Literature: Poem I Wonder Jeannie Kirby Line-by-line Meaning Line

Line
1

Couplet 5
Who paints the rainbow in the sky, And hangs the fluffy cloud so high?

Line-by-line meaning
I want to know who paints the beautiful rainbow And who puts the soft fluffy clouds high up in the sky

Meaning of couplet 3, 4 and 5

Couplet 1
I wonder why the grass is green, And why the wind is never seen?

Line-by-line meaning
I am curious to know why the grass is green And we can feel the wind but we cannot see it

Meaning of couplet 1 and 2

The persona is curious about nature, the natural elements and natural phenomena or happenings. She wonders about the things we can see and those we cannot see. She does not understand the phenomena that happen during the day and at night.

Line
1 2

Couplet 6
Why is it now, do you suppose, That Dad wont tell me, if he knows?

Line-by-line meaning
I wonder why My father does not explain these wonders of nature to me if he knows about them.

Meaning of couplet 6
She wonders why her father does not explain to her these natural phenomena happen. She thinks, maybe, he too, does not know how these things happen.

Line
1

Couplet 2
Who taught the birds to build a nest, And told the trees to take a rest?

Line-by-line meaning
I want to know how the birds know how to make their nests And the trees know when to remain still or stop growing

Setting: It can be anywhere inside or outside a house during the day or at night. Tone: Informal and conversational with many wh-questions. Themes: Wonders of nature The natural curiosity of children Nature and its natural phenomena Belief in God Moral Values: We must appreciate nature and its beauty We should never lose our child-like qualities for fear of appearing nave. We must observe and appreciate the things and happenings around us. We should be grateful that God has created nature and the natural phenomena that we do not understand.

Line
1

Couplet 3
O, when the moon is not quite so round, Where can the missing bit be found?

Line-by-line meaning
Sometimes the moon is not completely round When we only see part of the moon, where are the missing parts?

Meaning of couplet 3, 4 and 5

The persona also wonders about the things and happening in the sky like the moon, stars and lightning. She is also curious to know about the rainbow and clouds high up in the sky.

Line
1

Couplet 4
Who lights the stars, when they blow out, And makes the lightning flash about?

Line-by-line meaning
I wish to know why the stars shine only at night and not during the day And who makes the lightning flash

Exercise 1 Match the words in Column A to their definitions in Column B Column A Column B ___ clustering of water droplets

Exercise 2 For each couplet, write down the rhyming words. The first one has been done for you. a) Couplet 1 b) Couplet 2 c) Couplet 3 d) Couplet 4 e) Couplet 5 f) Couplet 6 green , _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ seen __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________

1. birds 2. flash 3. quite 4. fluffy 5. bit 6. wind 7. stars 8. clouds

___ part
___ other distant suns

, , , , ,

Exercise 3 Based on the poem and the notes given, answer the following questions. 1. What does the persona say about the wind? Nobody can _____________ it. 2. Which natural element can we see during the day in the sky? _____________________________________________________ 3. What does the persona want to know when the moon is not perfectly round? He/She wants to know _________ the ___________ ________ _ has gone.

___ winged, warm-blooded vertebrates ___ a directed movement of air

___ completely
___ break into flames suddenly

4. What is one natural phenomenon that we see at night but not during the day? The ___________________________________ at night. 5. Do you think the personas father knows the answers to his/her many questions about nature? Perhaps, his/her father himself _____________ _____________ know how to _____________ those questions.

___ Soft-like fur