Bat Wraps Up

Word choice, summarizing, interpreting text, literary device, poetry writing 

The poem describes a bat’s bedtime ritual.

The poem consists of three stanzas. It includes some alliteration and some rhyming words.

The language is accessible for young readers. The poem includes metaphors and other figurative language.

Readers who have seen bats will have a special appreciation for the way the bat’s movement is described in the poem.

• Look at the title together as a class. Discuss what the phrase “wraps up” can mean. (to finish or to cover with something)
  
• Call on a volunteer to read the Up Close box for the class.

Read the poem aloud for the class or play our audio version. Then discuss the following questions.

• What does this poem mainly describe? (summarizing) It mainly describes a bat’s final flight of the night and its return home to sleep.
• Reread lines 1-7. Which words in these lines help you picture the bat’s movements? (word choice) Words include drops down, swift swoop, plucked, and scooped.
• Reread line 12. What is “that swirl of cape”? How does this line relate to the title? (interpreting text) “That swirl of cape” is the bat’s wings wrapping around the bat’s body. The line relates to the title because the bat is wrapping itself up. The bat is also finishing—or wrapping up—its work for the night.
• Alliteration is the use of the same starting sound in words that are close to each other, as in “drops down.” What are other examples of alliteration in the poem? (literary device) Examples include “swift swoop,” “tumbles to tree,” “tipped with tiny claws,” and “snags the spot.”
• Why do you think the poet ends the poem with a series of short words and phrases? (word choice) The words and phrases in the last five lines are a list of quick actions the bat takes to settle in to sleep. They help readers picture the bat going through its regular nightly routine.

Go online to download a poetry-writing activity, which will guide students to choose movement words to use in their own poems.