1. Déjeuner du matin
Jacques Prévert
This is a very famous poem by a well-known
French poet. The title in English
means…?
Challenge 1  Fill in the gaps with the right part of avoir + the
past participle. * = irregular verb
Challenge 2  Complete the crossword, using the poem to help
you find the answers to the clues.
Challenge 3  Use the crossword clues, the irregular verbs sheet
and your brain to work out what is happening in
the poem. Make notes next to the poem in English
Challenge 4  Practise reading the poem out with a good French
accent. Think about common sound
patterns. 5  Produce an illustrated version of the poem, with
Challenge
pictures to show all the things that are happening

2. Déjeuner du matin
Il a mis le café Il s’est levé
Dans la tasse Il a mis
Il a mis le lait Son chapeau sur sa tête
Dans la tasse de café Il a mis
Il a mis le sucre Son manteau de pluie
Dans le café au lait Parce qu’il pleuvait
Avec la petite cuiller Et il est parti
Il a tourné Sous la pluie
Il a bu le café au lait Sans une parole
Et il a reposé la tasse Sans me regarder
Sans me parler
. Et moi j’ai pris
Il a allumé Ma tête dans ma main
Une cigarette Et j’ai pleuré.
Il a fait des ronds
Avec la fumée
Il a mis les cendres
Dans le cendrier
Sans me parler
Sans me regarder

3. Déjeuner du matin Breakfast in the morning
Il a mis le café He put the coffee
Dans la tasse In the cup
Il a mis le lait He put the milk
Dans la tasse de café In the cup of coffee
Il a mis le sucre He put the sugar
Dans le café au lait In the milky coffee
Avec la petite cuiller With the little spoon
Il a tourné He stirred
Il a bu le café au lait He drank the milky coffee
Et il a reposé la tasse And he put the cup down
Sans me parler Without speaking to me
.
Il a allumé He lit
Une cigarette A cigarette
Il a fait des ronds He made rings
Avec la fumée With the smoke
Il a mis les cendres He put the ashes
Dans le cendrier In the ashtray
Sans me parler Without speaking to me
Sans me regarder Without looking at me

4. Il s’est levé He got up
Il a mis He put
Son chapeau sur sa tête His hat on his head
Il a mis He put on
Son manteau de pluie His raincoat
Parce qu’il pleuvait Because it was raining
Et il est parti And he left
Sous la pluie In the rain
Sans une parole Without a word
Sans me regarder Without looking at me
Et moi j’ai pris And me, I put
Ma tête dans ma main My head in my hands
Et j’ai pleuré. And I cried.

5. Things to think about…
5 minutes discussion in groups of 2 or 3
• Who is the narrator (the person telling the
story) in the poem?
• Are they male or female?
• What relationship are they to the other person?
• What has happened before the events in the
poem?
• What do you think might happen afterwards?

6. Common sound patterns in the poem
* Remember – the last letter in a word is usually silent
an/en sounds like on (if you say it holding your nose!)
ui sounds like wii
er/é sounds like ay
au/eau sounds like oh
eu sounds like er
oi sounds like wa
ain sounds like an (if you say it holding your nose!)
Now we’re going to go round the class – everyone read one line

7. Challenge 5
You’re going to produce an illustrated version
of Déjeuner du matin. You can either:
• write out the poem on A4 paper with pictures
around it to show all the things that happen
OR
• on A4, set out the poem like a cartoon strip