Dust of Snow

Rhyme Scheme: a b a b c d c d

Stanza 1

The way a crow

Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree

In this stanza, the poet is describing an incident that happened to him. One day, the poet was walking by
a poisonous Hemlock tree, lost in his own thoughts when a crow sitting on a branch of that tree did
some movement which resulted in the falling of small particles of snow on the poet.

Poetic Devices:

i. Assonance - The sound of vowel o is prominent - Shook down on me.

ii. Enjambment - The sentence is being continued to the next line without the use of any punctuation
marks. It has been used throughout the stanza.

iii. Metaphor - The poet has compared the snowflakes with dust in line 3.

iv. Imagery - The poet has given the visual description of the whole stanza.

v. Contrast - The poet has used two words crow and snow to show contrast. The crow stands for
something dark and doomy while the snow stands for something light and pure.

vi. Symbolism - When something has been used as a symbol.

 The hemlock tree is a poisonous tree which has been used as a symbol of death by the poet.

 The crow has been used as a symbol of something inauspicious or something which can worsen
a person's mood as the crow is often regarded as the ugliest of all animals.

Stanza 2

Has given my heart

A change of mood

And saved some part

Of a day I had rued.

The poet says that because of the falling of the particles of snow, he got distracted from the bad
thoughts. The crow and the Hemlock tree, usually known as symbols of something inauspicious and
gloomy, changed the poet's mood entirely and the poet will now not spend his remaining day in regret
or lost in bad thoughts. The poet has beautifully described the significance of small things in life. He
made the readers understand how the small particles of snow were enough to make the poet move on
from his past. The poet also helped the readers to understand that there's nothing such as auspicious or
inauspicious. Anything and everything in this world can have a positive effect on our lives.

Poetic Devices:

i. Alliteration - Occurrence of same letter at the beginning of closely connected words -

1. Has given my heart

2. And saved some part

ii. Enjambment - The sentence is being continued to the next line without the use of any punctuation
marks. It has been used throughout the stanza.

iii. Synecdoche - The poet has mentioned that his heart was given a change of mood but its not only his
heart but his entire self who has been given a change of mood by the dust of snow.

Fire and Ice

Summary

'Fire and ice' is a symbolic poem by Robert Frost where fire is used as an emotion of desire and ice is
used for the emotion of hatred. Frost says that there are two possible ways how the world could end.
One is by fire and the other is by ice.

It may happen that the core of the earth will get so heated up that it would start a fire and wipe out
civilisation or the temperatures would go so low that life will not be possible to live on the planet, thus,
freeze everyone to death.

The poet compares fire and ice with one’s desire and hatred respectively. The poet says that human
beings let their emotions rule them and he would support the ones who are in favour of fire because of
what he knows about “fiery desires” . Then, he says that if the world had to end twice, ice would be
equally competent. He brings out a contrast between “ice” and “hatred”. Humans' insensitivity and
hatred has the capacity of inner destruction. Though slow and steady it has the same effect that desire
has on us.

If given to choose between fire and ice, ice would be as competent as fire to destroy the world. If fire
would lead to rapid destruction, ice would be silent damage. The poem tells us that our emotions control
us and if we don't stop it, it will lead to utter chaos.
Rhyme Scheme: abaa bcbcb

Stanza 1

Some say the world will end in fire

Some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who favour fire.

Poetic Devices:

i. Assonance- Prominent sound of a single vowel throughout the sentence.

Example- The prominent sound of 'o' in "I hold with those who favour fire."

ii. Alliteration- It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words.

Example- 1. Letter 'f' in "favour fire"

2. Letter 'w' in "world will"

iii. Imagery- It is used to make readers perceive things that involve their senses. Throughout the stanza
we imagine things because of the strong visual elements. The speaker also used words like - some say;
tasted desire, which again use our senses.

iv. Anaphora- It is the repetition of a word at the start of two or more consecutive lines.

Example - "Some say" is repeated at the beginning of lines 1 and 2.

v. Personification- It means to give human qualities to inanimate objects. In this poem, the poet portrays
that fire is capable of destruction. Thus, the poet is personifying fire by giving it power to destroy
anything and everything.

vi. Enjambment- It is defined as a clause that does not come to an end at a line break and keeps moving
over to the next line.

Example- From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire

vii. Antithesis - The poet has used two words opposite in meaning in the stanza - fire and ice.

viii. Symbolism -

1. The Word fire has been used as a symbol of desire.

2. The phrase end of the word is here a symbol for self-destruction of humans. The poet mentions that
fire is enough for the world to end that simply means that desire is enough for self-destruction of a
human.

ix. Metaphor - The poet compares fire with desire.

Stanza 2

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

Poetic Devices:

i. Imagery- It is used to make readers perceive things that involve their senses. Throughout the stanza we
imagine things because of the strong visual elements. Example- To say that for destruction ice Is also
great, here the poet has used the word say, which again involves our sense of speaking.

ii. Personification- It means to give human qualities to inanimate objects. In this poem, the poet portrays
that ice is capable of destruction. Thus, the poet is personifying ice by giving it power to destroy anything
and everything.

iii. Symbolism - The word "ice" has been used as a symbol of hatred.

iv. Metaphor - The poet compares ice with hatred.

A Tiger in the Zoo

Rhyme Scheme: abcb abcb abcb abcb abcb

Stanza 1

He stalks in his vivid stripes

The few steps of his cage,

On pads of velvet quiet,

In his quiet rage.

Here, the poet tells us that the tiger moves around in his cage at the zoo and he has bright coloured skin.
His paws are velvet-like and soft. Therefore, one cannot hear his footsteps while he is walking. He is very
angry because he is not free. He walks around the cage and he can take only few steps because of the
limited space available to him.

Poetic Devices:

i. Personification - The poet refers to the tiger as he and not it. Thus, the tiger has been personified.

ii. Metaphor - The paws of tiger have been compared with velvet.

iii. Enjambment - The sentences are being continued to the next line.
iv. Imagery - The poet has given detailed visual description about the tiger - He stalks in his vivid stripes.

v. Assonance - There is a prominent sound of the vowel 'i' -

1. He stalks in his vivid stripes

2. In his quiet rage.

vi. Consonance - There is a prominent sound of the consonant 's' - "stalks in his vivid stripes."

vii. Oxymoron - The poet has used two words which are opposite in meaning - quiet and rage.

viii. Synecdoche - Here, the poet has used the phrase vivid stripes for the whole body of the tiger.

Stanza 2

He should be lurking in shadow,

Sliding through long grass

Near the water hole

Where plump deer pass.

Here, the poet says that the tiger actually belongs to the jungle and not in the cage. If the tiger was free,
he would have hidden himself in the tall grass near water bodies in order to catch a deer as his prey to
eat. The tiger cannot do so, because he is at the zoo in a cage.

Poetic Devices:

i. Enjambment - The sentences are being continued to the next line without any use of punctuation
marks -

(Sliding through long grass

Near the water hole).

ii. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words - "plum pass". There is
repetition of the letter 'p'.

iii. Imagery - The poet has given a brief description of the tigers activities - lurking in shadow, sliding
through long grass.

Stanza 3

He should be snarling around houses

At the jungles edge,

Baring his white fangs, his claws,

Terrorizing the village!

The poet says that if the tiger was free he would have snarled (make warning sounds) around the houses
at the borders of the forest. He would also have terrorized the people of the village with his sharp teeth
and claws.

Poetic Devices:

i. Enjambment - The sentences are being continued to the next line without any use of punctuation
marks -

(He should be snarling around houses

At the jungles edge)

ii. Onomatopoeia - In this stanza, the poet has used the word snarling, which denotes the aggressive
sound made by the tiger.

iii. Assonance -

1. There is a prominent sound of the vowel 'i' - Baring his white fangs, his claws.

2. There is a prominent sound of the vowel 'o' - He should be snarling around houses.

iv. Consonance - Prominent sound of 's' - Baring his white fangs, his claws.

Stanza 4

But he's locked in a concrete cell,

His strength behind bars,

Stalking the length of his cage,

Ignoring visitors.

Here, in this stanza we have been told about the real life of the tiger that he is living behind the bars of a
cage. The tiger’s cell is made up of strong building material. Since he is behind bars, his ferociousness is
also behind the bars. He quietly walks around in the cage since he cannot get out. He never tries to scare
the visitors and often ignores them because there is nothing he can do as he is locked in the cage. His
power is restricted .

Poetic Devices:

i. Personification - The poet refers to the tiger as he and not it. Thus, the tiger has been personified.

ii. Assonance - There is a prominent sound of the vowel 'e' - he's locked in a concrete cell.

iii. Consonance - Prominent sound of 's' - His strength behind bars.

iv. Alliteration - It is the repetition of 'a' letter at the start of closely placed words - behind bars. There is
repetition of the letter 'b'.
Stanza 5

He hears the last voice at night,

The patrolling cars,

And stares with his brilliant eyes

At the brilliant stars.

The poet says that at night the tiger hears the patrolling cars (vehicles of police used to guard at night) .
He watches the shining stars with his shining eyes. The tiger is actually very sad with his life in the cage
but he cannot do anything about it. He watches the stars and tries to divert his thoughts.

Poetic Devices:

i. Enjambment - The third sentence is being continued to the next line without any use of punctuation
marks -

(And stares with his brilliant eyes

At the brilliant stars).

ii. Alliteration- It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words - "he hears". There is
repetition of the letter 'h'.

iii. Assonance- There is a prominent sound of the vowel 'i' - "with his brilliant".

iv. Repetition - The word "brilliant" has been repeated.

How to Tell Wild Animals

Stanza 1

If ever you should go by chance

To jungles in the east;

And if there should to you advance

A large and tawny beast,

If he roars at you as youre dyin

You'll know it is the Asian Lion

Here the poet tells us that, if we ever get a chance to go to the jungles of East and come across an animal
with yellowish-brown skin and whose roar is loud enough to scare us to death, we must recognise the
animal as an Asian lion.

Poetic Devices

i. Enjambment - It is the continuation of a sentence to the next line without a break -

(And if there should to you advance

A large and tawny beast).

ii. Inversion - The format of the sentence has been changed - And if there should to you advance.

iii. Assonance - Prominent sound of the vowel o -

1. you should go

2. should to you

3. roars at you as you

iv. Allusion - Reference to a famous person, animal species or thing - Asian Lion.

v. Personification - The poet has used he instead of it for the animal.

Stanza 2

Or if some time when roaming round,

A noble wild beast greets you,

With black stripes on a yellow ground,

Just notice if he eats you.

This simple rule may help you learn

The Bengal Tiger to discern.

Here, the poet talks about an animal that is of a royal chain. He says that if sometime while roaming
about we come across an animal with yellowish skin and black stripes and just in case he kills and eats us
up, we must recognise the wild animal as a Bengal tiger. Dark humour is used in the stanza because after
one is already eaten up by an animal it is of no use to recognise its type.

Poetic Devices

i. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words - repetition of letter r in
roaming round.

ii. Inversion - The format of the sentence has been changed - The Bengal Tiger to discern.
iii. Allusion - Reference to a famous person, animal species or thing - Bengal Tiger.

iv. Assonance - Prominent sound of the vowel o - Or if some time when roaming round.

v. Personification - The poet has used he instead of it for the animal.

Stanza 3

If strolling forth, a beast you view,

Whose hide with spots is peppered,

As soon as he has lept on you,

You'll know it is the Leopard.

Twill do no good to roar with pain,

He'll only lep and lep again.

In this stanza the poet talks about leopards. He says while casually walking in a jungle, if we come across
an animal who has a skin with spots on it and it goes so fast that it can jump upon us at once, we must
recognise the animal as a leopard. The poet says that crying out in pain will be of no use because the
leopard will only keep on jumping on us.

Poetic Devices

i. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words - repetition of letter h in
he has.

ii. Poetic License - The spelling of a word has been changed to create a rhythm in the poem - lept instead
of leapt is written.

iii. Repetition - The word lep has been repeated in the last line.

iv. Assonance - Prominent sound of the vowel o -

1. strolling forth, a beast you view

2. Whose hide with spots

3. do no good to roar

v. Consonance - Prominent sound of the consonance l - Hell only lep and lep again.

vi. Personification - The poet has used he instead of it for the animal.

Stanza 4

If when you're walking round your yard

You meet a creature there,

Who hugs you very, very hard,

Be sure it is a Bear.

If you have any doubts, I guess

Hell give you just one more caress.

Here, the poet says that if while walking in the yard, we come across an animal that hugs us tightly, then
it is a bear. If we want to make sure of its identity, the easiest way is that the animal will just keep
hugging you and touch you very gently. This act will confirm its identity as a bear.

Poetic Devices

i. Enjambment - It is the continuation of a sentence to the next line without a break -

(If when you're walking round your yard

You meet a creature there)

ii. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words - repetition of letter:

1. w in when walking

2. b in be, bear

3. h in hugs you very, very hard

iii. Assonance - Prominent sound of the vowel e - You meet a creature there.

iv. Personification - The poet has used he instead of it for the animal.

Stanza 5

Though to distinguish beasts of prey

A novice might nonplus,

The Crocodile you always may

Tell from the Hyena thus:

Hyenas come with merry smiles;

But if they weep they're Crocodiles

In this stanza, the poet says that if one is new to the job of identifying wild animals, it will be like a puzzle
to identify animals who hunt other animals for their food. The poet helps the readers by differentiating
between the two animals. He says hyenas will be smiling while crocodiles will be teary-eyed. Both of
these animals are dangerous.

Poetic Devices

i. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words - repetition of letter:

1. n in novice, nonplus

2. t in Tell from the Hyena thus.

ii. Enjambment - It is the continuation of a sentence to the next line without a break -

1. (Though to distinguish beasts of prey

A novice might nonplus)

1. (The Crocodile you always may

Tell from the Hyena thus)

Stanza 6

The true Chameleon is small,

A lizard sort of thing;

He hasn't any ears at all,

And not a single wing.

If there is nothing on the tree,

Tis the chameleon you see.

Here, the poet talks about a little creature - chameleon. A chameleon looks like a lizard but without any
ears and wings. The poet also tells the readers that the chameleon has the ability to change its colour
based on the surface it sits on. So, if you see a tree and find nothing sitting on it, it must be a chameleon
who has changed its colour into the colour of the tree.

Poetic Devices

i. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words - repetition of letter 'h' in
the line "he hasn't".

ii. Consonance - Prominent sound of the consonant g - single wing.

iii. Personification - The poet has used "he" instead of "it" for the animal.
The Ball Poem
Summary

In the poem, the poet tells us about a boy, who has lost his ball, while he was playing with it. The ball
slipped from the boy’s hand and went into water nearby.

The poet says that when he was looking at the boy who lost his ball, it made him think about the boy
and his reaction. The poet tells us that the boy was staring at his drowning ball helplessly. He was very
sad and grief stricken, when he lost his ball. He kept standing near the harbour for a very long time. The
poet says that he could have consoled the boy and given him some money to buy a new ball but he did
not do so because he may buy a new ball but the boy’s memories and feelings from his younger days
attached to the ball will not come back. The poet says that the boy must now learn to take
responsibilities.

The poet wants the boy to grow up and give up his love for materialistic things in life. He wants the boy
to learn that money cannot buy everything in life. Even if you try to buy happiness with money, you will
never get the feelings of belongingness. The ball here is personified as belongings of the boy that he
must learn to live without. During the course of life, a lot of our belongings will be lost.

The poem tries to tell us that there will definitely come a day, when we will have to grow up and take our
responsibilities in life. We will lose our loved ones one day and that is the harsh reality of life.

Rhyme Scheme: No rhyme scheme. It is written in free verse.

Stanza 1

What is the boy now, who has lost his ball,

What, what is he to do? I saw it go

Merrily bouncing, down the street, and then

Merrily over there it is in the water!

Poetic Devices

i. Anaphora - It is the repetition of a word at the start of two or more consecutive lines.

1. (What is the boy now, who has lost his ball,

What, what is he to do? I saw it go)

1. (Merrily bouncing, down the street, and then

Merrily over there it is in the water!)

ii. Assonance - Prominent sound of the vowel 'o' - "What is the boy now, who has lost his ball."
iii. Imagery - The poet has given the visual description - (Merrily bouncing, down the street, and then,
Merrily over there it is in the water!)

iv. Repetition - The word "what" has been repeated.

v. Personification - The poet has used the phrase merrily bouncing for the ball. Being happy is a
characteristic of humans.

Stanza 2

No use to say O there are other balls:

An ultimate shaking grief fixes the boy

As he stands rigid, trembling, staring down

All his young days into the harbour where

His ball went. I would not intrude on him;

A dime, another ball, is worthless. Now

He senses first responsibility

Poetic Devices

i. Asyndeton - Conjunction is missing - A dime, another ball, is worthless.

ii. Repetition - The word "ball" has been repeated.

Stanza 3

In a world of possessions. People will take

Balls, balls will be lost always, little boy.

And no one buys a ball back. Money is external.

He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes,

The epistemology of loss, how to stand up

Knowing what every man must one day know

And most know many days, how to stand up.

Poetic Devices

i. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words - repetition of letter 'b' in
"buys a ball back"

ii. Assonance - Prominent sound of the vowel 'e' - "He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes."
iii. Repetition - The word "ball" has been repeated.

iv. Symbolism - Here, ball is a symbol of childhood, which if lost, can’t be brought back. It was also used
as a symbol of possessions.

v. Apostrophe - It is a literary device in which a physically absent person is addressed. The poet addresses
the boy who was not physically present with him - "Balls, balls will be lost always, little boy."

Amanda!
Rhyme Scheme: aaba ccc aada eee aafa ggg aaha

Stanza 1

Don't bite your nails, Amanda!

Don't hunch your shoulders, Amanda!

Stop that slouching and sit up straight,

Amanda!

(There is a languid, emerald sea,

where the sole inhabitant is me

a mermaid, drifting blissfully.)

The poet here is talking about a little girl, Amanda who is always scolded by her mother for her mistakes.
While she is being scolded, she imagines herself in a totally parallel world. Amanda’s mother scolds her
for biting her nails which is a bad habit, then she tells her to sit straight without bending her shoulders.
Amanda has a habit of sitting in a lazy way and is pointed out by her mother to sit correctly. While all this
time, Amanda is imagining herself as a mermaid in a deep green sea. She imagines being the only
resident of the sea who lives her life in a very relaxing way.

Poetic Devices

i. Anaphora - It is the repetition of a word at the start of two or more consecutive lines.

(Don't bite your nails, Amanda!

Don't hunch your shoulders, Amanda!)

ii. Epiphora - It is the repetition of a word at the end of two or more consecutive lines.

(Don't bite your nails, Amanda!

Don't hunch your shoulders, Amanda!)

iii. Assonance - prominent sound of the vowel 'o' - Don't hunch your shoulders.
iv. Symbolism - The poet has used the word emerald which is used to show the green colour of the see.

v. Imagery - The poet has given the visual description -

(There is a languid, emerald sea,

where the sole inhabitant is me

a mermaid, drifting blissfully.)

vi. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words - repetition of letter 's' in
"Stop that slouching and sit up straight."

vii. Allusion: Reference to a famous or imaginary person, animal species or thing. Here, the poet has used
the word Mermaid

viii. Repetition - The word Amanda has been repeated.

ix. Metaphor - Amanda compares herself to a mermaid.

Stanza 2

Did you finish your homework, Amanda?

Did you tidy your room, Amanda?

I thought I told you to clean your shoes,

Amanda!

(I am an orphan, roaming the street.

I pattern soft dust with my hushed, bare feet.

The silence is golden, the freedom is sweet.)

In this stanza, mother asks Amanda whether she has done her homework or not, whether she cleaned
her room or not and she is also reminded to clean her shoes. Meanwhile, Amanda imagines herself as an
orphan who is walking on the streets. While her mothers wants her to be clean, she wants to roam the
streets and make designs on dust with her bare feet. She is tired of her mother’s nagging and therefore,
calls silence golden and precious. She is never free when she is with her mother. So, she imagines herself
as an orphan (someone whose parents are dead).

Poetic Devices

i. Anaphora - It is the repetition of a word at the start of two or more consecutive lines -

(Did you finish your homework, Amanda?

Did you tidy your room, Amanda?)

ii. Epiphora - It is the repetition of a word at the end of two or more consecutive lines.
(Did you finish your homework, Amanda?

Did you tidy your room, Amanda?)

iii. Assonance - Prominent sound of vowel o - I thought I told you to clean your shoes.

iv. Metaphor - 1. The poet has compared silence with golden as both are equally glorious - The silence is
golden.

2. The poet has compared freedom with sweetness - the freedom is sweet.

3. Amanda compares herself to an orphan.

v. Repetition - The word "Amanda" has been repeated.

Stanza 3

Don't eat that chocolate, Amanda!

Remember your acne, Amanda!

Will you please look at me when I'm speaking to you,

Amanda!

(I am Rapunzel; I have not a care;

life in a tower is tranquil and rare;

I'll certainly never let down my bright hair!)

Here, Amanda’s mother does not allow her to eat chocolates and reminds her of her pimples that she
gets when she eats chocolates. Then, mother scolds Amanda for not paying attention to her words.
During this time, Amanda imagines herself as Rapunzel, a fairy tale character that was kept in a tower by
an evil witch. The witch would climb up the tower using Rapunzel’s hair. Amanda wants to be Rapunzel
because she believes that life in a tower is peaceful and rare. She also says that she would never let her
hair down to anyone so that no one can reach her and disturb her peace.

Poetic Devices

i. Allusion - Reference to a famous or imaginary person, animal species or thing. Here, the poet has used
the word Rapunzel.

ii. Assonance - 1. Prominent sound of the vowel 'e' - "Will you please look at me when I'm speaking to
you."

2. Prominent sound of the vowel o - Will you please look at me when I'm speaking to you.
iii. Consonance - Prominent sound of the consonance 'r' - (I am Rapunzel; I have not a care;

life in a tower is tranquil and rare;

Ill certainly never let down my bright hair!)

iv. Epiphora - It is the repetition of a word at the end of two or more consecutive lines - (Don't eat that
chocolate, Amanda!

Remember your acne, Amanda!)

v. Repetition - The word "Amanda" has been repeated.

vi. Metaphor - Amanda compares herself to Rapunzel.

Stanza 4

Stop that sulking at once, Amanda!

You're always so moody, Amanda!

Anyone would think that I nagged at you,

Amanda!

Here, mother warns Amanda as she is always moody. She scolds her to stop being in a bad mood always.
She blames Amanda for her unstable mood. She tells her to behave properly or people will
misunderstand that she harassed Amanda. Amanda cannot respond to this now because then mother
would take it otherwise and scold her again. She does not say anything because she doesn't want her
mother to think that others assume her as a dominating mother.

Poetic Devices

i. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of letter s
in Stop that sulking.

ii. Epiphora - It is the repetition of a word at the end of two or more consecutive lines - (Stop that sulking
at once, Amanda!

You're always so moody, Amanda!)

iii. Repetition - The word "Amanda" has been repeated.

Fog
Summary

The poet is describing fog, which is a thick cloud of tiny water droplets present in the atmosphere. We
can see fog during the winter. The poetess compares the coming of fog with the characteristics of a cat.
The poetess tells us that fog approaches the city and harbour (area where ships are tied or placed to
load or unload things from them) like a little cat. Cats approach a certain something very quietly; they
hardly make any sound with their little paws. Similarly, fog approaches very quietly without being
noticed by anyone. One never knows when and how fog will enter a city. Therefore, fog is compared to a
cat who enters our house in the most unpredictable way.

Next, just like how a cat sits over a place folding its paws and observes her surroundings, fog sits over a
city quietly and notices the nearby area. Fog sits over a city quietly like a cat. After some time, the fog
leaves the place because it's only natural that fog does not stay over a place for a long time. Here, the
poetess says that just like a cat leaves the place without being noticed, fog too leaves the city quietly.

Rhyme scheme: No rhyme scheme. It is written in free verse.

Stanza

The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbour and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

Poetic Devices:

i. Metaphor - The poet has compared the fog to a cat in the first two lines.

ii. Enjambment - The sentence is being continued to the next line without a break throughout the poem.

iii. Personification - The poet has personified fog by using phrases like -

1. Comes on little cat feet.

2. Sits looking over harbour.

iv. Analogy - It is the comparison between two things on the basis of structure for the purpose of
clarification. The poet has used the analogy to show us a connection between fog and cat.

v. Imagery - The poet has given us the visual description of the fog in the entire poem.

The Tale of Custard the Dragon

Rhyme scheme: aabb aabb aabb aabb aabb aabb aabb aabb aabb aabb aabb aabb aabb aabb

Stanza 1

Belinda lived in a little white house,

With a little black kitten and a little grey mouse,

And a little yellow dog and a little red wagon,

And a realio, trulio, little pet dragon.

In stanza 1, the poet says that there once lived a little girl named Belinda in a little white house. Belinda
had many pets. She had a little black kitten, a little grey mouse, a little yellow dog and she also had a
little red wagon (a wagon is a vehicle used for transporting goods or another specified purpose). Belinda
also had a realio (really), trulio (truly) little dragon.

Poetic Devices:

i. Repetition - The word little has been repeated.

ii. Oxymoron - There is use of two words with opposite meanings together - pet dragon.

iii. Anaphora - It is the repetition of a word at the start of two or more consecutive lines - (And a little
yellow dog and a little red wagon,

And a realio, trulio, little pet dragon).

iv. Poetic license - The spellings have been changed to create a rhythmic effect - realio, trulio instead of
really and truly.

Stanza 2

Now the name of the little black kitten was Ink,

And the little grey mouse, she called him Blink,

And the little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard,

But the dragon was a coward, and she called him Custard.
In stanza 2, the poet tells us about the names of all the pets that Belinda has. The black kitten’s name is
Ink, grey mouse’s is blink, little yellow dog’s was Mustard and the dragon was a coward means he was
weak so his name is Custard.

Poetic Devices:

i. Simile - The dog has been compared to mustard using as - And the little yellow dog was sharp as
Mustard.

ii. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the
letter 'c' in coward, and she called him Custard.

iii. Anaphora - It is the repetition of a word at the start of two or more consecutive lines - (And the little
grey mouse, she called him Blink,

And the little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard)

iv. Repetition - The word "little" has been repeated.

Stanza 3

Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth,

And spikes on top of him and scales underneath,

Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose,

And realio, trulio daggers on his toes.

In the third stanza, the poet gives us a description of the dragon’s appearance. The dragon had big teeth
which were sharp, on top of him he had spikes, which are thin pointed surface, means his skin was
pointed on top. On the lower part, he had scales, which are thin bony plates to protect the skin. Since
dragons have been thought to release fire, his mouth has said to be like a fireplace and his nose is like a
chimney to release smoke. His toes are compared to daggers meaning they are very sharp .

Poetic Devices:

i. Simile - The poet has compared Dragons mouth with fireplace - mouth like a fireplace.

ii. Refrain - There is repetition of the sentence - And a realio, trulio.

iii. Metaphor - The poet has compared the dragon's nose with a chimney - chimney for a nose.

Stanza 4

Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears,

And Ink and Blink chased lions down the stairs,

Mustard was as brave as a tiger in a rage,

But Custard cried for a nice safe cage.

In stanza 4, we are given a detail of the strengths of the pets. The poets says that Belinda was as brave as
a barrel (drum, here group) of bears; Ink and Blink are so brave that they can hunt for lions; Mustard, the
dog was like an angry tiger but Custard, the dragon was different. He was afraid of everything and always
needed a safe place.

Poetic Devices:

i. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the
letter b in Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears.

ii. Simile - 1. The poet has compared Belinda's bravery to that of a barrel full of bears by using as - as a
barrel full of bears.

2. The poet has compared Mustards bravery to that of an angry tiger using as - Mustard was as brave as
a tiger in a rage.

iii. Assonance - Prominent sound of the vowel 'a' - Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears.

Stanza 5

Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful,

Ink, Blink and Mustard, they rudely called him Percival,

They all sat laughing in the little red wagon

At the realio, trulio, cowardly dragon.

Belinda would tickle (stroke, here tease) the dragon in a cruel way. Ink, Blink and Mustard would rudely
tease him by comparing him to Percival (a knight in king Arthur’s court), who was assumed to be very
brave but would run away because of lack of courage. They would sit in their red wagon and tease the
dragon.

Poetic Devices:

i. Refrain - There is repetition of the sentence - And a realio, trulio.

ii. Repetition - The words tickled him have been repeated.

iii. Allusion - Reference to a famous person, animal species or thing - Percival.

iv. Personification - The poet has personified Ink, Blink and Mustard, by giving them the ability to speak -
They rudely called him Percival.
Stanza 6

Belinda giggled till she shook the house,

And Blink said Weeck! which is giggling for a mouse,

Ink and Mustard rudely asked his age,

When Custard cried for a nice safe cage.

Belinda would laugh till she shook the house means her voice echoed in the entire house. Blink laughed
and said weeck (here, sound made my a mouse) and whenever Custard would ask for a safe cage. Ink
and Mustard would tease him by asking his age.

Poetic Devices:

i. Onomatopoeia - The poet has used these words which are associated with sound - giggled and weeck.

ii. Refrain - There is repetition of the sentence - "Custard cried for a nice safe cage."

Stanza 7

Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound,

And Mustard growled, and they all looked around.

Meowch! cried Ink, and ooh! cried Belinda,

For there was a pirate, climbing in the winda

Just when all of them were making fun of Custard, they heard some nasty (bad) sound and saw a pirate
(a person who robs ships) climbing up their winda ( used for window). The cast meowed at him and the
dog barked at him; Belinda made an ‘ooh’ sound. They were all scared of him.

Poetic Devices:

i. Consonance - The prominent sound of 's' in "Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound."

ii. Onomatopoeia - The poet has used these words which are associated with sound - Mustard growled,
Meowch, cried ink.

iii. Poetic license - The poet has changed the spelling of window to winda to create rhyme.

iv. Repetition - The poet has repeated the word suddenly.

v. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the
letter 's' in "Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound."
Stanza 8

Pistol in his left hand, pistol in his right,

And he held in his teeth a cutlass bright,

His beard was black, one leg was wood;

It was clear that the pirate meant no good

In stanza 8, we get a description of the pirate. The pirate was holding pistols (handguns) in both hands, a
cutlass ( a short sword with a curved blade) by his teeth. He had a black beard and one of his legs were
made of wood. It was clear that the pirate intended to harm the others in the house.

Poetic Devices:

i. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the
letter -

1. B in "beard was black."

2. H in "he held his."

ii. Imagery - The poet has given the visual description of the pirate.

iii. Repetition - The word pistol has been repeated.

Stanza 9

Belinda paled, and she cried Help! Help!

But Mustard fled with a terrified yelp,

Ink trickled down to the bottom of the household,

And little mouse Blink strategically mouseholed

Belinda was so frightened that she turned pale (yellow) and started crying for help. Mustard started
crying for help too. Ink trickled (run) towards the bottom of the house and the mouse Blink ran into his
mousehole ( a hole where the mouse lives).

Poetic Devices:

i. Transferred epithet - When the adjective used is not for the word next to it but for some other noun in
the sentence - terrified yelp. Here, terrified was used for Mustard, not for yelp.

ii. Repetition - The word help has been repeated.

iii. Poetic license - The poet has used the word mouseholed to make it rhyme with household.

iv. Assonance - 1. Prominent sound of the vowel 'e' in - "Belinda paled, and she cried Help! Help!"
2. Prominent sound of the vowel 'o' in - "down to the bottom of the household."

Stanza 10

But up jumped Custard, snorting like an engine,

Clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon,

With a clatter and a clank and a jangling squirm,

He went at the pirate like a robin at a worm.

When everyone was scared of the pirate, the dragon unexpectedly showed courage. He jumped onto the
pirate making engine like sounds from his nose; he hit his tail on the ground producing heaving sound of
metal being rubbed against each other. He attacked the pirate like a robin bird attacking worms.

Poetic Devices:

i. Simile - The poet has compared -

1. the sound of the dragon with the sound of an engine using like - snorting like an engine.

2. Dragons tail with irons - Clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon.

3. dragons attack to a robin bird - like a robin at a worm.

ii. Onomatopoeia - The poet has used these words which are associated with sound - clatter, clank,
jangling.

iii. Imagery - The attack by the dragon is expressed in a way to make an image in our minds.

iv. Assonance - Prominent sound of the vowel 'a' in - "With a clatter and a clank and a jangling squirm."

v. Consonance - Prominent sound of the consonant 'l' - "clatter and a clank and a jangling squirm."

Stanza 11

The pirate gaped at Belinda's dragon,

And gulped some grog from his pocket flagon,

He fired two bullets, but they didn't hit,

And Custard gobbled him, every bit.

The pirate opened his mouth wide open because he was shocked at the dragon’s actions. He drank some
alcohol from a container in his pocket to gather some courage , after drinking he fired two bullets on the
dragon but it missed him. Then custard ate up the pirate .
Poetic Devices:

i. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the
letter 'g' in "gulped some grog."

ii. Imagery - The poet has given a visual description of the whole scene.

Stanza 12

Belinda embraced him, Mustard licked him,

No one mourned for his pirate victim.

Ink and Blink in glee did gyrate

Around the dragon that ate the pirate.

After the pirate was killed, Belinda hugged the dragon and Mustard licked him. No one was sad for the
death of the pirate. Both Ink and Blink happily danced around the dragon in joy.

Poetic Devices:

i. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the
letter 'g' in "glee did gyrate."

ii. Assonance - 1. Prominent sound of the vowel sound 'o' - "no one mourned for."

2. Prominent use of the vowel 'i' - "ink and blink in glee did."

3. Prominent use of the vowel 'a' in "that ate the pirate."

Stanza 13

But presently up spoke little dog Mustard,

Id have been twice as brave if I hadn't been flustered.

And up spoke Ink and up spoke Blink,

Wed have been three times as brave, we think,

And Custard said, I quite agree

That everybody is braver than me.

Quickly after thanking Custard everyone changed their minds. They were reminded how they used to
make fun of Custard, but now they praised him. The dog said he would be twice as brave as Custard but
he could not do anything because of confusion. Ink and Blink said that they would have been thrice as
brave as the dragon, to this Custard agreed with them.
Poetic Devices:

i. Repetition - Up spoken has been repeated.

ii. Consonance - Prominent sound of t - But presently up spoke little dog Mustard.

iii. Assonance - Prominent sound of e -

1. have been twice as brave if I hadn't been flustered.

2. We'd have been three times as brave, we think.

Stanza 14

Belinda still lives in her little white house,

With her little black kitten and her little grey mouse,

And her little yellow dog and her little red wagon,

And her realio, trulio little pet dragon.

Belinda is as brave as a barrel full of bears,

And Ink and Blink chase lions down the stairs,

Mustard is as brave as a tiger in a rage,

But Custard keeps crying for a nice safe cage

In the last stanza, we see that everyone has returned to their old selves after the terrific incident. Belinda
lives in a little white house with Ink, Blink, Mustard and Custard, the dragon. All of them are brave but
the dragon still needs a nice safe cage.

Poetic Devices:

i. Refrain - Repetition of the sentence - And a realio, trulio.

ii. Repetition - The whole stanza has been repeated.

For Anne Gregory

Rhyme scheme: abcbdb abcbdb abcbdb

Stanza 1

Never shall a young man,

Thrown into despair

By those great honey-coloured

Ramparts at your ear,

Love you for yourself alone

And not your yellow hair.

The poet is talking to a beautiful girl named ‘Anne Gregory’. He tells her that a man will never fall in love
with her because of her inner beauty, they’ll always love her because of her beautiful face and yellow
hair. He further describes Anne’s hair by saying that her hair falls before her ears as if they are there to
protect her ears. That’s why they have been compared to ramparts. Through these lines, he wants us to
understand and be aware of the situation that one falls in love with our outer beauty only.

Poetic Devices:

i. Metaphor - The poet has compared Anne's hair with ramparts of a fort.

ii. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the
letter 'y' in "your yellow."

Stanza 2

But I can get a hair-dye

And set such colour there,

Brown, or black, or carrot,

That young men in despair

May love me for myself alone

And not my yellow hair.

In this stanza, we get to hear Anne’s solution to this problem. She replies that she doesn’t want someone
to love her just because of her external beauty and that’s why she’ll dye her hair to some other colour
such as orange, black or brown. She too gives us a message that outer beauty can be changed and that’s
why one should fall in love with the inner beauty not the outer beauty.

Poetic Devices:

i. Alliteration - It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the
letter 's' in "Set Such."

ii. Metonymy - The poet has used carrot to show orange colour.

Stanza 3

I heard an old religious man

But yesternight declare

That he had found a text to prove

That only God, my dear,

Could love you for yourself alone

And not your yellow hair.

In the last stanza, the speaker makes Anne as well as the readers understand that last night he had heard
a very old religious man saying that he had found a text which proves that only God can love us for our
inner selves. There’s no other human who can look beyond one’s external beauty as outer beauty is
something that can carry away any one’s mind. So, it doesn’t matter if we are beautiful or ugly from
outside, if we are beautiful internally, God will definitely love us.

Poetic Devices:

i. Anaphora: It is the repetition of a word at the start of two or more consecutive lines -

(That he had found a text to prove

That only God, my dear,).

ii. Alliteration: It is the repetition of a letter at the start of closely placed words. The repetition of the
letter:

1. h in "he had"

2. y in "your yellow".