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BE GLAD YOUR NOSE IS ON YOUR FACE
INTRODUCTION
JACK PRELUTSKY(1940
Jack Prelutsky
(born September 8, 1940) is an American writer of children's poetry who has
published over 50 poetry collections. He was named a U.S. Children's Poet
Laureate by the Poetry Foundation in 2006.
EARLY LIFE
Jack Prelutsky was
born on September 8, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York to Charles, an
electrician, and Dorothea, a homemaker. While he was still a baby, a fire
burned his family's apartment and he was saved by his Uncle Charlie, who was a
standup comedian who played the Borscht Belt.
He attended local
public schools in the Bronx, hated the experience, and was bored in class.
Prelutsky claims to have hated poetry when he was younger.[1] He stated that
"sometime in elementary school I had a teacher who, in retrospect, did not
like poetry herself. She was determined to inflict violent punches and deadly
blows so you can believe her views on her captives that were locked in the
basement.
The syllabus told her
she had to recite a poem once a week. She would pick a boring poem from a
boring book and read it in a boring voice, looking bored while she was doing
it.
After teachers
discovered he had musical talents, they suggested that he attend The High School of
Music & Art. The moment he was there, he was happy and was able to
train his beautiful singing voice and even took part in the musicals. He graduated
in 1958, and went on to Hunter College for two years.
He studied philosophy, psychology, and flunked English three times before
dropping out.
Before becoming a
writer, he worked odd jobs including driving a cab, moving furniture, busboy,
potter, woodworker, and door-to-door salesman. In the late 1960s, he was
working in a bookstore in Greenwich Village and singing in
coffeehouses, and while doing the latter he met Bob Dylan, became friends, and Dylan even stated that
Prelutsky sounded "like a cross between Woody Guthrie and Enrico Caruso.
Prelutsky also
loved to draw imaginary animals, and a friend of his encouraged him to send it
to a publisher in New York. He wrote poems to go with the drawings last minute.
He met with Susan Hirshman, and was amazed when they wanted his work; not the
drawings that took six months to draw, but the poems which took two hours. He
was 24 at the time, and the poems appeared in his first book, A Gopher in the Garden and Other Animal
Poems, in 1967. Hirshman told him he was a natural poet, published his
book, and remained his editor until she retired 37 years later.
POETRY
Prelutsky has written
more than 50 poetry collections, including Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep (1976), It's Halloween (1977), The Mean Old Mean Hyena (1978),
and Something BIG Has Been Here (1990).
Nilsen, A. P. and
Nilsen, D.L.F. (2000). Encyclopedia
of 20th-Century American Humor [Electronic
version]. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press. He has also compiled numerous children's
anthologies comprising poems of others.
He has also set his
poems to music on the audio versions of his anthologies. He often sings and
plays guitar on them.
In 2006, the Poetry Foundation named Prelutsky
the inaugural winner of the Children's Poet Laureate award.
His book Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant and Other Poems (illustrated
by Carin Berger) won the 2007 Scandiuzzi Children's Book Award of the Washington State
Book Awards in the Picture Book category.
In 1993, his poetry
collection "The New Kid on the Block" was made into an interactive
story book by Brøderbund's Living Books series.
Jack Prelutsky has
garnered many awards in his long career including citations as: New York Times
Outstanding Book of the Year, School Library Journal Best of the Best Book,
International Reading Association/Children's Book Council Children's Choice,
Library of Congress Book of the Year, Parents' Choice Award, American Library
Association Notable Children's Recording, an Association for Library Services
to Children Notable Book and Booklist Editor's Choice, among others. His
combined works have sold over a million copies and been translated into many
languages.
PERSONAL LIFE
Prelutsky married his wife, Carolynn, in 1979.
They met when he was on a book tour in Albuquerque, New
Mexico and she was a children's librarian who was
tasked with showing him around town. He claims it was love at first sight and
even asked for her hand in marriage the first day he met her. They have lived
in Arizona, Boston, New
York City, and Olympia, Washington. They currently live
in downtown Seattle and have an
apartment on Bainbridge
Island.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
● The Headless Horseman Rides Tonight: More Poems to Trouble
Your Sleep (1980)
(illustrated by Arnold Lobel)
● Good Sports: Rhymes about Running, Jumping, Throwing, and
More (2007)
(illustrated by Chris Raschka)
● The Swamps of Sleethe: Stories from Beyond the Solar System(2009) (illustrated by Jimmy Pickering)
BE
GLAD ON YOUR NOSE IS ON YOUR FACE
First
Stanza Explanation
●
The wording of this
first stanza allows a childlike tone to be embraced, given that no word would
be out of a child’s reach of understanding. In fact, the wording seems as
though it could have been more sophisticated, but has been toned down to allow a
child to enjoy and understand it. Specifically, a child might relate to the
idea of “past[ing’]” from school and craft projects, and “a lot” is a very
informal phrasing choice that is simplistic enough to match the typical
vernacular of a young child. The final lines of this stanza, as it happens,
almost have a Dr. Seuss sound to them that reel the child into the story so
they can more effectively grasp the message of being content and happy with
what they have.
●
Even the idea of
using the “nose” in this fashion is such a leap of logic that it fits into the
thought process of a child. While most people might have insecurities, few
probably lament the idea that their “nose is on [their] face.” To take something
as universally accepted as having the “nose” “place[d]” there to express more
common insecurities is arguably a genius move from Prelutsky. The concept is so
bizarre and farfetched that it caters to children’s amusement in order to draw
them in for an impacting lesson.
Second Stanza
Explanation
●
This stanza continues
with the childlike traits by relating his ideas to things a child would
comprehend—like a “sandwich”—as well as things a child would find funny. There
is no good reason why a person would seriously consider having their “precious
noise” “between [their] toes,” so already there is the same stretch of thought
that was at the forefront of the previous stanza’s ideas. This particular
stanza pushes the idea further by turning the situation into something that a
child would find funny—that they would “be forced to smell [their] feet” in
this situation.
●
Once more, this
tactic is arguably genius because a child does not have to understand larger
concepts to grasp the main idea of the stanza. Children reading would already
know that the result of having their “nose” in this circumstance would be
unpleasant because of the very basic consequence that Prelutsky has listed.
They can easily grasp the concept, and it is juvenile enough to keep their
attention with laughter.
●
Notice as well that
the AABB rhyme scheme from the first stanza is used again in this second
stanza. This creates a structure that a child can latch onto for the sake of
familiarity, guiding them easily in a step by step motion to journey through
evidence of Prelutsky’s core idea—that the “nose” should be on the “face.”
Third
Stanza Explanation
●
The familiar rhyme scheme continues in this
section so that children reading would be able to remain settled into the grounded
foundation that Prelutsky constructed in the first stanza. This allows an
undisturbed transition into the idea of having the “nose” “atop [the] head.”
●
Yet again as well,
the ideas in the stanza are simplistic enough for a child to understand and
find humor in. A great example is “tickled.” A child would understand that
word, and the idea is linked to laughter and amusement so that the child could
find entertainment through this new idea of where the “nose” could go. This
lightens the notion of being “drive[n]… to despair,” which on its own would
have brought a very heavy, grave feeling to what has otherwise been a light
story. By this strategy then, Prelutsky has allowed the rationale to step into
more serious territory, as this is a serious topic, but not in a way that
sacrifices the childlike atmosphere that a young reader would appreciate.
●
Again as well,
the result of having the “nose” moved to a new position is unnatural and
bizarre, but those qualities are provided in ways that are not too dark or
gloomy. In the second stanza, it was just a “smell” that was humorously
unpleasant, and this time it is a “tickle,” which is hardly the harshest of
punishments. These gentle concepts ease the ideas into the child’s mind without
growing so serious that the child separates from the narrative. Yet again then,
Prelutsky has toed a line that is arguably genius.
Fourth Stanza
Explanation
●
Children can read
this poem with the continued foundation of the ABAB rhyme scheme, all while
being presented with a combination of language that is sturdy and serious
enough to solidify the importance of the poem’s theme, but also innocent and
entertained enough to suit a child’s mentality. Specifically, “absolute
catastrophe” expresses the significance of what would happen if the “nose” were
“[w]ithin [the] ear.” By labeling the change in such a drastic way, Prelutsky
has constructed a stanza that holds warning about trying to rearrange what is
already in a good situation.
●
The somberness and
drastic quality of his account, however, do not remain as he slips once more
into childlike notions of fun and whimsy as a consequence for the action. A
child understands a “sneeze,” after all, and the idea that a change in “nose”
position could lead to the “brain” having to “rattle” from the jarring motion
is amusing on that innocent, youthful level. This is once more pairing a
serious, adult lesson with a childish representation to create a simple story
to showcase to young readers that acceptance of one’s being, to some extent, is
the right way to go.
●
It is worth
noting as well that in this stanza, the very notion of a “rattle” brings in a
new sense that a child can relate to. Already, the first stanza has utilized
“smell,” and the second has embraced touch through a “tickle.” Now, the young
reader can have a third sense acclimated to the notion through sound. As these
senses are things a child would understand, once more, Prelutsky has catered to
their level of thought to give them a clear, full view of his message of
contentment with things that are already good.
BACKGROUND
“Be Glad Your Nose Is On Your Face” is a poem written by John
Prelutsky. Prelutsky, a writer of children’s poetry, published this piece in
1940. The fact he is a children’s writer indicates his poems have a whimsical
tone. This is evident upon reading this poem but it also becomes clear that it
contains an important message for children to learn and understand. Though the
poem’s writing focuses on the body, its meaning flows into that of living with
gratitude and appreciation.
STRUCTURE
The poem is split into five stanzas,
each composed of four lines. Each stanza follows an AABB rhyme scheme. An AABB
scheme is easy to follow and entertaining, both of which are highly important
and motivating to children. The flow of the poem is natural and uncomplicated
which propels the poem forward. Both of the effects the rhyme scheme has on the
readability of the poem are crucial to gaining the attention of the target
audience. Additionally, the rhyme scheme works well with the topical nature of
the poem gives the poem to give it a feeling of playfulness. However, the
structure also provides focus as it allows the reader to center attention on
the two rhyming lines at hand. As result, readers of the poem truly engage with
it and end up grasping the underlying meaning.
ANALYSIS
The poem begins by stating, “Be
glad your nose is on your face, / not pasted on some other place” to
immediately set an idea down for the rest of the poem. It then continues to
detail what it would be like to have your nose elsewhere on your body.
While reading the poem, the
reader goes on a journey of imagining what would happen should a person’s nose
be on the feet, on top of the head, or in the ear. This is shown through clever
examples and descriptions of the experience of having the nose placed somewhere
other than your face.
The lines “Imagine
if your precious nose / were sandwiched in between your toes,” “Your
nose would be a source of dread / were it attached atop your head,” and
“Within
your ear, your nose would be / an absolute catastrophe” give the reader
a clear image of how and why the nose’s real placement is perfect.
It is a lighthearted and
fun read that can certainly provide a laugh. This is what is clear from the
poem at the first and literal reading.
However, the reader should
not mistake the jolly rhythm of the poem to mean it does not convey an
important message. When paying closer attention to the message behind the
literal words, the reader can begin to understand the importance of gratitude.
The speaker of the poem
begins by stating the reader should be glad for something as it is, rather than
wishing it would change. The poem then goes on to highlight how a change could
actually leave the reader much less happy than he or she currently is. This
idea is shown straight away in the last two lines of the first stanza, “for
if it were where it is not, you might dislike your nose a lot.”
This is an important lesson
for children to learn and adults to remember. It is the type of truth that
should be taken to heart by all. People constantly wish for more or for
something different rather than taking the time to be thankful for what they do
have.
They do not take the time to
figure out why something exists or it does, what kind of function or purpose it
serves, and how fortunate that is.
The speaker of the poem also
urges the reader to consider thinking in a somewhat unconventional manner. To
begin with, the poem explores an interesting and quirky notion of the nose
being somewhere on the human body other than the face. This, in and of itself,
is not conventional. In addition, this could also be viewed as being done in
good fun. Either way, it opens the mind and imagination of the reader.
Now, with an open mind and
flowing imagination, the reader is able to delve deeper into the poem’s
meaning. This is a deeper layer of unconventional thinking that requires
analysis beyond what is simply laid out on the page. Sometimes, we take the
situations we face in life as negative happenings or something for granted.
The strange viewpoint of
picturing life with your nose elsewhere also encourages you to think of what
life would be like if something you constantly desire to change actually did.
It is important to take the time to understand things happen as they do for a
reason and sometimes we do not understand what that reason is. That does not
mean it is unfavorable or should be overlooked. Just as you may not give much
thought to the placement of your nose, you may not give full thought to the
reason you experience the things you do. This is an extremely valuable and
essential life lesson a child should pick up from an early age.
SUMMARY
This poem takes the reader
on an adventure of imagining the body being shaped arranged differently than it
is in a fun, simple way. Though it may seem strange, it also manages to take a
topic that is extremely important and essential to life and transform it into
something even children can enjoy and learn from. The way the poem reads makes
it enjoyable and widens the possibility of its message being delivered to a
larger audience. It is amusing, playful, and holds significance.
It may not seem like it
at first glance, but the form, method, and words Prelutsky used ended up being
quite relevant to the idea conveyed if the read “between the lines.” Though
Prelutsky writes poetry for children, his skill and talent make it so that his
poems are found to be enjoyable by adults as well.
THEME
The overarching theme of “Be Glad Your Nose Is On Your Face” is thankfulness. It is through appreciating what we have, rather than focusing on what we do not or what we wish to change, that we can truly be content in life. We often want to believe if we just had one missing thing, slightly changed a situation, or forgot an experience we might be better off. We often fail to realize the actual impact such adjustments may have on life and do not stop to think those effects could be highly negative or make no difference at all.
CONCLUSION
Almost like the
conclusion of a research paper, this stanza wraps up the ideas that were
addressed in earlier stanzas with the same use of simple verbiage and grounded
ABAB rhyme scheme.
This is not necessarily
a tactic that readers often see in poetry, but given that this one is geared
toward children, the strategy is solid and useful. It is possible, after
underlying message behind all of the whimsy, so to remind that young reader
about the core idea in the poem is a strong way to wrap up the verses.
That core idea is that
the “nose” is where it should be “on [the] face,” but the subtler message at
play is to be grateful for the good things that are known without wishing that
they were something else. By describing this idea through a simple concept of
“nose” “place[ment],” Prelutsky has provided children with a story that can
begin instilling this core value into them at a very young age—maybe even
before they fully understand the message beyond “smell[s]” and “rattle[s].”
Overall, this is a
strong product that is expertly geared toward its targeted audience, one where
the meaning is as clear as the “nose” on “your face.”
OBJECTIVES
At the end this poem you will be able to
recalls the events related to the
topic.
applies the
knowledge to the topic.
analyses the
main ideas of the poem.
reads with
correct pronunciation.
explains the theme of the poem.
ASSIGNMENTS
Describe about the poem “BE GLAD YOUR IS ON YOUR FACE”
How do you feel about your nose and make it sentence.
TUTORIALS
Identifies different type of nose and collect a picture and
paste in the chart.
Write about your experience what you learnt from the class.
LINKS
https://poemanalysis.com>be-glad-your-..
https://pluckthatpoem.wordpress.com>b..
GLOSSARY
Breeze – airflow, light wind
Catastrophe – unhappy
Dread – horrible
Despair – hopelessness
Drive – journey by vehicle
Forced – compulsory
Glad – delight full
Instead – alternative
Obliged – bound
Pasted – fix
Precious – valuable
Rattle – jiggle
Sandwiched – middle
Sneeze – expulsion of air
Tickled – bright
FAQs WITH ANSWER
Who is jack Prelutsky?
Jack Prelutsky is an American writer of children's poetry
who has published over 50 poetry collections. Be glad your nose is on your face
is written by jack Prelutsky.
What actually should you feel glad
about nose?
I feel very glad about nose
because it helps to smell something. Our nose is our personal air conditioning
system.
Be glad your nose is on your face,
Not pasted on some other place,’
Why does the poet ask us to be glad?
The poet asks us to be glad your
nose in correct position .
What would happen if the nose where
pasted on your head?
If the nose where pasted on your
head, it would drive you to despair, forever tickled by your hair.
Where would the nose be an absolute
catastrophe?
The nose be an absolute
catastrophe , it were obliged to sneeze, your brain
What are the words of alliteration
in this poem?
Your nose, instead, through, thick and thin.
Imagine if your precious nose
were sandwiched in between your toes. How would you react to it?
It is clearly would not be a treat, for you’d be forced
to smell your feet. if your nose were
sandwiched in between your toes, the dust allergy will come automatically
whenever walking and can’t breath easily.
So be glad your nose is on your face.
Have you ever felt that nose
is an unnecessary and unwanted organ?
Yes, sometimes I felt that I
don’t want nose whenever I had non-stop sneezing and running nose but I am not
felt that nose is an unwanted organ because nose is to smell the food.
Imagine that your nose is
placed on your forehead. How would you react to?
If your nose is placed on your
forehead it will be irritate for you
whenever your eyes moves up it would be forced to see the nasal.
How he has set his poems of anthologies and what about the activities in
most of his poem?
He has also set his poems to
music on the audio Cd’s of his anthologies. He often sings and plays the guitar
on most his poem.
Quiz with answer
1. “Be glad your nose is on your
face”
The tone of this poem is
a. humorous
b. melancholic
c. serious
d. tragic
2. “Imagine if your precious
nose is sandwiched in between your toes”
What does the word “sandwiched” mean here?
a. become like a food item b. trapped
c. replaced
c. pressed between two things
3. The poet jack Prelutsky was
born in
a. New York
b. Brooklyn
c. Lebanon
d. united states
4. Who is the author of this
poem
a. George Eliot
b. Jack Prelutsky
c. John Milton d.
Edmund
5. What is meaning of word ‘obliged’
a. valuable
b. middle
c. bright
d. bound
6. What is rhyme scheme of the
first stanza?
a. aa bb
b. cc dd
c. aa cc d. bb cc
7. Imagine if your precious nose
where sandwiched in between your ------------
a. hand
b. toes
c. leg
d. eyes
8. Within your ear, your nose
would be
What is the repetition word in this line?
a. your, your
b. our, our
c. nose, ear
d. run, eye
9. What is the meaning of the
word dread?
a. faith
b. horrible
c. hopelessness
d. bound
10. Jack Prelutsky was born
on--------------
a. September 8, 1940 b. October 8,
1840
c. November 8, 1876 d.
August 8, 1940
SYNOPSIS
He attended local
public schools in the Bronx, hated the experience, and was bored in class.
Prelutsky claims to have hated poetry when he was younger.[1] He stated that
"sometime in elementary school I had a teacher who, in retrospect, did not
like poetry herself. This is not necessarily a tactic that readers often see in poetry,
but given that this one is geared toward children, the strategy is solid and
useful. It is possible, after underlying message behind all of the whimsy, so
to remind that young reader about the core idea in the poem is a strong way to
wrap up the verses.
REFERENCES
4. Jump up^ Poetry Foundation Names Jack Prelutsky First Children's Poet
Laureate, Poetry Foundation, September 27, 2006, archived
from the original on January 7, 2011, retrieved 2011-01-10
KEYWORDS
Sense organs, be glad your nose is on your face
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