An Eleven Plus Homily

Have you ever felt the need to offer a little eleven plus homily? If you feel you need some inspiration you may care to ask your child to read and interpret a short little section of a poem by John Keats. (1818) It should not take long to read – but it may offer fertile ground for your own collected words of eleven plus wisdom.

(Be sure to point out the uncommon and interesting rhythm. This could capture the imagination.)

THE NAUGHTY BOY

There was a naughty boy,
And a naughty boy was he,
He ran away to Scotland
The people for to see-
There he found
That the ground
Was as hard,
That a yard
Was as long,
That a song
Was as merry,
That a cherry
Was as red,
That lead
Was as weighty,
That fourscore
Was as eighty,
That a door
Was as wooden
As in England-
So he stood in his shoes
And he wonder'd,
He wonder'd,
He stood in his
Shoes and he wonder'd.

“Yes Mum, I understand, I may as well do the work now.”

“Oh now I understand, Mum, why you keep saying that the grass is not always greener.”

“All right. All Right. I will start work now. You do not need to go on.”