MR NOBODY

BY ANONYMOUS
I know a funny little man,
As quiet as a mouse,
Who does the mischief that is done
In everybodys house!
Theres no one ever sees his face,
And yet we all agree
That every plate we break was cracked
By Mr. Nobody.
Tis he who always tears out books,
Who leaves the door ajar,
He pulls the buttons from our shirts,
And scatters pins afar;
That squeaking door will always squeak,
For prithee, dont you see,
We leave the oiling to be done
By Mr. Nobody.
He puts damp wood upon the fire,
That kettle cannot boil;
His are the feet that bring in mud,
And all the carpets soil.
The papers are always mislaid,
Who had them last but he?
There's no one tosses them about
But Mr Nobody.
The finger marks upon the door
By none of us are made;
We never leave the blinds unclosed,
To let the curtains fade.
The ink we never spill; the boots
That lying round you see
Are not our boots,they all belong
To Mr. Nobody.

TYPE OF POEM
A poem on life.
SUBJECT
Behaving badly and not owning up.
TITLE
A suitable title because the purpose is to blame nobody.
Nobody is a non-person so he is the best person to push the
blame to.
SETTING
The poem is set in the house as the persona talks about the
situation in the house.
Things get broken, misplaced and thrown around by an unseen
person. His behavior messes up the house.
PERSONA
It is the poets voice. The poet is also the persona. There is one
voice but several character are involved I, we, Mr. Nobody.
DEVICES
A limited rhyming pattern only lines 2 and 4 of each stanza
rhyme.
Similie : As quiet as a mouse.
Imagery : Images of mess - mud, carpets soiled, papers mislaid,
finger marks upon the door, inkspilled, boots lying around.
Metaphor : the door ajar is like saying Mr. Nobody moves in and
out like a thief unseen. The squeaking door will always squeak as
though it is a mouse.
The uses of senses

See mud, marks, curtains fade, books, door ajar

Hear quiet, break, cracked, tears, squeak

Touch damp

LANGUAGE
Simple and direct.
Every stanza ends with Mr. Nobody.
Old expressions are used prithee.
Double meaning is used to create humor such as MrNobody refers
to a person and a non-person.
Lying means not telling the truth or being found all over.
We can see contrast or ironyno one ever sees his faceyet we
all agree that he is the mischief maker.
This is used to express sarcasm.
TONE
The topic is serious but the tone is casual.

THEME
Responsiblibility for ones action. Very few people own up
when they create a problem. They tend to put the blame on others.
Truth and honesty.
Respect for family members.
Cultivate a good habit.

MORAL VALUE
We must work together to look after the family home.
Have respect for others property.
Value and appreciate things at home
Practice discipline wherever and whenever necessary.
We must be tidy all the time.
Appreciate the person who has to clean up after us.

MISCHIEF DONE BY MR NOBODY

scattering pins afar

tossing newspapers

breaking plate

tearing book

pulling buttons off the shirt

never oiling the door

leaving finger marks upon the door

lying boots around

putting damp wood upon the fire

bringing in mud and soiling the carpert

spilling ink

leaving the blinds unclosed

Fading curtains

as quiet as a mouse

Who is actually Mr Nobody?

a person with no name?
a ghost?
a mischief maker?
an imagery character?
a very shy person?
the personality we become when we do naughty things?
someone who influences us to be bad?
someone on whom we like to put blame on?

TYPE OF POEM: ____________________________________

SUBJECT
_____________________________________________
TITLE
A suitable title because the purpose is to
________________________. Nobody is a
______________________so he is the
__________________________________ to.
SETTING
The poem is set in the _________________ as the persona talks
about the _________________________. Things get
______________________________________________________
______________ by an unseen person. His behavior
__________________________________________.
PERSONA
It is the poets voice. The ___________________ is also the
persona. There is __________________ but several character are
involved ________________________________
DEVICES
A limited rhyming pattern only
_______________________________________ of each stanza
rhyme.
Similie : __________________________________________
Imagery : Images of mess ______________________________________________________
______
______________________________________________________
____________________________

______________________________________________________
____________________________
Metaphor : the door ajar is like saying Mr. Nobody
___________________________________________. The
squeaking door will always
_______________________________________________.
The uses of senses

See
______________________________________________________
_____________

Hear
______________________________________________________
____________________

Touch ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LANGUAGE
____________________________.
Every stanza ends with Mr. Nobody.
Old expressions are used prithee.
Double meaning is used to create __________________ such
as Mr Nobody refers to a ____________ and a
___________________.
Lying means _________________________ or being found all
over.
We can see contrast or irony
___________________________________
agree that he is the mischief maker. This is used to express
sarcasm.
TONE
The topic is serious but the tone is casual.

THEME
Responsiblibility for ones action. Very few people own up
when they create a problem. They tend to put the blame on others.
Truth and honesty.
Respect for family members.
Cultivate a good habit.

MORAL VALUE

We must work together to look after the family home.

Have respect for others property.

Value and appreciate things at home
Practice discipline wherever and whenever necessary.
We must be tidy all the time.
Appreciate the person who has to clean up after us.

EXERCISE
Read the poem and answer the
following questions.
1. Which expression shows
that the funny little man does
all the mischievous things
secretly? (11/2 mark)
2. Why does the speaker says
that the door will always
squeak? (11/2 mark)
3. What is said about Mr.
Nobody's mischief in stanza
1? (1 mark)

(2 marks)
7. Why doesn't the kettle boil?
(1 mark)
8. Why are the carpets soiled?
(1 mark)
9. What is Mr Nobody blamed
for in the last lines of the
poem? ( 2 marks)
10. Why do you think the
persona chooses to stress on
Mr. Nobody committing
mischief? ( 2 marks)

4. What happened to the book

on the shelves? (2 marks)
5. What has happened to the
pins? (1 mark)
6. Why does the door squeak?
SECTION B
Read the following
questions and choose
the best answer for
each.
1.

2.

Where is the poem set?

A
In a house.
C
Near a campsite.
D
At a place of work.
E
Outside the house.

Mr Nobody can be described

3.
as
Why
being
does the kettle not boil in sta
A
agreeable
A
Muddy feet
C
careless
C
Damp wood
D
quiet
D
Soiled carpets
E
dirty
E
Squeaky doors

4.

The mischief in the house was done by

A
the mouse
C
Mr. Nobody
D
the people in the house

5.

Which one of these words from the poem suggests

carelessness?
A
quiet
C
oiling
D
mislaid
E
squeaking

6.

The poem teaches us to be

A
careless
C
untruthful
D
accountable
E
irresponsible