Question

Poems Matilda questions

Matilda
Who told Lies, and was Burned to Death By Hilaire Belloc

Matilda told such Dreadful Lies,
It made one Gasp and Stretch one’s Eyes;
Her Aunt, who, from her Earliest Youth,
Had kept a Strict Regard for Truth
Attempted to Believe Matilda:
The effort very nearly killed her,
And would have done so, had not She
Discovered this infirmity.
For once, towards the Close of Day,
Matilda, growing tired of play,
And finding she was left alone,
Went tiptoe to the Telephone
And summoned the Immediate Aid
Of London’s Noble Fire-Brigade.
Within an hour the Gallant Band
Were pouring in on every hand,
From Putney, Hackney Downs, and Bow.
With Courage high and Hearts a-glow,
They galloped, roaring through the Town,
‘Matilda’s House is Burning Down!’
Inspired by British Cheers and Loud
Proceeding from the Frenzied Crowd,
They ran their ladders through a score
Of windows on the Ball Room Floor;
And took Peculiar Pains to Souse
The Pictures up and down the House,
Until Matilda’s Aunt succeeded
In showing them they were not needed;
And even then she had to pay
To get the Men to go away,
It happened that a few Weeks later
Her Aunt was off to the Theatre
To see that Interesting Play
The Second Mrs. Tanqueray.
She had refused to take her Niece
To hear this Entertaining Piece:
A Deprivation Just and Wise
To Punish her for Telling Lies.
That Night a Fire did break out
You should have heard Matilda Shout!
You should have heard her Scream and Bawl,
And throw the window up and call
To people passing in the street—
(The rapidly increasing Heat
Encouraging her to obtain
Their confidence)—but all in vain!
For every time she shouted “Fire!”
They only answered “Little Liar!”
And therefore when her Aunt returned,
Matilda, and the House, were Burned.



Analysis Questions

Identify the main characters of the text.
The main character in the text is Matilda

What form is this poem? E.g. free verse, haiku etc.
The poem is free verse, it is using AABBCCDD rhymes.
Where do you think this poem has been set? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Describe the way Matilda behaved in this poem. Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

What happened because of her lies? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Why do you think Matilda behaved in this way?

Does this poem remind you of any other stories you know?

Find the meaning of the words below:
Infirmity:
Gallant:
Frenzied:
Deprivation:

What do you think would have been an appropriate newspaper headline following the fake fire and then the real fire?
Fake fire:
Real fire:

Write your own account of the situation from the perspective of one of the neighbours who saw both of the situations. How might they have felt after the pretend fire, how might they have felt after the real fire?

Answer 1

The main characters of the text are Matilda and her Aunt.

This poem is in free verse since it doesn't follow a set rhyme pattern or meter.

The setting is not mentioned in the poem directly. However, it might be assumed that the poem is set in a town or city in England based on the mention of London's Noble Fire-Brigade and references to other localities in London (Putney, Hackney Downs, and Bow).

Describe the way Matilda behaved in this poem.

Matilda acted dishonestly and spread horrible lies. In order to get the fire brigade to come to her house without a need, she faked that her house was on fire and dialed 911. She then tried to warn people when a genuine fire started, but they didn't trust her because of her prior fabrications.

What happened because of her lies?

Due to Matilda's aunt's falsehoods, the fire department had to be paid to leave their home during the fabricated fire. When a real fire started, Matilda's house was destroyed, and she was left yelling for assistance. However, no one listened to her or helped her.

Why do you think Matilda behaved in this way?

It's possible that Matilda acted in this way to attract attention or to amuse herself. She might have told lies to make herself feel important or to add interest to her otherwise boring life.

Does this poem remind you of any other stories you know?

No specific stories come to mind as I read this poem. The issue of falsehoods and their effects is a frequent one in literature, nevertheless.

Word definitions:

Physical or mental weakness or disease is an infirmity.

Gallant: means courageous, heroic, or valiant.

Frenzied: Extremely ecstatic or uncontrollable.

Deprivation: is the act of depriving someone of something they want or need.

newspapers with appropriate headlines:

The phrase "Young Girl's Prank Tricks Fire Brigade into Unnecessary Action" refers to a fake fire.

Real-life blaze: "Tragic Blaze Engulfs Matilda's House Despite Desperate Calls for Help"

From a neighbor's perspective, the story

Witnessing Matilda's Cheeky Deception and Tragic Effect is the title.

One of the neighbors who saw both the fictitious fire and the actual fire that destroyed Matilda's home was me. We were all shocked at first when Matilda yelled "Fire!" during the pretend fire. We hastily collected together since we were worried for her safety because it appeared to be a terrible issue. In our normally quiet neighborhood, the sight of the fire crew racing in with their ladders propped against the windows caused quite a stir.

We had no idea that Matilda was using the situation to draw attention. Truth is important, her aunt had always emphasized, but it was clear that Matilda didn't care about being truthful. When we realized that she had duped not just the fire brigade but also the entire neighborhood, we experienced a mix of amazement and disappointment. We were left wondering why she did it and angry by her actions.

Our feelings, however, underwent a significant change when the actual fire started. Matilda cried for aid as the flames licked her home's walls, hoping someone would listen to her this time. Sadly, her earlier lies had damaged our faith in her. We hesitated, doubting the veracity of her screams for assistance. Realizing that our uncertainty and hesitancy might have contributed to her house being destroyed was a heartbreaking moment.

We were unable to avoid feeling regret after these two very different events. We wished that we had not allowed Matilda's earlier lies cloud our judgment and instead had paid attention to her suffering during the actual fire. The terrible effects of her lying acted as a heartbreaking reminder of the value of honesty and the broad reach of our deeds.