I met a rat of culture who was elegantly dressed in a pair of velvet trousers and a silver-buttoned vest, he related ancient proverbs and recited poetry, he spoke a dozen languages, eleven more than me. That rat was perspicacious, and had cogent things to say on bionics, economics, hydroponics, and ballet, he instructed me in sculpture, he shed light on keeping bees, then he painted an acrylic of an abstract view of cheese. He had circled the equator, he had visited the poles, he extolled the art of sailing while he baked assorted rolls, he wove a woolen carpet and he shaped a porcelain pot, then he sang an operetta while he danced a slow gavotte. He was versed in jet propulsion, an authority on trains, all of botany and baseball were contained within his brains, he knew chemistry and physics, he had taught himself to sew, to my knowledge, there was nothing that the rodent did not know. He was vastly more accomplished than the billions of his kin, he performed a brief sonata on a tiny violin, but he squealed and promptly vanished at the entrance of my cat, for despite his erudition, he was nothing but a rat. ~Jack Prelutsky

1. I MET A RAT OF
CULTURE
By JACK
PRELUTSKY

2. Content
About the poet
Introduction of poem
Lyrics with images
Vocabulary
Literary devices
Question and answer
Summary
2

3. About the poet
Jack Prelutsky is an American writer of children’s poetry who has
published over 50 poetry collections. He served as the first U.S.
Children’s Poet Laureate.

4. Introduction of poem
This poem is about a very educated and
talented rat, with skills a normal creature
such as he wouldn’t have. The poem is
humorous and silly, but its meaning is
something we will have taken to heart.
The poem shows that you cannot hide what
you are on the inside by dressing up the
outside.
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5. POEM
I met a rat of culture
who was elegantly
dressed
in a pair of velvet trousers
and a silver-buttoned
vest,
he related ancient
proverbs
and recited poetry,
he spoke a dozen
languages, eleven more 5

6. 6
LINGUISTIC RAT
RECITING POETRY

7. perspicacious,
and had cogent things to
say
on bionics , economics,
hydroponics, and ballet,
he instructed me in
sculpture,
he shed light on keeping
bees,
then he painted an
acrylic
of an abstract view of
cheese.
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8. 8
Economics
Hydroponics
Ballet
Abstract view
of cheese

9. He had circled the equator,
he had visited the poles,
he extolled the art of sailing
while he baked assorted
rolls,
he wove a woolen carpet
and he shaped a porcelain
pot, then he sang an operetta
while he danced a slow
gavotte.
Presentation title 9

10. 10
ART OF SAILING
BAKING ROLLS

11. Presentation title 11
WEAVING WOOLEN CARPET
SHAPING POT
SINGING AND
DANCING

12. 12
He was versed in jet
propulsion,
an authority on trains,
all of botany and baseball
were contained within his
brains,
he knew chemistry and
physics,
he had taught himself to
sew,
to my knowledge, there was
nothing
that the rodent did not know.

13. Jet propulsion
Teaching
botany
Sewing
Presentation title 13

14. He was vastly more
accomplished
than the billions of his kin,
he performed a brief sonata
on a tiny violin,
but he squealed and
promptly vanished
at the entrance of my cat,
for despite his erudition,
he was nothing but a rat.
Presentation title 14

15. 15
Brief sonata on
his tiny violin….

16. 16

17. Presentation title 17

18. Vocabulary
18
• Elegantly : /ˈɛlɪɡ(ə)ntli/ - in a graceful and stylish manner.
• Perspicacious: /ˌpəːspɪˈkeɪʃəs/ - understanding, sharp-witted,
clever.
• Bionics : /baɪˈɑː.nɪks/ -biologically inspired engineering.
• Hydroponics : /ˌhʌɪdrə(ʊ)ˈpɒnɪk/ - technique of growing plants.
• Extolled: /ɪkˈstəʊl,ɛkˈstəʊl/ - highly praised
• Assorted: /əˈsɔːtɪd/ -various, different kinds of
• Porcelain : /ˈpɔːsəlɪn,ˈpɔːsəleɪn/ -china clay

19. Vocabulary
19
• Cogent: /ˈkəʊdʒ(ə)nt/ - convincing, strong way to express things
• Propulsion: /prəˈpʌlʃn/ -the action of driving or pushing forward
• Rodent: /ˈrəʊdnt/ -a gnawing mammal of an order that includes rat.
• Accomplished: /əˈkʌmplɪʃt/ -highly trained or skilled in a particular
activity.
• Kin: /kɪn/ -one's family and relations.
• Sonata: /səˈnɑːtə/ -a composition for an instrumental soloist,
• Squealed: /skwiːl/ -say something in a high-pitched, excited tone
• Promptly: /ˈprɒm(p)tli/ - immediately.
• Erudition:/ˌɛrʊˈdɪʃ(ə)n/ - the quality of having or showing great
verb

20. Literary devices
• Rhyme scheme of the poem is: aabb, ccdd…….
• Hyperbole:- In this term the poet does an intentional and
extreme exaggeration for emphasis or effect.
Ex. Rat was perspicacious, he had circled the equator,
he spoke dozen languages….
• Personification: In this term the poet presents an
inanimate object like as human.
Ex: The rat is presented with human qualities.
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21. 21
Q :What kind of clothes was the rat wearing?
Ans: The rat was wearing a pair of velvet trousers and a silver-buttoned vest.
Q: What kind of things did the rat talk about?
Ans:The rat talked about ancient proverbs, recited poetry, bionics, economics,
hydroponics, ballet, sculpture, beekeeping, painted an abstract view of cheese,
sailed, weaved a woolen carpet, shaped porcelain pots, sang operetta and
danced a slow gavotte, knew about jet propulsion, trains, botany, baseball,
chemistry, and physics.
Q: Who did the speaker meet and how was this rat dressed?
Ans: The speaker met a rat who was elegantly dressed in velvet trousers and a
silver-buttoned vest.
Question and answer

22. Q: What talents did the rat possess?
Ans: The rat had a wide range of talents, including reciting poetry,
speaking multiple languages, instructing in sculpture, painting, and singing
operettas.
Q: What areas of knowledge was the rat well-versed in?
Ans: The rat had knowledge in various fields such as bionics, economics,
hydroponics, ballet, sailing, botany, baseball, chemistry, physics, and even
jet propulsion.
Q: What caused the rat to disappear suddenly?
Ans: The entrance of the speaker’s cat caused the rat to squeal and
promptly vanish.
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23. 23
Q: How did the rat react to the speaker's cat?
Ans: The rat squealed and vanished at the entrance of the speaker's cat.
Q: What did the rat accomplish compared to billions of its kin?
Ans: The rat was vastly more accomplished than billions of its kin.
Q: What musical instrument did the rat play?
Ans: The rat played a tiny violin.
Q: Where had the rat traveled to?
Ans: He had circled the equator and visited the poles.

24. Summary
In the end, this poem, like the majority of Prelutsky's pieces, teaches lessons about
being who you are, embracing yourself and living life as best you can. Being true to
yourself is a lesson not only applicable to children, but to anyone who struggles with
accepting who they are, especially when you feel you are outside the dictates of
society. Whether this feeling involves not having the right clothes, or playing sports or
an instrument, even choosing to play computer games instead of joining chorus or an
after-school club, Prelutsky's message is that the best gift you can give yourself is to
be happy with who you are, and that others will accept you once you accept yourself.
Despite not being a child anymore, I am always struck by the truth in his words, and
continue to take them to heart.
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25. Thank you