1. About the author

Thomas Stearns Eliot OM (September 26, 1888 – January 4, 1965) was an Anglo-American poet, playwright, and literary critic, arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. The poem above was taken from Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, a book that inspired the musical “Cats”.The lyrics, written by Cats director Trevor Nunn, was based on T. S. Eliot’s poems “Preludes” and “Rhapsody on a Windy Night”

2. Pre-reading activities

2.1   Key vocabulary (Look up the definitions of those words in a dictionary before you begin reading.)

Gutter-

Mutter-

Stale-

Withered-

2.2. Main themes:

As you read the poem, ask yourself:

1. What is the main idea of the poem?

2. About what kind of memories the author talks?

3. What is happiness?

4.Are you happy?

Midnight, not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory, she is smiling alone
In the lamplight the withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan

Memory, all alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days, I was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again

Every street lamp seems to beat
A fatalistic warning
Someone mutters and a street lamp gutters
And soon it will be morning

Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life and I mustn’t give in
When the dawn comes, tonight will be a memory, too
And a new day will begin

Burnt out ends of smoky days
The stale cold smell of morning
A street lamp dies, another night is over
Another day is dawning

Touch me, it’s so easy to leave me
All alone with my memory of my days in the sun
If you touch me, you’ll understand what happiness is
Look a new day has begun

Post-reading activities

Understanding the poem

Writing task:

Ask yourself what you need to be happy. Describe 3 things in 3 paragraphs.