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MR. NOBODY by Unknown Author: Notes

The poem is about a mischievous person named Mr. Nobody who is always making trouble in the house by breaking things, leaving doors and curtains open, spilling ink and leaving boots lying around. Whenever something is damaged or missing in the house, Mr. Nobody is blamed for it, although no one has ever seen his face. The poem conveys the message that family members should take responsibility for their own actions and help take care of the home.

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M VD Nair
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95 views2 pages

MR. NOBODY by Unknown Author: Notes

The poem is about a mischievous person named Mr. Nobody who is always making trouble in the house by breaking things, leaving doors and curtains open, spilling ink and leaving boots lying around. Whenever something is damaged or missing in the house, Mr. Nobody is blamed for it, although no one has ever seen his face. The poem conveys the message that family members should take responsibility for their own actions and help take care of the home.

Uploaded by

M VD Nair
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MR.

NOBODY by unknown author

I know a funny little man,


As quiet as a mouse,
Who does the mischief that is done
In everybody's house!
There's no one ever sees his face,
And yet we all agree
That every plate we break was cracked
By Mr. Nobody
`Tis he who always tears our books,
Who leaves the door ajar,
He pulls the buttons from our shirts,
And scatters pine afar;
That squeaking door will always squeak,
For, prithee, don't you see,
We leave the oiling to be done
By Mr. Nobody
The finger marked upon the door
By none of us are made;
We never leave the blind unclosed,
To let the curtains fade.
The ink we never spill; the boots
That lying round you. See
Are not our boots they all belong
To Mr. Nobody.

NOTES
Synopsis:
The personal talks about a funny little person who does a lot of mischievousness in the house. When things go or are
misplaced, the culprit is Mr. Nobody. Besides that, most of the things used by Mr. Nobody are never put back to where they
should be. Any mess around the house is always done by no one excepts Mr. Nobody.
Setting:
The poem is set in a house and the area around the house. The persona talks about the situation in the house and things
happening in it. things get broken, misplaced and thrown around by an unseen person. Besides that, he also messes up the
house and dirties the place.
Themes:
The main theme in this poem is family life which is full of mischievousness from the children. it is normal for a family to have
someone who does mischievousness but will not admit it. In a family, we might take things done by other people for granted.

We should appreciate the work done by other people. We should allocate work clearly and be responsible for our own
actions. Another theme is respect for every member of the family. Cultivate good habits for everyone's sake and comfort.

Structure, Style and Language:


The poem does not have a definite rhyme and is consists of 6 stanzas.

The style of writing is simple and direct.

The language used is easy and the vocabularies used are easy to understand.
Imagery:

movement- Mr. Nobody moves around quietly.


sight- cracked plates, door ajar, button-less shirt, pins all over the floor, muddy footprints, finger marks, spilled ink
and boots lying around.

sound- squeaking doors, plates breaking, pins dropping.

touch- oil that feels oily, kettle that boils would feel hot.
Metaphor:
The door ajar means that Mr. Nobody moves in and out like a thief unseen.

The squeaking door will always squeak as if it is a mouse.


Repetition:
Repetition of the phrase 'By Mr. Nobody' at the end of every stanza to show emphasis.
Simile:
As quiet as a mouse.

Moral Values:
We must work together to look after the family home.

We should have respect for other people's properties.

We must value and appreciate the things at home.

We must be willing to admit our mistakes and carelessness.

We must not be careless when using our own things or other people's possessions.

QUESTIONS:
1.

What is Mr. Nobody compared to?

2.

Where can Mr. Nobody can be found?

3.

In stanza 2, what are the four things Mr. Nobody does?

4.

From stanza 2 and 3, what are the two things Mr. Nobody should have done?

5.

To whom do the boots that are lying around belong to?

6.

What does Mr. Nobody leave on the door?

7.

What is spilled by Mr. Nobody?

8.

State two moral values that can be derived from this poem.

(credit to Literature Component: Poems, Short Stories and Drama for Form 1 to Form 3 by Christine Tan, Rahmah HS
and Rose Latiff)

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