Little Talk
by Aileen Fisher (Mulberry)
The Poem :
"Don't you think it's probable
that beetles, bugs, and bees
talk about a lot of things
you know, such things as these:
The kind of weather where they live
in jungles tall with grass
and earthquakes in their villages
whenever people pass!
Of course, we'll never know if bugs
talk very much at all,
because our ears are far too big
for talk that is so small."
Summary of the Poem :
The poet says to the readers that it is possible that insects like beetles, bugs and bees talk among themselves. They talk about a lot of things. The poet is going to discuss about the topics of their conversation.
These insects live in jungles with tall grasses. They talk about the weather of the place where they live. As people pass by their place, the ground trembles. They take it as earthquakes. They talk about this also.
The poet further says that we can not be sure of if bugs talk very much or not. Our ears are so big that we can not listen to the conversations of the bugs.
MAKING CONNECTIONS
1. Choose the right answer.
a. In the poem, the poet is talking to
i. us, the readers. [✓]
ii. bugs. [ ]
iii. beetles and bees. [ ]
b. The poet asks
i. whether we have seen beetles, bugs and bees. [ ]
ii. whether beetles, bugs and bees talk. [✓]
iii. whether beetles and bees are bugs. [ ]
c. The poet thinks that bugs feel an earthquake when people pass by their village because
i. an earthquake really happens. [ ]
ii. people are much bigger than bugs. [✓]
iii. bugs are bigger than people. [ ]
d. A pair of words which does not rhyme is
i. bees and these. [ ]
ii. bugs and big. [✓]
iii. grass and pass. [ ]
2. Read the lines given below and answer the questions that follow.
"Of course, we'll never know if bugs
talk very much at all,
because our ears are far too big
for talk that is so small."
a. Pick out the pair of opposites in these lines.
= The pair of opposites in these lines are - big and small.
b. What will we never know?
= We will never know if bugs talk very much or not.
c. Why will we never know it?
= We will never know it because our ears are too big to listen to their small talks.
3. Why is the poem called Little Talk?
= The poem is called Little Talk because it is about the talking of the little creatures.
4. Can you think of two other things that bugs might talk about?
= I think the other two things that bugs might talk about are - i) They might talk about the race tournament in their neighbours. ii) They might talk about the forthcoming carnival in their locality.
About the Poet :
Aileen Fisher (1906-2002) wrote more than a thousand books for children, including poetry and plays. The Coffee Pot Face is one of her well-known collections of poems about everyday things, such as, ladybugs, tummy aches and icicles.