The Microbe
The
Microbe is so very small
You cannot make him out at all,
But many sanguine people hope
To see him through a microscope.
His jointed tongue that lies beneath
A hundred curious rows of teeth;
His seven tufted tails with lots
Of lovely pink and purple spots,
On each of which a pattern stands,
Composed of forty separate bands;
His eyebrows of a tender green;
All these have never yet been seen--
But Scientists, who ought to know,
Assure us that they must be so....
Oh! Let us never, never doubt
What nobody is sure about!
We are thinking about how to plan classroom process
so as the learners can analyse the poem. Testing of their analysis of the poem
is also included.
There are two sections below. First one is mainly
intended for teachers who plan the classroom teaching of the poem at the level,
senior secondary and above.
1. Classroom process for the poem
Time
required: 2 hours (in a day or two)
Objectives:
a)
Students make an attempt to write certain lines of a poem on the theme
suggested by the teacher.
A.
First hour/day
Teacher takes the students to the science lab.
After they come
into the class, teacher says:
What
is the shape of the microbe?
They write
two/three stanzas.
Teacher invites
presentation of two/three.
Loud reading
of the poem by the teacher.
A.
Second hour/day
Following is a funny picture of the microbe.
Can you compare this picture with the one drawn by the poet in the
poem?
Teacher draws the following table;
You cannot make him out at all,
But many sanguine people hope
To see him through a microscope.
His jointed tongue that lies beneath
A hundred curious rows of teeth;
His seven tufted tails with lots
Of lovely pink and purple spots,
On each of which a pattern stands,
Composed of forty separate bands;
His eyebrows of a tender green;
All these have never yet been seen--
But Scientists, who ought to know,
Assure us that they must be so....
Oh! Let us never, never doubt
What nobody is sure about!
Features of the microbe as described by the
poet
|
Features of the microbe as described in the
funny picture
|
1.
|
1.
|
2.
|
2. Looks
like a monster
|
3. It has
tail with purple spots
|
3.
|
4.
|
4.
|
Reading the poem, they fill-in the table.
They write a paragraph describing the differences of features.
Two or three students present the differences.
The poem ‘The
Microbe’ came out in the year 1900, that is, about 115 years ago, immediately
after Robert Koch showed that microorganisms caused diseases.
Teacher interaction:
This poem
might have enlightened several, those who were interested in science, as well
as laymen to think on the features of the microbes.
Still there is a question.
Does it arise a thought against
the real spirit of science?
Science presents evidences and
empirical knowledge.
That is, knowledge based on
experimentation and observation.
Does this poem questions that philosophy
and spirit of science?
Or confirms the philosophy and
spirit of science?
Teacher continues the interaction:
If it questions, write ‘ yes, it questions
the philosophy’
If it confirms the philosophy, write
‘yes, it confirms the philosophy.’
Whatever be your opinion write
your reasons.
Teacher asks any one to say her/his opinion.
Teacher invites another one to counter the argument said by the
first one.
Thus the class glides into a debate.
(Don’t sensitise them that, it is a debate)
Read the
last five lines of the poem:
(Teacher shows the five lines on a chart or on the screen)
All these have never yet been seen--
But Scientists, who ought to know,
Assure us that they must be so....
Oh! Let us never, never doubt
What nobody is sure about!
But Scientists, who ought to know,
Assure us that they must be so....
Oh! Let us never, never doubt
What nobody is sure about!
What is the fun in it?
Many say these five lines are uncomfortable. What is the
discomfort with the lines?
2. Testing your analysis of the poem
a) Describe the microbe as the poet describes it in the poem.
………………………………………………………………………………………….
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b) What makes the work a comic verse?
………………………………………………………………………………………….
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c) Following is a bacteria poem in which you can read the usefulness
of bacteria. Try some lines to show the helpfulness of bacteria.
What Bacteria
Means to Me
--- La Cynthia Barnett
When I think of bacteria
I think of all sorts of things.
Like the fact that they are
Among the smallest living things.
Some cause all sorts of disease
Like boils and syphilis, too
But many other bacteria are helpful to
us, too.
It helps turn milk into cheddar cheese
And helps us come up with
Different types of vaccines.
So when I think of bacteria
And what it means to me
I think of the helpful things it does
for you and me
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