The Kite's Flight
by Santhini Govindan (Roots)
Can you guess what a shape poem is? Let's read and find out.
= A shape poem is poem which is written in the shape of the topic it has described. Here in this poem, it is written in the shape of a kite as it is describing the flight of a kite.
The Poem :
It
soars.
Suddenly
Up so very high.
Reaching for the fleecy
White clouds dotting the sky.
It flies past the rooftops and trees,
As it frolics so gaily with the breeze.
A little bird asks the paper kite,
I'm curious about your flight.
Why do you rush so?
Don't you know,
It's better,
To take
It
Slow?
The
kite replied,
I can't do that
dear chap
Because, you see,
I don't know,
when my
string
will snap!
Summary of the Poem :
The kite rises quickly up into the air. It goes very high suddenly. It reaches near the soft cotton-like clouds scattering in the sky. It flies beyond the rooftops and trees. It flies cheerfully with the breeze.
A little bird is surprised to see the flight of the kite. The asks the kite why is it in hurry. It is better to be slow and steady. The kite replies that it can not be slow unless its thread will be completely broken suddenly.
Comprehension
Read and answer
1. What does the kite fly past?
a. rooftops and trees. [✓]
b. a large park. [ ]
c. mountains and clouds. [ ]
2. What material is the kite made of?
a. paper. [✓]
b. wood. [ ]
c. iron. [ ]
3. What does the little bird say to the kite? Why do you think the little bird said that?
= The little bird is surprised to see the flight of the kite. The asks the kite why it is in hurry. It is better to be slow and steady.
I think the little bird said that as it saw the kite was going up so fast. May be the bird wanted to spend time with the kite and talk to it.
4. What do you think will happen to the kite when its string snaps?
= I think when its string snaps, the kite will start falling down with random direction with the speed of the breeze. It will fall on the ground at some unknown place.
5. Do you think that the kite belongs to someone? Give reasons for your answer.
= Yes, I think that the kite belongs to someone.
Because the kite is tied with a string. Someone is definitely holding the string down there on the ground.
About the Poet :
Santhini Govindan (1959-) is an award-winning author of children's literature with more than 50 published books. She enjoys writing poetry for children and her poems are widely used in textbooks across India.