Poisoned Talk
by Raymond Wilson
Who killed cock robin?
I, said the worm,
I did him great harm.
He died on the branch of a withered tree
From the acid soil that poisoned me.
Who killed the heron?
I, mouthed the fish,
With my tainted flesh,
I killed tern, duck, and drake,
All the birds of the lake.
Who killed the lake?
I, boasted industry,
I poisoned with mercury
Fish, plant and weed
To pamper men’s greed.
Who killed the flowers?
I, moaned the wind,
I prowl unconfined,
Blowing acid rain
Over fields, flood and fen.
Who killed the forest?
I ensured that it died,
Said sulphur dioxide,
And all life within it,
From earthworm to linnet.
At first, I found it difficult to look for information about this poem, until I came across this slideshow on the poem analysis.
You may click this link to read the whole poem analysis for free (or maybe signing up, I’m not so sure haha).
Link : http://www.slideshare.net/MizMalinz/poisoned-talk-poem
You may also download this handout I prepared for my first class to introduce the poem and get students to familiarize themselves to the words in the poem itself, using pictures… 🙂
Download handout: poisonous-talk-poem-handout-pic
‘Till then ❤