The poem Chivvy by Michael Rosen humorously highlights how adults constantly instruct, correct, and scold children about their behavior. Grown-ups frequently bombard children with a series of commands and instructions, telling them what to do and what not to do.
Chivvy
By Michael Rosen
Grown-ups say things like:
Speak up
Don’t talk with your mouth full
Don’t stare
Don’t point
Don’t pick your nose
Sit up
Say please
Less noise
Shut the door behind you
Don’t drag your feet
Haven’t you got a hankie?
Take your hands out of
your pockets
Pull your socks up
Stand up straight
Say thank you
Don’t interrupt
No one thinks you’re funny
Take your elbows off the table
Can’t you make your own
mind up about anything?
Word Meanings
- Grown-ups – Adults, elders
- Speak up – Talk loudly and clearly
- Mouth full – When the mouth has food inside
- Stare – To look at something or someone for a long time
- Point – To show with your finger
- Pick (your nose) – Put your finger in the nose
- Sit up – Sit properly / straight
- Noise – Loud or unwanted sound
- Shut – To close
- Drag (your feet) – To walk lazily without lifting your feet properly
- Hankie – A small cloth (handkerchief) used to wipe face or nose
- Pockets – Small cloth bags in clothes to keep things
- Pull your socks up – To adjust socks properly / also means to be neat
- Stand up straight – To stand properly, without bending
- Interrupt – To stop someone while they are talking
- Funny – Something that makes people laugh
- Elbows – The middle joint in the arm
- Table manners – Good behavior while eating at a table
- Make your mind up – To decide something
Line-by-Line Explanation
1. Grown-ups say things like:
→ Adults are always giving instructions and telling children what to do.
2. Speak up
→ They tell children to talk loudly and clearly.
3. Don’t talk with your mouth full
→ They warn children not to speak while eating food.
4. Don’t stare
→ They stop children from looking at people or things for too long.
5. Don’t point
→ They tell children not to point fingers at others.
6. Don’t pick your nose
→ They scold children for the bad habit of putting a finger in the nose.
7. Sit up
→ They want children to sit straight and properly.
8. Say please
→ They remind children to be polite and use good manners.
9. Less noise
→ They ask children to be quiet and not make too much noise.
10. Shut the door behind you
→ They tell children to close the door whenever they leave a room.
11. Don’t drag your feet
→ They don’t like it when children walk lazily, dragging their feet.
12. Haven’t you got a hankie?
→ They ask if the child has a handkerchief to use when needed.
13. Take your hands out of your pockets
→ They tell children not to keep their hands inside their pockets, especially while standing or walking.
14. Pull your socks up
→ Adults remind children to dress neatly and properly.
15. Stand up straight
→ They want children to have good posture, not slouch.
16. Say thank you
→ They remind children to show gratitude and be polite.
17. Don’t interrupt
→ They warn children not to cut into other people’s conversations.
18. No one thinks you’re funny
→ They discourage children when they try to joke or be playful.
19. Take your elbows off the table
→ They correct children’s table manners while eating.
20. Can’t you make your own mind up about anything?
→ After giving so many orders, they finally complain that children can’t decide anything on their own. This shows the contradiction in adults’ behavior.
Summary of the poem Chivvy
The poem Chivvy by Michael Rosen humorously highlights how adults constantly instruct, correct, and scold children about their behavior. Grown-ups frequently bombard children with a series of commands and instructions, telling them what to do and what not to do.
They ask children to speak up, sit properly, say “please,” make less noise, shut the door, not drag their feet, and use a handkerchief. At the same time, they warn against habits like talking with the mouth full, staring, pointing, or picking the nose.
Adults also remind children to pull up their socks, stand straight, say “thank you,” avoid interrupting, and take their elbows off the table. They often criticize children by saying things like “No one thinks you’re funny” or scold them for not being decisive, asking, “Can’t you make your own mind up about anything?”
Through this long list of dos and don’ts, the poet captures the constant nagging nature of grown-ups, which leaves children feeling overwhelmed and powerless. The repetition of orders shows how adults dominate children’s lives, expecting them to follow endless rules without question.
In the end, the poem reflects the contradiction in adult behavior: while they expect children to be obedient and follow every instruction, they also criticize them for not being independent enough to make their own decisions.
In short: The poem Chivvy is a witty portrayal of how adults endlessly nag children with instructions, making them feel restricted and confused. It humorously exposes the gap between adults’ expectations and children’s freedom.