Chapter 2.5 – The Silver House
The poet John Lea is comparing the silver house in the sky to a moon. He describes the different phases of the moon as the time to build up and pull down the said ‘Silver House’.
The poet talks about a man who lives in the ‘Silver House’ and how no one knows or talks about him.
The poet further advises us to draw the window blind at night before calling it a day in order to see the lonely man.
John Lea, the poet, states that if you cease to find the poor man in the sky, it is because the ‘Silver House’ has been taken down. The ‘Silver House’ will, of course, not be there due to the moon being in the ‘new moon’ phase.
crown : a silver coin that was used in England in the past.
window blind : a protective covering for the window. A window blind keeps out light.
taken down : pulled down, dismantled
POINTERS
1. What do the following words in the poem mean? Do these words have other meanings? List them.
(a) crown
Ans:
In the poem: a princely ornament worn as a badge of royalty.
Other meanings:
(i) A wreath for the head given as a reward of victory.
(ii) The topmost part of the head
(iii) An award gained by a victory.
(iv) An artificial replacement for the upper part of the tooth.
(b) round
Ans:
In the poem: spherical, having gentle curves
Other meanings:
(i) Complete, whole
(ii) Outspoken, plain and direct
(iii) Finished; polished; not defective or abrupt
(c) draw
Ans:
In the poem: to move something by pulling
Other meanings:
(i) To develop something (to sketch)
(ii) To pull out (as a gun from a holster).
(d) blind
Ans:
In the poem: window coverings
Other meanings:
(i) Unable to see
(ii) Closed at one end or having a dead end
(iii) Without prior knowledge
2. Find four pairs of rhyming words from the poem.
Ans:
(a) crown-down
(b) way – say
(c) blind – find
(d) bare – there
3. In each of the following line, spot the sound that is used repeatedly –
(i) There’s a silver house in the lovely sky.
Ans: The sound of the letter ‘s’ is used repeatedly.
(ii) As round as a silver crown
Ans: The sound of the letter ‘a’ in the word ‘as’ is used repeatedly.
(iii) It takes two weeks to build it up.
And two to pull it down.
Ans: The sound of the letter ‘t’ is used repeatedly in the words ‘two’ and ‘to’. The sound of the letter ‘p’ is used repeatedly in the words ‘up’ and ‘pull’.
4. What is implied in the following phrases or lines?
(a) A silver house in the lovely sky
Ans: It is implied in this sentence that the ‘silver house’, is actually the moon in the sky.
(b) It takes two weeks to build it up
Ans: It is implied in this sentence that the two weeks that are used to build the ‘silver house’ up are the weeks that are required for the moon to complete its journey from the ‘new moon phase’ to the ‘full moon phase’ (waxing).
(c) And two to pull it down.
Ans: It is implied in this sentence that the period of two weeks is the time taken by the moon to change from the ‘full moon phase’ to the ‘new moon phase’ (waxing).
5. Make a ‘pair presentation’ of the poem, in the class.
Ans: Students must do this on their own.
6. The man in the moon is mentioned in l many nursery rhymes and stories. When people see the spots on the surface of the moon, they imagine that it’s a human face, or the figure of a man who lives on the moon. Sometimes, other characters like rabbits are also imagined to live with the man. Here are two nursery rhymes about the man in the moon.
7. Are there any stories/legends about the moon or special names for the moon in your language? Talk to your friends and family members and collect this information.
Ans: Students must do this on their own.
8. Do you know any poem or song about the moon in your own language? Sing it in the class.
Ans: Students must do this on their own.
9. Form pairs. Write a poem with rhyming lines on at least one of the following :
the moon, stars, a tree, a flower, a river/lake, rain, the wind, clouds.
Ans:
Shiny Moon in the Night
See the moon so bright and round,
Casting light without a sound.
Like a nightlight in the sky,
Guiding dreams as days go by.
Shadows play and dance below,
As the moon puts on a show.
Moon above, so big and white,
Glowing softly in the night.