About the Author
Harry Behn was an American writer and poet who loved making stories and poems for children. He was born in 1898 and lived until 1973. He wrote many fun books and poems about nature, animals, and everyday joys like playing outside. His poem "The Kite" shows how exciting it is to fly a kite in the sky.
What’s the Story About?
This is a fun poem, not a long story with many people. It talks about a new kite flying high in the blue sky. Imagine you have a shiny new kite made of colorful paper. When you let it go, it looks so bright against the clear blue sky! The kite moves with the wind – it dives down quickly, then dips a little, and snaps its long tail like it's playing. After that, it flies up high, just like a ship sailing on the sea with only one sail.
The kite rides on the waves of wind, going up and down. When a strong wind comes, called a gust, it climbs to the top and pulls hard on the string. But when the wind gets soft, it rests quietly, like it's taking a break. If the string becomes loose, you pull it back by winding it up. Then you run fast until a fresh breeze comes, fills the kite's wings, and whoosh – up it goes again!
But not everything is perfect. Sometimes, the kite gets caught in a tree. When that happens, it looks very old and torn. It flaps sadly on its string at the top of the tree, not pretty like before. The poem makes you feel the happy times of flying a kite and a little sad when it gets stuck. It's like watching your favorite toy come alive in the wind!
Who’s Who in the Story
- The Speaker (You or the Poet): This is like "you" in the poem – the boy or girl holding the string, running to make the kite fly. It's someone who loves playing with kites.
- The Kite: The main hero of the poem! It's new and bright at first, dancing in the sky, but turns ragged when stuck.
- The Wind: Like a friend who helps the kite fly. It has tides (soft flows), gusts (strong pushes), and breezes (gentle blows).
- The Tree: Not a person, but it acts like a naughty friend that traps the kite at the end.
Themes and Moral
Themes:
The poem shows the joy of playing with something simple like a kite. It talks about how beautiful things look when they are free and moving, like the kite soaring in the sky. But it also shows how sad it feels when something good gets stuck or broken, like the kite in the tree. It makes us think about nature's power, like how wind can lift us up or bring us down.
Moral: Enjoy the happy moments while they last, and be careful not to let good things get spoiled. Like a kite, life is fun when you let it fly free, but sometimes you need to pull it back gently.
Important Vocabulary and Phrases
Here are some key words and short phrases from the poem. I explain them in easy words:
- Bright: Very shiny and full of color, like the sun on a clear day.
- Dive: To go down fast, like jumping into water headfirst.
- Dip: To go down a little bit, like touching the water with your toes.
- Snaps: Makes a quick, sharp sound or move, like closing a book fast.
- Soars: Flies very high in the air, like a bird going up to the clouds.
- Tail: The long ribbon or string at the back of the kite to help it stay straight.
- Tides of wind: Soft waves of air moving like sea waves.
- Rides: Moves along smoothly, like sitting on a bike going down a hill.
- Crest: The top part of a wave or gust of wind.
- Gust: A sudden strong push of wind, like a big puff from your mouth.
- Slack: Loose or not tight, like a rope that's too long.
- Breeze: A light, cool wind that feels nice on your face.
- Wings: The flat parts of the kite that catch the wind (like paper sides).
- Raggeder: More torn or messy than before, like old clothes with holes.
- Flaps: Moves up and down quickly, like a bird's wings or a flag in wind.
Phrases:
- How bright on the blue: How shiny it looks against the sky.
- Snaps its tail: The tail moves with a quick flick.
- Soars like a ship: Flies up like a boat on water.
- String goes slack: The thread becomes loose.
- Up it goes: Suddenly flies high again.