Читать книгу English for Life Reader Grade 7 Home Language - Elaine Ridge - Страница 9

Pre-reading
1.	Before reading think about the sounds the sea makes when we have stormy weather.
During reading
2.	In this poem, the sea is described during two different times of the year. While reading, see if you can see when there is a change of seasons. Remember this poem is set in the northern hemisphere.

The sea

James Reeves

The sea is a hungry dog.

Giant and grey.

He rolls on the beach all day.

With his clashing teeth and shaggy jaws.

Hour upon hour he gnaws

The rumbling, tumbling stones,

And ‘Bones, bones, bones, bones!’

The giant sea-dog moans,

Licking his greasy paws.

And when the night wind roars

And the moon rocks in the stormy clouds,

He bounds to his feet and snuffs and sniffs,

Shaking his wet sides over the cliffs,

And howls and hollos long and loud.

But on quiet days in May or June,

When even the grasses on the dune

Play no more their reedy tune,

With his head between his paws

He lies on the sandy shores,

So quiet, so quiet, he scarcely snores.

gnaw – biting away at something hard

dune – a hill on the beach made of sand

Post-reading
3.	The poet describes the sea as a dog throughout this poem. He does not say that the sea is like a dog, (a simile) he says the sea IS a dog. What is this kind of comparison called? How effective do you think this is?
4.	The poet makes extensive use of onomatopoeia (the sound of the words echo the meaning/sound like what they mean).
a)	Which words describing the sea make it sound like a hungry dog?
b)	Which word suggests the gentle sound of the sea?
5.	Which stanza do you like best? Explain your choice.