Uploaded May 2016 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Here's a virtual movie of the English poet and author Walter De la Mare reading his enchanting poem "Five Eyes " The poem is about 5 cats that guard the grain from rats and mice in a Millhouse.
Here's an enjoyable explanation of the poem found here mercyfonseka58.blog.com/2012/02/29/explanation-of-five-eyes
In Hans’ old Mill his three black cats
Watch the bins for the thieving rats.
Hans is a person who owns a flour mill and he rears three cats to look after his mill. The cats kill rats and other small animals who harm the sacks of flour.
Whisker and claw, they crouch in the night,
Their five eyes smouldering green an bright:
The cats hide in the mill waiting to pounce on the enemies and as they are black in colour only their bright, green eyes can be seen in the dark.
Squeaks from the flour sacks, squeaks from where
The cold wind stirs on the empty stair,
Squeaking and scampering, everywhere.
Mice run here and there with light steps on the sacks of flour and on the steps of the mill.
Then down they pounce,
now in, now out, At whisking tail,
and sniffing snout;
The cats wait in the dark for the mice and aim for the tail or snout of the rats.
While lean old Hans he snores away
Till peep of light at break of day;
Hans has no worries because his cats are the guardians of the mill. So he is able to sleep well until the Sun- rise.
Then up he climbs to his creaking mill,
Then the miller wakes up and climbs the steps to go to the grinding machine to start his work for the day.
Out come his cats all grey with meal –
Jekkel, and Jessup, and one-eyed Jill.
Then his cats come out of the mill, their bellies are full with the meal they have taken throughout the night.
Here for the first time the poet gives us the reason for giving the title’Five Eyes’ to the poem.
There are three cats;Jekkel,Jessup and Jill. but Jill’s vision is limited to only one eye.So altogether three cats have only five eyes!
Kind Regards
Jim Clark
All rights are reserved on this video recording copyright Jim Clark 2016
Here's a virtual movie of the English poet and author Walter De la Mare reading his enchanting poem "Five Eyes " The poem is about 5 cats that guard the grain from rats and mice in a Millhouse.
Here's an enjoyable explanation of the poem found here mercyfonseka58.blog.com/2012/02/29/explanation-of-five-eyes
In Hans’ old Mill his three black cats
Watch the bins for the thieving rats.
Hans is a person who owns a flour mill and he rears three cats to look after his mill. The cats kill rats and other small animals who harm the sacks of flour.
Whisker and claw, they crouch in the night,
Their five eyes smouldering green an bright:
The cats hide in the mill waiting to pounce on the enemies and as they are black in colour only their bright, green eyes can be seen in the dark.
Squeaks from the flour sacks, squeaks from where
The cold wind stirs on the empty stair,
Squeaking and scampering, everywhere.
Mice run here and there with light steps on the sacks of flour and on the steps of the mill.
Then down they pounce,
now in, now out, At whisking tail,
and sniffing snout;
The cats wait in the dark for the mice and aim for the tail or snout of the rats.
While lean old Hans he snores away
Till peep of light at break of day;
Hans has no worries because his cats are the guardians of the mill. So he is able to sleep well until the Sun- rise.
Then up he climbs to his creaking mill,
Then the miller wakes up and climbs the steps to go to the grinding machine to start his work for the day.
Out come his cats all grey with meal –
Jekkel, and Jessup, and one-eyed Jill.
Then his cats come out of the mill, their bellies are full with the meal they have taken throughout the night.
Here for the first time the poet gives us the reason for giving the title’Five Eyes’ to the poem.
There are three cats;Jekkel,Jessup and Jill. but Jill’s vision is limited to only one eye.So altogether three cats have only five eyes!
Kind Regards
Jim Clark
All rights are reserved on this video recording copyright Jim Clark 2016
