Jack Prelutsky is an American poet. He is known for his humorous and fantastic poetry for children, which has earned him numerous awards.
Jack Prelutsky was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1940. As a child, he did not enjoy poetry, finding it boring and pointless. Instead, Prelutsky expressed his artistry through music, taking voice and piano lessons. While Prelutsky claims he got into poetry almost by accident, he also states that he was always a poet. It just took him some time to realize his love for poetry.
Prelutsky explored quite a few options before he found his niche in poetry. He was a folk singer and guitar teacher in Greenwich Village in his late teens and early twenties. Prelutsky also held a variety of odd jobs. He worked as a furniture mover, piano mover, taxicab driver, coal shoveler, fruit picker, truck driver and photographer, among other jobs.
At the age of 23, Prelutsky decided to try illustrating. Just before presenting his illustrations to a children’s book editor, he added a few lines of poetry to the pictures. The editor told him that the illustrations were not publishable but the poems showed the talent. Over the next months and years, Prelutsky worked with the editor to create a collection of animal poems inspired by his love of the Bronx Zoo. His first book, entitled A Gopher in the Garden and Other Animal Poems, was published in 1967.
In addition to writing, Prelutsky has edited various poetry collections and translated poetry from German and Swedish into English. He currently resides in Seattle, where he writes and performs his work. Prelutsky is considered one of the most popular children’s poets. His work pioneered a new era of children’s poetry. In 2006, the Poetry Foundation named Jack Prelutsky the first Children’s Poet Laureate, a position designed to promote poetry for children and raise awareness of the power and relevance of poetry for young people.
4. Why did Prelutsky dislike poetry in his early years?
A.It was too difficult. | B.He wasn’t good at it. |
C.He thought it meaningless. | D.It took up too much of his time. |
5. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “niche” in paragraph 3?
A.Mistake. | B.Dream | C.Comprehension. | D.Interest. |
6. How old was Prelutsky when he published his first book?
7. What is the purpose of the text?
A.To introduce a poet. | B.To attract poetry lovers. |
C.To display some excellent poems. | D.To encourage readers to write poems. |