The Comet (Poem)
Poem: The Comet
by Norman Littleford
Warm-up
Fill in the crossword puzzle using the clues given below.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
ACROSS
2. Earth’s only natural satellite
3. Morning star
6. Titan is the largest moon of ____
9. Smaller bodies in orbit around the Sun
10. The star at the centre of solar system
11. The Blue planet
12. Largest planet in the solar system
DOWN
1. Smallest planet in the Solar system
2. Our Galaxy
4. Seventh planet from the sun
5. Distance travelled by light in a vacuum in one tropical year
7. Farthest planet in the Solar system
8. The Red planet
The Comet
Rampaging through the heavens
Never stopping day or night,
A spectacle of a lifetime
A comet in full flight.
Faster than a cheetah
With a tail that’s miles long,
Bigger than a mountain
So powerful and strong.
The outer ice is melting
Causing vapor from the force,
And leaves a trail behind it
As it travels on its course.
If one should come too close to earth
The atmosphere will shake,
With shockwave reaching to the ground
Causing the land to quake.
Scientists say the chemicals
In the dust they leave behind,
Could have started life on the earth
Which resulted in mankind.
I cannot say if this is true
I do not have the right,
But I know no better spectacle
Than a comet in full flight.
About the Author
Norman Littleford (18 May 1889 – 20 May 1947) was an American poet, born in Maryland, USA. Most of his works focused on life and nature. His poems are simple but deep in thought and provoke the readers to absorb the ideas beyond the usual.
Glossary
- rampaging (v) – going through an area making a lot of noise and causing damage
- spectacle (n) – an unusual or unexpected event or situation that attracts attention, interest
- comet (n) – an icy small Solar body, which when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases that are seen on rare occasions from the earth as a bright line in the sky
- trail (n) – a path often made or used for a particular purpose
- quake (v) – a sudden violent movement of the earth’s surface, sometimes causing great damage (short form of earthquake)
A. Memorise the first three stanzas of the poem.
B. Read the following lines and answer the questions.
-
Rampaging through the heavens / Never stopping day or night,
a. How does the comet travel?
b. Which word could you replace ‘rampaging’ with?
- a. charging
- b. rolling
- c. speeding
- d. flying
-
Faster than a cheetah / With a tail that’s miles long,
a. Why is the comet compared to a cheetah?
b. Whose tail is compared here?
-
With shockwave reaching to the ground / Causing the land to quake,
a. What is reaching to the ground?
b. What is causing the land to quake?
-
In the dust they leave behind, / Could have started life on the earth / Which resulted in mankind,
a. What does the word ‘they’ refer to?
b. According to scientists, how did life start on earth?
-
But I know no better spectacle / Than a comet in full flight.
a. Who does ‘I’ refer to?
b. What is the best spectacle mentioned in the above lines?
C. Complete the summary
Fill in the blanks with suitable words/phrases:
a trail | spectacular | spectacular scene | outer ice | a cheetah | day or night | emerging of life | powerful and strong | shock wave | scientists
The poet describes a moving comet which speeds through the heavens and never takes a break by day or night. When a comet is in full flight, it gives a spectacular scene which can never be compared to anything else for a lifetime. The comet is compared to a cheetah for its speed and a mountain as it is powerful and strong. The outer ice melts which causes a vapour from the force and leaves behind a trail as it travels on its way. If it comes very close to the atmosphere, it causes a shake which in turn produces a shock wave that reaches the Earth’s surface. According to the scientists the comets leave behind chemicals in the form of dust which resulted in the emerging of life on earth and mankind came into existence. But the poet is not sure whether this principle is true or not but he knows for sure that whatever the truth may be, the sight of the comet in full flight is spectacular.
D. Poem Appreciation
If one should come too close to earth
The atmosphere will shake,
With shock wave reaching to the ground
Causing the land to quake.
- Pick out the rhyming words.
- Mention the rhyme scheme of the stanza.
- When you read the poem aloud, you can feel/hear a rhythm. What, according to you, gives rhythm to the poem—the rhyme or the words in a line? Support your answer with examples from the poem.
E. Answer in 80–100 words
- Narrate how the poet describes the comet.
- Give a detailed account of the various effects caused by the comet to the earth.
LISTENING
F. Listen to the passage on ‘Comet’ and fill in the blanks by choosing the correct answer.
1. Comets are believed to be remnants of the materials created by the _____.
a. Moon b. Sun c. star d. asteroids
-
Comets are mostly made of _.
a. dust b. ice c. sand d. snow
-
The _ can be seen in the night sky as a bright, quickly-moving light.
a. head b. star c. tail d. wings
-
Comets orbit at the very edge of the galaxy, past the _.
a. Earth b. Neptune c. Pluto d. Saturn
-
State whether the statement is true or false.
“The melting process causes bits of dust and debris to trail behind the comet.”
SPEAKING
G. Imagine you are interviewing an astronaut about his/her experiences in space. Select a partner to be an astronaut and present the interview as a role-play in front of the class.
WRITING
H. Imagine that you and your friend get a chance to visit another planet. There, you befriend an alien who takes you around the planet. After reaching the earth, write a letter thanking him for all the help he did.
Read and Enjoy
The Star
Jane Taylor
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Then the traveller in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
As your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the traveller in the dark,
Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Practice Practice Exercises
2. Earth's only natural satellite
3. Morning star
6. Titan is the largest moon of
9. Smaller bodies in orbit around the Sun
10. The star at the centre of solar system
11. The Blue planet
12. Largest planet in the solar system
1. Smallest planet in the Solar system
2. Our Galaxy
4. Seventh planet from the sun
5. Distance travelled by light in a vacuum in one tropical year
7. Farthest planet in the Solar system
8. The Red planet
a. How does the comet travel?
b. Which word could you replace 'rampaging' with?
a. charging. b. rolling. c. speeding. d. flying
a. Why is the comet compared to a cheetah?
b. Whose tail is compared here?
a. What is reaching to the ground?
b. What is causing the land to quake?
a. What does the word 'they' refer to?
b. According to scientists, how did life start on earth?
a. Who does 'I’ refer to?
b. What is the best spectacle mentioned in the above lines?
The poet describes a moving comet which speeds through the heavens and never takes a break by When a comet is in full flight, it gives a which can never be compared to anything else for a lifetime. The comet is compared to for its speed and a mountain as it is The melts which causes a vapour from the force and leaves behind as it travels on its way. If it comes very close to the atmosphere, it causes a shake which in turn produces a that reach the Earth’s surface. According to the the comets leave behind chemicals in the form of dust which resulted in the on earth and mankind came into existence. But the poet is not sure whether this principle is true or not but he knows for sure that whatever the truth may be, the sight of the comet in full flight is
1. Pick out the rhyming words.
2. Mention the rhyme scheme of the stanza.
3. When you read the poem aloud, you can feel or hear a rhythm. What according to you gives rhythm to the poem- the rhyme or the words in a line? Support your answer with examples from the poem.
1. Narrate how the poet describes the comet.
2. Give a detailed account of the various effects caused by the comet to the earth.
1. Comets are believed to be remnants of the materials created by the .
2. Comets are mostly made of .
3. The can be seen in the night sky as a bright, quickly-moving light.
4. Comets orbit at the very edge of the galaxy, past the .
The melting process causes bits of dust and debris to trail behind the comet.