Poets of Nature, Revelry, and Rhyme Nature, Revelry, and Rhyme    

Lesson 19: The Duel

by Eugene Field

Performer: Librivox - Squid Varilekova

Directions

Study the poem for one week.

Over the week:

• Read or listen to the poem.
• Review the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Read about the poet.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

An old Dutch clock and Chinese plate tell the narrator a terrible tale about a battle between a gingham dog and a calico cat. Neither the cat nor the dog win their fight. Instead, both the dog and cat disappear forever, having eaten each other up.

Vocabulary

Gingham: Lightweight plain-woven cotton cloth, typically checked in white and a bold color.
Calico: Multicolored or mottled.
Dutch: Relating to the Netherlands, its people, or their language
Chinese Relating to China or its language, culture, or people.
Spat: A petty quarrel.
Wallowed: Rolled from side to side.

Concepts

1. Eugene Field was born in 1850 in Saint Louis, Illinois. See his picture below.

2. Zoom in and find Field's birth state of Illinois (IL) on the map of the continental United States.

3. Field was afraid of the dark as a boy and hated studying. His mother died when he was six, and his father sent him to live on his cousin's farm.
4. Field wrote his first poem on the farm about his cousin's dog, Fido.
5. Field married young and had eight children, five of which survived beyond childhood.
6. Field published poems beginning in 1879, when he was 29. One of his most famous poems is, 'Wynken, Blynken, and Nod'.
7. Field died of a heart attack at the age of 45 in Chicago, Illinois.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite the Title, the Poet's Name, and the Poem

• Each day this week, recite aloud the title of the poem, the name of the poet, and the poem.

Activity 2: Study the Poem Picture

• Study the poem picture, and describe how it relates to the poem.

Activity 3: Narrate the Poem

After reading or listening to the poem, narrate the poem events aloud using your own words.

Activity 4: Color the Poem   

• Click the crayon above, and complete page 21 of 'Poetry Coloring Pages for Second Grade.'

Activity 5: Map the Poem

• The poem features a Dutch plate from the Netherlands and a Chinese clock from China.
• Study the map of Europe below, and find the Netherlands.

• Study the map of eastern Asia below, and find China.

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the poem?

1 / 6

Answer 1

The title of the poem is 'The Duel.'

1 / 6

Question 2

What is the name of the poet who wrote 'The Duel?'

2 / 6

Answer 2

The name of the poet is Eugene Field.

2 / 6

Question 3

What happens in the poem?

3 / 6

Answer 3

A gingham dog and a calico cat fight a battle that they both lose.

3 / 6

Question 4

Where does the poem take place?

4 / 6

Answer 4

The poem most likely takes place in a house or other building.

4 / 6

Question 5

Who are the characters in the poem?

5 / 6

Answer 5

The characters are the gingham dog, the calico cat, the narrator, an old Dutch clock, a Chinese plate, and gossiping folks.

5 / 6

Question 6

Does the poem teach us anything?

6 / 6

Answer 6

The poem teaches us that some battles are senseless and not worth fighting - for no one wins.

6 / 6

❮ ❯

1. What is the title of the poem? The title of the poem is 'The Duel.'
2. What is the name of the poet who wrote 'The Duel?' The name of the poet is Eugene Field.
3. What happens in the poem? A gingham dog and a calico cat fight a battle that they both lose.
4. Where does the poem take place? The poem most likely takes place in a house or other building.
5. Who are the characters in the poem? The characters are the gingham dog, the calico cat, the narrator, an old Dutch clock, a Chinese plate, and gossiping folks.
6. Does the poem teach us anything? The poem teaches us that some battles are senseless and not worth fighting - for no one wins.

References

'Eugene Field.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.