MULTIMEDIA-ENGLISH
Remember, remember, the 5th of November (poem)
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Video page URL
https://multimedia-english.com/videos/esl/remember-remember-the-5th-of-november-poem-2915
Description

This fragment of the movie "V for Vendetta" shows the beginning of a very old traditional rhyme which says (in one of its versions):


Remember, remember the fifth of November
The gunpowder treason and plot.
I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

Remember, remember, the fifth of November,
The gunpowder treason and plot.
A stick or a stake for King James' sake
Will you please to give us a fagot
If you can't give us one, we'll take two;
The better for us and the worse for you!


Watch more videos about Guy Fawkes Day here: Guy Fawkes


You can see the movie trailer here: V for Vendetta.

Transcript

Remember, remember the fifth of November
The gunpowder treason and plot.
I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

Explanations

THE FIFTH OF NOVEMBER is the day when Guy Fawkes was caught while trying to blow the British Parliament off to kill the king. He had good reasons to do it, but that use of violence turns him into a vulgar terrorist, and as such he is remembered every November the 5th all through Britain by burning Guy effigies in bonfires during celebrations with lots of fireworks: It's Guy Fawkes Night!


GUNPOWDER= An explosive powder used in bombs, fireworks, guns, etc.


TREASON= /tri:zən/ betrayal (when somebody acts against his own country or community)


PLOT= A secret plan against somebody. THE GUNPOWDER PLOT is the name we still use to refer to that plot, because they were planning to make a lot of gunpowder explode in a cellar under the Palace of Westminster (what is now the Houses of Parliament, in London).


I KNOW OF NO REASON WHY...= There is no reason why...


FORGOT= (past participle) In modern British English it is more frequent to use the form "forgotten" (forget-forgot-forgotten), but this old-fashioned form is still used sometimes, especially in old things.