest, upside down. ’ They both describe the same thing. Which description do you prefer? Why? 4 Think about the way the two texts are written and the type of information they contain. How are the two texts the same? How are they different? 5 Do you prefer the poem or the expository text? Explain your reasons and give evidence from the text. Speaking and listening: reciting poetry When you read a poem aloud, always pay attention to the punctuation. Ask yourself: Where should I pause to make the poem make sense? Often, a poem will make more sense if you pause at the end of each sentence than if you pause at the end of each line.
R e-read lines 1–9 of the poem ‘Bats’, then discuss these questions. 1 There are five sentences. Where does each one begin and end?
2 Read lines 1–9 aloud, taking turns to read one line each. 3 Pause and read the lines again. This time take turns to read a complete sentence each. Stop when you get to a full stop – even if it is not at the end of a line. 4 Which recital sounds better? Why? Write your thoughts in your journal. 5 Discuss your findings with the class.
• Compare the texts: ‘About Bats’ is a series of facts which refers to the bat as ‘it’ and doesn’t engage the reader’s emotions. The poem uses the same facts but tries to make the reader identify with the bats. The mother bat is personified by use of the pronouns ‘she’ and ‘her’, by her playful flying and the fact that she seems to love her baby (referred to as her child) as a human mother would.
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