A Concrete Example

Work in groups of four. What kind of garden would you like to have? Mention the features that you can include and the reasons for your choice. Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.

Read the title of the poem. What comes to your mind when you read the word 'concrete'? Does it have more than one meaning? Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.

Complete the following summary with exact words from the poem. One example has been done for you. Share your answers with your classmates and teacher. The poem describes Mrs. Jones, the speaker's next-door neighbour, who has a unique garden filled with 1. ____. Her garden includes a peculiar 2. ____, a pond, and a rockery, along with an unusual 3. ____ that she finds charming. Mrs. Jones plants tiny, 4. ____ plants between the stones, which the speaker thinks must be so small that they are planted with a 5. ____. One day, Mrs. Jones invites the speaker to see her garden, and they discuss a 6. ____ that Mrs. Jones treasures. When the speaker asks where the 7. ____ flower is, Mrs. Jones says that the speaker has been 8. ____ on it all along.

The tone of the poem is ____. (i) mocking (ii) humorous (iii) mournful (iv) amusing (v) light-hearted

The rhyme scheme of the poem is ____. (i) AABBCC (ii) ABABCC (iii) AABCAC (iv) ABBACC

Complete the following sentences by choosing the correct answer given in the brackets.

Pick examples of alliteration from the poem.

A refrain is a repeated line or phrase that appears in each stanza. Identify the refrain from the poem.

Irony is a literary device that emphasises the difference between what is expected and what actually happens. It often involves a situation where the outcome is the opposite of what is expected, creating a surprising or a humorous effect. For example, Mrs. Jones' excitement about her garden contrasts with the speaker's disappointment on how ordinary it is. Identify the line(s) from the poem that display(s) situational irony.

Complete the following sentences appropriately.

Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow. My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones, has got a garden full of stones: A crazy path, a lily pond, a rockery and, just beyond A sundial with a strange device, which Mrs. Jones thinks rather nice.

How does Mrs. Jones feel about her garden? Support your answer with evidence from the poem.

Why do you think the speaker describes the plants as being so small that they could be planted with a pin?

What do we get to know about Mrs. Jones—based on her gardening style and her interaction with the speaker?

The poem portrays Mrs. Jones in a positive light. Support this statement.

What does the poem tell us about the way people think differently about the world around them?

Select the appropriate word from the brackets that correctly replaces the underlined word in the sentences from the text. 1. A sundial with a strange device, (unusual, peculiar, new, rare, external) 2. … which Mrs. Jones thinks rather nice. (pleasant, superior, agreeable, gentle, charming) 3. They are so delicate… (delicious, fragile, dainty, graceful, weak) 4. 'Where is this lovely thing?' I cried. (exclaimed, wept, shouted, announced, whispered)

The 'sundial' is referred to as a 'device' in the poem. Work in pairs to infer the meaning of 'device'. Share your thoughts with your classmates and teacher. Now, match the type of instruments in Column 1 with their definitions in Column 2. Column 3 shows one example of each type of instrument. Add more examples in Column 3.

Complete the table by making new words in Column 1 using the hints given in Column 2. Replace the first letter of the given word to create new words. One example has been done for you. nice - (i) dice: cut into small pieces (ii) ____: grain that we cook (iii) ____: plural of mouse (iv) ____: bad habit

Complete the table by making new words in Column 1 using the hints given in Column 2. Replace the first letter of the given word to create new words. soil - (i) ____: heat something (ii) ____: work very hard (iii) ____: length of wire in a circle (iv) ____: sheets to wrap food items