Colonel Fazackerley Butter-worth Toast

Colonel Fazackerley Butterworth-Toast

LI: To understand the story within the poem

Poetry feature: Rhyming words / synonyms

Colonel Fazackerley Butterworth-Toast

Bought an old castle complete with a ghost,

But someone or other forgot to declare

To Colonel Fazak that the spectre was there.

On the very first evening, while waiting to dine,

The Colonel was taking a fine sherry wine,

When the ghost, with a furious flash and a flare,

Shot out of the chimney and shivered, 'Beware!'

Colonel Fazackerley put down his glass

And said, 'My dear fellow, that's really first class!

I just can't conceive how you do it at all.

I imagine you're going to a Fancy Dress Ball?'

At this, the dread ghost made a withering cry.

Said the Colonel (his monocle firm in his eye),

'Now just how you do it, I wish I could think.

Do sit down and tell me, and please have a drink.'

The ghost in his phosphorous cloak gave a roar

And floated about between ceiling and floor.

He walked through a wall and returned through a pane

And backed up the chimney and came down again.

Said the Colonel, 'With laughter I'm feeling quite weak!'

(As trickles of merriment ran down his cheek).

'My house-warming party I hope you won't spurn.

You MUST say you'll come and you'll give us a turn!'

At this, the poor spectre - quite out of his wits -

Proceeded to shake himself almost to bits.

He rattled his chains and he clattered his bones

And he filled the whole castle with mumbles and moans.

But Colonel Fazackerley, just as before,

Was simply delighted and called out, 'Encore!'

At which the ghost vanished, his efforts in vain,

And never was seen at the castle again.

'Oh dear, what a pity!' said Colonel Fazak.

'I don't know his name, so I can't call him back.'

And then with a smile that was hard to define,

Colonel Fazackerley went in to dine.

Charles Causley

What is the poem about? The poem is about Colonel Fazackerley Butterworth- Toast. That comes with a ghost, he likes to live a classy life. The ghost that lives in his house is friends and one day the ghost disappears.

Who is the poet? Charles Causley

What is a Colonel? An army officer of high rank, in particular (in the US Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps) an officer above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general.

Write 2 or 3 sentences to describe Colonel Fazackerley character. He likes fine things in life and he miss his ghost friend. The ghost and him was best friends but when the ghost started to disappear he feels very sad.

Write two or 3 sentences to describe the ghost character. The ghost is friendly to the man,but to describe him he is very naughty.

What sort of person do you think the ghost was before he died?  I thought he was a scary type of ghost.

Look at each verse of the poem – list the rhyming words from each verse

E.g. Verse 1 – toast, ghost, declare, there

Use a dictionary to find the meanings of the following words

• Spectre: Means a ghost, noun.
• Conceive Become pregnant with a child,verb.
• Monocle
• Phosphorus
• Pane
• Spurn
• Encore

Why did the ghost leave the castle? Because he needed to go to his rightful place which is heaven.

Do you think that Colonel Fazack was frightened or not? Give reasons for your answers. No Because in the story the ghost it says that there friends.

Do you think that the ghost will return to the caste? Give reasons for your answer. Yes because his spirit will still come to that house.