Chivvy Poem 4 Melody English Summary and Question Answers

Here is a new blog post in Class 7th English. The “Chivvy” is Poem 4 taken from the newly introduced textbook Melody English for students of Class 7^th of JKBOSE and Honeycomb English for students of NCERT. It was written by British children’s author Michael Rosen. This post concerns Chivvy Poem 4 Melody English Summary and Question Answers. In my previous post, you read about The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom Summary and Question Answers with you. So, let’s not waste any more time and get started with today’s post.

Chivvy Poem 4 Melody English Summary and Question Answers

Introduction

In this poem, the poet shares his childhood experiences of being constantly nagged by his mother. The poet through this poem tells us that elders gave instructions to children such as do this or don’t do that. The children can only develop their independent thinking if they are allowed to make their own decisions rather than if instructions are given to them.

Chivvy Melody English Poem 4 Text

Grown-ups say things like:
Speak up
Don’t talk with your mouth full
Don’t stare;
Don’t point
Don’t pick your nose

Sit up;
Say please;
Less noise
Shut the door behind you
Don’t drag your feet
Haven’t you got a hankie?
Take your hands out of
your pockets

Pull your socks up;
Stand up straight
Say thank you
Don’t interrupt
No one thinks you’re funny Take your elbows off the table
Can’t you make your own
mind up about anything?

Chivvy Poem 4 Melody English Word Meanings

Chivvy Poem 4 Melody English Summary in English

‘Chivvy’ means urging someone continuously to do something. The poem depicts the constant instructions adults give children for refined behaviour. Children are expected to respond when spoken to and avoid speaking with their mouths full of food. They tell children not to stare at others or point fingers at them and not to clean their noses.  

The children are also told to sit straight and say please. They are even told to be less noisy and shut the door when they leave the room. They also tell the children not to drag their feet and keep a handkerchief with them and to keep their hands out of their pockets.

The adults urge kids to pull up their socks and stand up straight. They tell the children to say thank you and not to interrupt when others are speaking. They tell the children not to keep their elbows on the table. These are very ironic situations where grown-ups want children to do as per their wishes and at the same time be independent in making decisions.

It playfully explores the dual expectations of obedience and independence imposed on children. The verses reveal the paradoxical nature of adult-child interactions, offering a light-hearted reflection on the amusing contradictions inherent in growing up.

Chivvy Poem 4 Melody English Poem Explanation

Grown-ups say things like:
Speak up
Don’t talk with your mouth full
Don’t stare;
Don’t point
Don’t pick your nose

Reference to Context: The above lines have been taken from Michael Rosen’s poem, ‘Chivvy.’ The poet points out some common instructions given by the grown-ups to children.

Line-by-line Explanation: The poem opens with a long list of instructions. The poet complains about the instructions being issued by the adults to their young ones. The elder ones ask them to speak, not to talk when they have food in their mouth, not to stare, not to point a finger at someone, not to put their finger in the nostril.

Sit up;
Say please;
Less noise
Shut the door behind you
Don’t drag your feet
Haven’t you got a hankie?
Take your hands out of
your pockets

Reference to Context: The above lines have been taken from Michael Rosen’s poem, ‘Chivvy.’ The poet continues to emphasize how the young children are directed to act by the instructions issued by the adults.

Line-by-line Explanation: In the second stanza poet adds a few more examples of instructions. The parents order children to sit up, to say “please” while talking to someone, to become less noisy, to close the door when they enter the room or leave, and not to drag their feet while walking. The mother asks him if he does not have a hankie to use and she also asks him to take his hands out of his pocket.

Pull your socks up
Stand up straight
Say thank you
Don’t interrupt
No one thinks you’re funny
Take your elbows off the table
Can’t you make your own
mind up about anything?

Reference to Context: The above lines have been taken from Michael Rosen’s poem, ‘Chivvy.’ The poet showcases how the child is still being reprimanded by the adult, though the child has grown up.

Line-by-line Explanation: The final stanza of the poem shows that perhaps the young child has grown up. However, the adults around him continue to instruct him. The  mother asks him to pull up his socks, to stand straight, to say “thank you” to others, not to interrupt others when they are talking, and she says that he is not considered to be funny and that he should not keep his elbow on the table. The child is unable to decide anything for himself. He is not certain about anything. It’s quite ironic as the entire childhood of this child was spent blindly following the instructions.

Working with the Poem Page No. 70

1. Discuss these questions in small groups before you answer them.

(i) When is a grown-up likely to say this?

Don’t talk with your mouth full.

Ans. A grown-up is likely to say this when a child is talking while eating and have their mouths full, and are trying to speak.

(ii) When are you likely to be told this? Say, thank you. 

Ans. I will be told to say thank you when someone offers them something or when someone helps them.

(iii) When do you think an adult would say this? No one thinks you are funny.

Ans. I think this will be told when children are told to perform some activity and they are feeling shy or when we tend to create fun and crack jokes.

2. The last two lines of the poem are not prohibitions or instructions. What is the adult now asking the child to do? Do you think the poet is suggesting that this is unreasonable? Why?

Ans. In the last two lines child is being told that he cannot make choices and his own decision. I think this seems to be unreasonable. because all the time is being instructed to do this or that. So how he can’t think independently now?

3. Why do you think grown-ups say the kind of things mentioned in the poem? Is it important that they teach children good manners, and how to behave in public?

Ans. I think the grown-ups give such instructions because they want them to be smart and good citizens. It’s really important to teach kids good manners and how to act in public. This helps them become well-behaved and helpful people in our community.

4. If you had to make some rules for grown-ups to follow, what would you say? Make at least five such rules. Arrange the lines as in a poem.

Ans. Don’t nag us.
Don’t shout at children.
Spend some good time with children.
Avoid using mobile while eating.
Guide us but don’t goad us.

That’s it about Chivvy Poem 4 Melody English Summary and Question Answers. Hope it has helped. Do share your views about this post in the comment section below.