The Magpies Summary

Here is the poem 'Magpies' by Dennis Glover.Below is my summary.

When Tom and Elizabeth took the farm
The bracken made their bed
and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle
The magpies said

Tom’s hand was strong to the plough
and Elizabeth’s lips were red
and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle
The magpies said

Year in year out they worked
while the pines grew overhead
and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle
The magpies said

But all the beautiful crops soon went
to the mortgage man instead
and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle
The magpies said

Elizabeth is dead now (it’s long ago)
Old Tom’s gone light in the head
and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle
The magpies said

The farm’s still there. Mortgage corporations
couldn’t give it away
and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle
The magpies say.

Difficult words highlight YELLOW

Important relevant information PINK

 

Dennis Glover: ‘The Magpies’ source
When Tom and Elizabeth took the farm The bracken made their bed and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle The magpies said	When Tom and Elizabeth first came to the farm/started living there.The magpies noise.
Tom’s hand was strong to the plough and Elizabeth’s lips were red and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle The magpies said	What Tom and elizabeth did/how hard they worked/what they did.
Year in year out they worked while the pines grew overhead and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle The magpies said	They worked hard.
But all the beautiful crops soon went to the mortgage man instead and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle The magpies said	Crops had to be sold in order to get money for the mortgage.
Elizabeth is dead now (it’s long ago) Old Tom’s gone light in the head and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle The magpies said	Elizabeth died.Tom is light in the head.
The farm’s still there. Mortgage corporations couldn’t give it away and Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle The magpies say.	The farm wouldn’t sell and the magpies are still around after Tom died.
Summarise in 60 words minimum 70 words maximum   Use your yellow bookmark card (Section 4 Summarize) to help you,
Begin Summary here: First it tells us about when they first arrived and what they did on the farm.Next it explains how hard they worked and how the crops had to be sold in order to get more money for the mortgage.Lastly it tells us that Elizabeth dies first,and even after both of them die the magpies and farm are still there as the farm won’t sell.