The Squirrel: CBSE Class 7 English Poem Explained

Summary and Central Idea of 'The Squirrel'

The poem 'The Squirrel' is a wonderful example of how to capture a moment in nature with just a few words. The central idea is the poet's fond and playful observation of a squirrel. The poet is sitting in a garden or park and notices a squirrel, likely on a tree. The poem describes the squirrel's physical appearance, particularly its tail, which is curved in such a way that it looks like a question mark. Its grey fur is described as an 'overcoat'. The poet then describes its actions: it sits up straight to eat a nut and seems to enjoy teasing and playing. The poem ends by describing a common interaction: when the poet and their friends get too close, the squirrel playfully runs away in the opposite direction. The poem's tone is light, happy, and full of admiration for the lively little creature.

Decoding the Poem: A Line-by-Line Analysis

1. Line 1: 'He wore a question mark for tail,' — This is a beautiful example of a metaphor. The poet is not saying the tail is like a question mark (that would be a simile), but that it is one. The squirrel's bushy tail, when it sits up, curves into a shape that looks exactly like a '?' punctuation mark. The word 'wore' also personifies the squirrel, as if it is wearing its tail like an accessory.
2. Line 2: 'An overcoat of gray,' — This is another metaphor. The squirrel's body is covered in thick, grey fur. The poet compares this fur to a warm 'overcoat' that a person might wear. This comparison helps us imagine the squirrel's cosy and furry appearance.
3. Line 3: 'He sat up straight to eat a nut.' — This line describes the squirrel's posture. It paints a clear picture of the squirrel sitting alert and upright while nibbling on its food. This posture is very characteristic of squirrels and makes them seem almost polite and human-like.
4. Lines 4-6: 'He liked to tease and play, / And if we ran around his tree, / He went the other way.' — These lines highlight the squirrel's playful and shy nature. The poet uses personification by saying the squirrel 'liked to tease and play'. The 'teasing' is the game it plays: when the children run towards it, it quickly scurries to the other side of the tree. This describes the fun, interactive chase that often happens between curious humans and quick-footed squirrels.

Exam Tips: Mastering Poetic Devices

When answering questions about this poem, it's important to identify and explain the poetic devices used.

• Metaphor: This is a direct comparison between two unlike things. The two key metaphors are:

1. The tail being compared to a 'question mark'.
2. The grey fur being compared to an 'overcoat'.

• Personification: This means giving human qualities or actions to an animal or object. The main example is the poet saying the squirrel 'wore' its tail and 'liked to tease and play'. Animals don't consciously 'wear' tails or 'tease' in the human sense, but this language makes the poem more engaging and relatable.

Remember to quote the lines from the poem in your answers to support your points. For example, if asked about the squirrel's tail, you must mention the phrase 'wore a question mark for tail'.

Practice Questions with Solutions

• Q: Why does the poet say the squirrel “wore a question mark for tail”?
  A: Step 1: Identify the figure of speech. The poet uses a metaphor to describe the squirrel's tail.
  Step 2: Describe the visual. When the squirrel sits up, its bushy tail curves upwards and bends at the top.
  Step 3: Connect the visual to the metaphor. This curved shape looks exactly like the punctuation mark known as a question mark (?).
  Final answer: The poet says the squirrel “wore a question mark for tail” because the shape of its curved, bushy tail resembled a question mark.

• Q: “He liked to tease and play.” Who is teasing whom? How?
  A: Step 1: Identify the characters involved. The poet (and possibly friends, referred to as 'we') and the squirrel are involved.
  Step 2: Explain the action. The poet and friends would run around the squirrel's tree, trying to get closer to it.
  Step 3: Describe the squirrel's reaction. In response, the squirrel would quickly run to the opposite side of the tree, avoiding them. This back-and-forth action is seen as a playful game of chase.
  Final answer: The squirrel is teasing the poet and their friends. It does this by running to the other side of the tree whenever they try to approach it, turning the interaction into a playful game.

• Q: What is the meaning of the phrase “An overcoat of gray”?
  A: Step 1: Identify the two things being compared. The phrase compares the squirrel's fur to an overcoat.
  Step 2: Explain the similarities. The squirrel's body is covered in thick, grey fur. An overcoat is a thick piece of clothing people wear to keep warm.
  Step 3: Conclude the meaning. The poet is using a metaphor to say that the squirrel's grey fur looked like it was wearing a warm, grey coat.
  Final answer: The phrase “An overcoat of gray” is a metaphor used to describe the squirrel's thick, grey fur, which covers its body like a coat.

• Q: What did the squirrel do when the children ran around its tree?
  A: Step 1: Refer to the last two lines of the poem: “And if we ran around his tree, / He went the other way.”
  Step 2: Interpret the squirrel's action. 'Going the other way' means it moved to the opposite side of the tree trunk, away from where the children were.
  Step 3: Describe the nature of this action. This was a playful and quick movement, part of its 'teasing' game.
  Final answer: When the children ran around its tree, the squirrel would also move around the tree in the opposite direction to playfully avoid them.

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