The pun in the title

The title has two meanings, and the poem needs both.

Literally, concrete is the hard grey stuff of paths and paving. Mrs Jones's garden really is full of stone: the crazy path, the rockery, the stones between the plants. A concrete garden.

Figuratively, 'a concrete example' means a clear, definite example of something. The poem is exactly that: a concrete example of Mrs Jones's unusual gardening.

What is a pun? Word play where one word carries two meanings at once, or where words sound alike but mean different things, to make something funny.

Two puns from the book:

• 'I tried arguing with my pencil but it kept making sharp points.' A pencil has sharp points, and a good argument makes sharp points.
• 'My pencil and I had a disagreement but we finally got to the point.' The point is the pencil's tip, and also the heart of the matter.

A pun makes you hold two ideas together, which is why good titles are often puns. This one tells you, in three words, that the garden is stony and that the poem is a clear example.

Choosing the right word. Which words could replace the ones in the poem?

• 'a strange device' → unusual or peculiar (not 'new');
• 'rather nice' → pleasant, agreeable, charming;
• 'so delicate' → fragile, dainty (easily broken), not 'delicious';
• 'I cried' → exclaimed (said loudly), not 'wept'.