around in circles Who are the characters in this poem? List them with their pet names. Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage? Why is the dragon called “cowardly dragon”?
“Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful...” Why? . The poet has employed many poetic devices in the poem. For example: “Clashed his tail like iron in a dungeon” — the poetic device here is a simile.
Can you, with your partner, list some more such poetic devices used in the poem? . Read stanza three again to know how the poet describes the appearance of the dragon. .
Can you find out the rhyme scheme of two or three stanzas of the poem? . Writers use words to give us a picture or image without actually saying what they mean. Can you trace some images used in the poem?
. Do you find The Tale of Custard the Dragon to be a serious or a light-hearted poem? Give reasons to support your answer. .
This poem, in ballad form, tells a story. Have you come across any such modern song or lyric that tells a story? If you know one, tell it to the class. Collect such songs as a project.
Have fun writing your ballad. Gather information (choose/decide an idea/theme), organise your materials under characters and story and then write. Revise and edit your ballad to make it entertaining. Use the following guidelines to write your ballad.
• Purpose of writing the ballad: to entertain and interest • To whom I am writing: decide for whom you are writing • How should I structure features?: – Tell a simple narrative – A few major characters – A strong rhythm and rhyme – May have a refrain (single or two line(s) repeated often) – Divide into verses