The Squirrel and The Rebel — Two Poems
'The rebel lets his hair grow long. When everybody has short hair, the rebel grows long hair.'
POEM A: THE SQUIRREL — Mildred Bowers Armstrong
1. About the Poem
'The Squirrel' by Mildred Bowers Armstrong is a SHORT, DESCRIPTIVE poem about a squirrel. It captures the squirrel's PLAYFUL, ENERGETIC movements in just a few lines. The poem teaches us to OBSERVE nature carefully and ENJOY small, everyday creatures.
2. About the Poet
Mildred Bowers Armstrong
- American poet
- Known for SIMPLE, OBSERVATIONAL poems about nature
- 'The Squirrel' is her most famous poem
- Her style: SHORT lines, CLEAR imagery, child-friendly vocabulary
3. The Full Poem
He wore a question mark for tail, An overcoat of furred brown gray.
He sat upon a bunch of grass, And ate a nut — and then another.
He whisked his tail, he turned about, And then was gone — to find another.
4. Summary
The poet describes a SQUIRREL: its tail looks like a QUESTION MARK, its body is covered with GREY-BROWN fur. The squirrel sits on grass and EATS nuts — one after another. Suddenly, it TWITCHES its tail, TURNS around, and DISAPPEARS to find more food.
5. Poetic Devices
Simile: 'He wore a question mark for tail' — the squirrel's tail is COMPARED to a question mark shape.
Imagery (Visual): 'An overcoat of furred brown gray' — we can SEE the squirrel's colour. 'Question mark for tail' — we can VISUALISE the tail's curve.
Personification: The squirrel is given HUMAN-like qualities — wearing an 'overcoat' (clothing).
Rhyme: 'Gray/away' — simple end rhyme.
Rhythm: The poem has a BOUNCY rhythm that matches the squirrel's movements.
Alliteration: 'furred brown gray' — the 'g' sound.
6. Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Question mark | A punctuation mark (?) shaped like a curved line |
| Overcoat | A warm coat worn over clothes |
| Furred | Covered with fur (animal hair) |
| Whisked | Moved quickly, suddenly |
| Turned about | Spun around |
7. Important Quotes
- 'He wore a question mark for tail'
- 'He whisked his tail, he turned about, / And then was gone'
8. Themes
- Nature Observation: Look closely at small creatures
- Playfulness and Energy: The squirrel is always in MOTION
- Simplicity: Beauty in everyday, simple things
- Independence: The squirrel does what it wants
9. Questions
What does the squirrel's tail look like? It looks like a QUESTION MARK — curved and bushy.
What colours is the squirrel? Grey-brown, like an 'overcoat of furred brown gray'.
What does the squirrel eat? Nuts.
Why is the poem effective despite being short? The poem creates a VIVID IMAGE of the squirrel in just FIVE LINES. We SEE it, we FEEL its quick movements, and we watch it DISAPPEAR. The poet captures the squirrel's ESSENCE — playful, quick, always searching for food.
POEM B: THE REBEL — D.J. Enright
10. About the Poem
'The Rebel' by D.J. Enright is a HUMOROUS, THOUGHTFUL poem about a person who ALWAYS does the OPPOSITE of everyone else. When people have short hair, the rebel has long hair. When everyone praises, the rebel criticises. The poem explores CONFORMITY vs INDIVIDUALITY.
11. About the Poet
D.J. Enright (1920–2002)
- English poet, novelist, and critic
- Taught literature in universities across the world (Egypt, Japan, Thailand, Singapore)
- Known for WRY, IRONIC observations of human behaviour
- 'The Rebel' is from his collection of poems for children
12. The Full Poem
When everybody has short hair, The rebel lets his hair grow long.
When everybody has long hair, The rebel cuts his hair short.
When everybody talks during the lesson, The rebel doesn't say a word.
When nobody talks during the lesson, The rebel creates a disturbance.
When everybody wears a uniform, The rebel dresses in fantastic clothes.
When everybody dresses in fantastic clothes, The rebel wears a uniform.
The rebel is a very puzzling creature. He is always doing the opposite.
But it is very good that sometimes There are rebels.
You may not like the rebel, But the rebel does not like you either.
13. Summary
The poem describes a REBEL — someone who ALWAYS does the opposite of what everyone else does. If everyone has short hair, the rebel grows it long. If everyone is quiet, the rebel talks. The poet says the rebel is PUZZLING but ADMITS that having rebels is GOOD for society. The rebel does not care if you like them — they do not like you either.
14. Poetic Devices
Repetition: 'When everybody... The rebel...' — this structure repeats in every stanza, creating RHYTHM and PATTERN.
Contrast/Opposition: The ENTIRE poem is built on opposites. Short hair vs long hair. Quiet vs talking. Uniform vs fantastic clothes.
Irony: The rebel's behaviour IRONICALLY makes them predictable — doing the opposite EVERY TIME becomes its own kind of pattern.
Humour: The poem is FUNNY — the rebel is so consistently contrary that it becomes COMICAL.
Simple Rhyme: 'hair/anywhere', 'word/disturbance' (partial rhyme).
Direct Address: 'You may not like the rebel' — the poet speaks DIRECTLY to the reader.
15. Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Rebel | Someone who fights against or defies authority or convention |
| Fantastic | Unusual, imaginative, extraordinary |
| Uniform | Standardised clothing worn by a group |
| Puzzling | Confusing, hard to understand |
| Creature | A living being (used playfully here) |
| Disturbance | Something that interrupts peace or order |
| Opposite | Completely different, contrary |
16. Important Quotes
- 'The rebel is a very puzzling creature. He is always doing the opposite.'
- 'But it is very good that sometimes there are rebels.'
- 'You may not like the rebel, but the rebel does not like you either.'
17. Themes
- Individuality vs Conformity: Should we follow the crowd or be different?
- The Role of Rebels: Rebels challenge SOCIETY and force CHANGE
- Predictability of Unpredictability: The rebel becomes PREDICTABLE in their unpredictability
- Acceptance of Difference: The poet says rebels are 'good' — we NEED different perspectives
18. Short Answer Questions
1. What does the rebel do when everyone has short hair? The rebel LETS his hair grow LONG.
2. How does the rebel behave in class? When everyone talks, the rebel is SILENT. When everyone is quiet, the rebel CREATES A DISTURBANCE.
3. Is the poet against rebels? NO. The poet says 'it is very good that sometimes there are rebels.' Rebels bring BALANCE to society.
4. How does the rebel dress? When everyone wears a uniform, the rebel wears FANTASTIC clothes. When everyone wears fantastic clothes, the rebel wears a UNIFORM.
5. Does the rebel care if people like him? NO. The last lines say: 'You may not like the rebel, but the rebel does not like you either.'
19. Long Answer Questions
6. What is the message of 'The Rebel'?
Step 1 — The poet describes a person who ALWAYS does the opposite. This is COMICAL but also THOUGHTFUL.
Step 2 — The poet says having rebels is GOOD. Why? Because if everyone agreed, society would never CHANGE. Rebels question, challenge, and push boundaries.
Step 3 — But the poem also WARN against REBEL for its own sake. Doing the opposite just to be DIFFERENT is not true rebellion — it is just another kind of conformity.
Step 4 — The message: BE YOURSELF. Whether you are a conformer or a rebel is less important than being AUTHENTIC.
7. Explain the irony in 'The Rebel'.
The IRONY is that the rebel's behaviour is COMPLETELY PREDICTABLE — they ALWAYS do the opposite. So their 'unpredictability' is actually a PATTERN. True unpredictability would be doing something UNEXPECTED — not always the opposite.
Also, the rebel who always opposes everyone is, in a way, just as CONFORMING as the conformers — they conform to the PATTERN of rebellion.
20. Compare the Two Poems
| The Squirrel | The Rebel |
|---|---|
| About NATURE | About HUMAN behaviour |
| SHORT (5 lines) | LONGER (multiple stanzas) |
| Describes MOVEMENT | Describes CHARACTER |
| Simple observation | Thoughtful commentary |
| Objective description | Ironic perspective |
21. Conclusion
'The Squirrel' and 'The Rebel' are TWO very different poems that BOTH encourage observation — one of NATURE, one of HUMAN NATURE. The squirrel poem teaches us to NOTICE the small, quick creatures around us. The rebel poem teaches us to THINK about conformity, individuality, and the value of people who think differently.
For AP Board students: for 'The Squirrel', focus on IMAGERY and PERSONIFICATION. For 'The Rebel', focus on IRONY, REPETITION, and the MESSAGE about individuality versus conformity.
'The Squirrel and The Rebel' — one shows us nature's quick grace. The other shows us humanity's constant dance between fitting in and standing out.
