Читать книгу English for Life Reader Grade 9 Home Language - Elaine Ridge - Страница 10

Pre-reading
1.	We have all seen nightwatchmen whose job it is to stay awake all night to guard property. What are the hardships of doing this job and what dangers does a nightwatchman face?
During reading
2.	In this poem we are presented with the idea that things might not always be what they seem to be. The fire looks warm. The watchman seems to be smiling.

The nightwatchman

Fhazel Johennesse

the fire looks warm from here

and a red reflection diffuses and

glows across his face

he sits quite still a grey overcoat

drawn taut over his back

then I see his fingers move agitate

and briefly a flicker of firelight

paints a smile on his face and then

melts it again

i watch his fingers they slowly

slip across the scalloped edge

of the knobkerrie

and suddenly I know

i know that he waits for the

cracking of skulls and the

breaking of bones.

agitate – move in a disturbed way

diffuses – spreads

knobkerrie – a wooden fighting stick with a heavy knob on the end

scalloped – carved wavy design on the knob to make the stick more dangerous

taut – tight as if he is ready for action

Post-reading
3.	Write down two things you can tell about the speaker from the way he describes this scene.
4.	The scene seems quiet, but two words in the first six lines suggest that the nightwatchman is tense and nervous. What are they? Explain.
5.	The watchman is playing with his knobkerrie. What does the poem suggest he is thinking about?
6.	Explain the gap between “fingers” and “they” in line 10. How does it affect the way the poem is read and what do you think it suggests about the change in the way the speaker sees the nightwatchman?
7.	Do you think that the night watchman looks forward to “the cracking of skulls and the breaking of bones”? What do you think his smile is about?
8.	How does the layout and lack of punctuation shape the ways you are able to read and understand this poem?