Class - VII [Raintree Coursebook Theme - 5: For the Love of Books] Alphabet Stew by Jack Prelutsky

Summary: Alphabet Stew

In Alphabet Stew, the speaker is addressing the readers and giving them advice on how to

write. He says that words can be used boringly or they can be used to entertain us and make us

laugh. He says that words can be used to create text that is so vivid that we can almost see the

sights and hear the sounds that are being described.

The speaker instructs the readers to play with words by jumbling their letters and sounds. He

wants us to have fun with words and use them in combinations that nobody else has thought

of.

We can make mighty words ‘whisper’ and tiny words ‘roar’ i.e. make words do something

different from what they always do. This will bring the words alive and make the reading more

enjoyable. The speaker thinks that if we cook a fresh and different alphabet stew—new mix of

letters—words will give us their secrets and help us become masters of good writing.

Jack Prelutsky’s poem is very enjoyable. It light and playful and a delight to read. The poet uses

many game-like words—like tickle, tumble, juggle, jumble and so on—that drive across the

point that writing is in fact fun and not the tedious task people make it to be. The rhyme

scheme aabb adds to the merry feel of the poem. On the whole, the poem does what it advises

its readers to do—makes reading and writing fun.

Poem Analysis

Central Idea:
The poem "Alphabet Stew" by Jack Prelutsky explores the playful and imaginative concept of mixing up the letters of the alphabet to create amusing and nonsensical words.

Themes:

1. Creativity and Imagination
2. Playfulness of Language
3. Fun with Words and Letters

Message:
The poem celebrates the joy of language and the freedom to experiment with it, encouraging playful exploration of words.

Underlying Message:
Language can be fun, and creativity in using words opens up endless possibilities for expression.

Poetic Devices:

1. Alliteration - Repetition of consonant sounds ("silly stew").
2. Rhyme - Regular rhyming pattern, contributing to a playful tone.
3. Imagery - Vivid, often humorous descriptions of the alphabet "stew."
4. Personification - Treating the letters as if they are alive, interacting in a fun way.
5. Repetition - Repeating sounds and phrases for emphasis and rhythm.
   

Title Justification:

Metaphor of "Stew": Letters are mixed together in a fun, creative way.

Playfulness: "Stew" suggests unpredictability and imagination with the alphabet.

Familiarity: "Alphabet" indicates the subject, while "stew" hints at a playful, disordered use of letters.

Creativity: The title reflects the poem's exploration of mixing language in new ways.

Comprehension

A. Answer these questions.

 1. The speaker is addressing the readers of the poem, that is, us.

2. Words, when used properly, can make reading more enjoyable. Words that have been used
interestingly can make the reader laugh or cry. Words have the ability to make the text come alive
such that you can almost see and hear the story they tell. Reading and writing are more fun when
you play around with words.

3. The speaker does not want the reader to read or write quietly. He wants the reader to have fun
experimenting with words. He wants the reader to juggle different letters and words together. He
wants us to twist them, swirl them, stack them in piles and make them dance. He wants us to make
the words come alive and make all the sounds that they can.

4. A stew is a delicious dish that is made by cooking different types of meat and vegetables together.
Similarly, an alphabet stew is made by mixing different letters and words together. The alphabet
stew can be made delicious if the words that are used go well together and leave the reader
wanting more and more.

5. Words will reveal secrets to us when we make an alphabet stew out of them. Cooking vegetables
along with interesting ingredients create dishes whose taste can surprise and delight us. Similarly,
it is only when we experiment with different words that we will understand words and know how
to use them to write fun stories and poems.

B. 1. a. Words are sometimes thought of as stuffy or boring because of the way they are used. If words
are used in the same way as they always are, without any difference, then they become boring
to the reader.

b. Words themselves are not stuffy; they are made stuffy by the writer. Words do what the writers
make them do. They have the ability to be both boring and interesting—it depends on the
writer.

c. ‘As sticky as glue’ is a line the speaker uses to show the reader how unlikeable words can be
when used wrongly. On a hot day, you can feel sweaty and sticky. Similarly, some words can
make you feel unpleasant when you read them.


2. read these lines from the poem and answer the questions.

a. alive
b. The speaker has very unusually combined the words ‘mighty’ and ‘whisper’; and ‘tiny’ and ‘roar’.
The combination is unusual because you would not expect big, mighty, strong words to make
quiet sounds like whispering. You also would not expect tiny words to make as loud a noise as
a roar.

c. When you follow the speaker’s instructions and make ‘mighty words whisper’ and ‘tiny words
roar’, you get writing that is different and unusual. You get stories which do not do what you
expect them to do—they surprise you. These stories are also alive i.e. when you read them, you
can actually see the events in your mind and hear what is happening.

C. Think and Answer

1. tickle, tumble, sing, juggle, jumble, swirl, stack, twist, tease, dance

2. When we write, we almost never think of what words we use. We write without thinking and this
can make reading and writing boring. But if we thought of writing as a game, it could become
more fun. When we think carefully about what words to use in a particular sentence, we are using
our imagination. When we think of words to use in different combinations, we are being creative.
When we play with the sounds of different words or think about the pictures drawn by certain
words, then we are making a game out of writing. This kind of writing can make reading and so
learning also fun.


D. Answer these questions

1. as sticky as glue: the image this phrase creates is of letters sticking to each other and also trapping
anything that comes in contact with them buzz like a bumblebee: this phrase helps us imagine
words that are buzzing like bees coil like a spring: this simile creates the image of words that are
coiled tight like springs, ready to burst and let loose

2. Free response.

golden, velvety ice-cream; lovable clown-like bunny; sharp, fresh and colourful story; calm and
melodious rain

ALPHABET STEW POEM

A. Answer in brief.

In the poem, Alphabet Stew what does the poet feel words can do?

 Ans: The poet says that words can be interesting. A writer can create magic with words and enjoy

them. He also feels that words are very powerful and can create wonders. All these, he says, depend

on how we use words.

B. Answer in detail.

How can a word be tutored to make a person happy?

 Ans: The poet says that it is in our hands to use words in such a way that it is interesting and

enjoyable. If you do not bring in expression and character to words, they will remain boring and dull.

One can juggle, jumble and manipulate the letters and create new words and have a lot of fun with

them. The poet uses different expressions which suggest that we should treat letters and their sounds

like a living thing. He expresses that the secret to writing good poetry is by twisting, turning and

teaching the letters to dance upside down and inside out.

C. Read the lines and answer the questions.

Make mighty words whisper and tiny words roar

In ways no one ever had thought of before;

Cook an improbable alphabet stew,

And words will reveal little secrets to you.

a. What does the poet want you to do with words?

b. What is an alphabet stew according to the poet?

c. Why is an alphabet stew improbable?

Ans: a. The poet instructs the students to make an elaborate word reflect soft sounds and make

tiny insignificant words more expressive and meaningful.

 b. A stew is a tasty vegetable or meat broth cooked on slow fire. The poet is comparing words

to an exquisite stew and asks writers to mix the alphabets such that one can make an

alphabet stew which results in interesting and enjoyable reading.

 c. It is improbable because it can only be created through one’s imagination. A vegetable or

meat stew can be prepared physically by mixing various ingredients while an alphabet stew

can be created only in the mind. What makes a good-read to some may not interest another.

Hence the poet uses the word ‘improbable’ to describe an alphabet stew.