Class 4 :: English Literature :: The Wind on the Hill by Alan Alexander Milne (Cambridge Connection English)
The Wind on the Hill
by Alan Alexander Milne
(Cambridge Connection English)
Can you think of some ways to describe wind? Work in groups of four and and find out four words to describe it.
=
The Poem :
"No one can tell me,
Nobody knows,
Where the wind comes from,
Where the wind goes.
It's flying from somewhere
As fast as it can,
I couldn't keep up with it,
Not if I ran.
But if I stopped holding
The string of my kite,
It would blow with the wind
For a day and a night.
And then when I found it,
Wherever it blew,
I should know that the wind
Had been going there too.
So then I could tell them
Where the wind goes...
But where the wind comes from
Nobody knows.
Summary of the Poem :
The poet wishes to know where does the wind come from and where does it go ultimately. There is no one who knows the answer to tell the poet.
The wind comes from some place so fast that the poet cannot keep pace with it even running.
The poet flies kite holding its thread. If he releases the thread, it will drift away by the wind throughout the day and night.
The poet would find the kite only to discover which direction the wind was going to. This way the poet can find the answer of where the wind goes. But the poet cannot get the answer of where the wind comes from. Even nobody knows the answer.
Comprehension
A. Choose the correct options.
1. The speaker
a. knows where the wind comes from. [ ]
b. does not know where the wind comes from. [✓]
2. If the speaker stopped holding the string of the kite,
a. the kite would blow away with the wind. [✓]
b. the kite would fall near the speaker. [ ]
B. Write true or false. Mention the line in the poem that tells you this.
1. The speaker could have kept up with the wind if he/she ran along with it. [F]
= 'I couldn't keep up with it,/Not if I ran.'
2. The speaker would know where the wind had blown if he/she could find the kite. [T]
= 'I should know that the wind/Had been going there too.'
3. The word blew rhymes with the word too. . [T]
= 'And then when I found it,/Wherever it blew,/I should know that the wind/Had been going there too.'
4. The speaker says that someone must be knowing where the wind comes from or where it goes. [F]
= 'No one can tell me,/Nobody knows,/Where the wind comes from,/Where the wind goes.'
C. Answer in a few words.
1. What can no one say about the wind?
= No one can say where the wind comes from and where the wind goes.
2. In what way can the speaker say how far the wind has blown?
= The speaker can say how far the wind has blown by finding the kite drifted away by the wind.
D. Answer the questions.
1. Did you like or dislike the poem? Give reasons for your answer.
= I liked the poem a lot. This is a nice poem to read. This is a very simple yet interesting subject. This poem depicts the innocent questions of every child. A child is curious about the wind. He wants to know the places where the wind comes from and goes to.
The child tries to find out the answer of his own. He does an experiment with the kite. He gets the answer of where the wind goes. But it remained unanswered where the wind comes from. The poem is full of interesting facts, nice word selection and rhyme scheme. All these compels me to like it very much.
2. What is the rhyme scheme of this poem?
= The rhyme scheme of this poem is abcb.
About the Poet :
Alan Alexander Milne (1882-1956) was an English author and playwright. He is best known for his books about Christopher Robin's teddy bear. Winnie-the-Pooh. He has also written several poems.