Poem 4. Chivvy

Textual Questions and Exercises

Q1. Discuss these questions in small groups before you answer them.

(i) When is a grown-up likely to say this?

Don’t talk with your mouth full.

(ii) When are you likely to be told this?

Say thank you.

(iii) When do you think an adult would say this?

No one thinks you are funny.

Ans. (i) A grown-up is likely to say this when children start talking in between the meal with food in their mouth.

(ii) We are likely to be told to say thank you when someone helped us or given us something.

(iii) When children act weird or do something funny to gain the attention then adult would say no one thinks you are funny.

Q2. The last two lines of the poem are not prohibitions or instructions. What is the adult now asking the child to do? Do you think the poet is suggesting that this is unreasonable? Why?

 Ans. In the last two lines, adult is now asking the child to make up their own mind and take decision by themselves to be independent which is unreasonable because earlier adults were not allowing the child to take any decision by themselves and they were always taking decision for the child. But now, they are asking them to take their own decision which is surely unreasonable.

Q3. Why do you think grown-ups say the kind of things mentioned in the poem? Is it important that they teach children good manners, and how to behave in public?

 Ans. The grown-ups say such kind of things to their children in order to teach them good manners. They want their children to be a responsible citizen and behave well in public. Yes, it is important to teach the children all these things so that they learn good manners and how to behave in the society, at home and with their elders and youngsters. Our elders are our teachers and we can learn a lot from their experience.

Q4. If you had to make some rules for grown-ups to follow, what would you say? Make at least five such rules. Arrange the lines as in a poem.

 Ans. I would make rules like:

Don’t abuse anyone.

Respect the elders and youngsters also.

Time will be allowed for playing.

Keep the neighbour clean.

Don’t smoke or spit.

Allow time for watching T.V.

No physical punishments.