Analysis of The Duck and the Kangaroo

Edward Lear 1812 (Holloway) – 1888 (Sanremo)



Said the Duck to the Kangaroo,
'Good gracious! how you hop!
Over the fields and the water too,
As if you never would stop!
My life is a bore in this nasty pond,
And I long to go out in the world beyond!
I wish I could hop like you!'
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.

'Please give me a ride on your back!'
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.
'I would sit quite still, and say nothing but 'Quack',
The whole of the long day through!
And we'd go to the Dee, and the Jelly Bo Lee,
Over the land, and over the sea;
Please take me a ride! O do!'
Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.

Said the Kangaroo to the Duck,
'This requires some little reflection;
Perhaps on the whole it might bring me luck,
And there seems but one objection,
Which is, if you'll let me speak so bold,
Your feet are unpleasantly wet and cold,
And would probably give me the roo-
Matiz!' said the Kangaroo.

Said the Duck, 'As I sat on the rocks,
I have thought over that completely,
And I bought four pairs of worsted socks
Which fit my web-feet neatly.
And to keep out the cold I've bought a cloak,
And every day a cigar I'll smoke,
All to follow my own dear true
Love of a Kangaroo!'

Said the Kangaroo, 'I'm ready!
'All in the moonlight pale;
'But to balance me well, dear Duck, sit steady!
'And quite at the end of my tail!'
So away they went with a hop and a bound,
And they hopped the whole world three times round;
And who so happy - O who,
As the Duck and the Kangaroo?


Scheme AbabccaA dAdaeeaA fgfghhaa ieiejjaa ekekllaa
Poetic Form Tetractys  (20%)
Etheree  (20%)
Metre 1011001 110111 100100101 1111011 1110101101 01111100101 1111111 1011001 11101111 1011001 11111011011 0110111 011101001011 100101001 1110111 1011001 1001101 1010110010 0110111111 01111010 111111111 1110100101 011001101 11001 101111101 111101010 011111101 1111110 0111011101 0100100111 11101111 11001 1001110 10011 11101111110 01101111 10111101001 011011111 0111011 1010001
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,397
Words 294
Sentences 21
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 40
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 214
Words per stanza (avg) 57
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:27 min read
197

Edward Lear

Edward Lear was an English artist, illustrator, author and poet, and is known now mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limericks, a form he popularised. more…

All Edward Lear poems | Edward Lear Books

1 fan

Discuss this Edward Lear poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Duck and the Kangaroo" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/9780/the-duck-and-the-kangaroo>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    21
    days
    3
    hours
    55
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote the 1892 poem Gunga Din?
    A Alfred, Lord Tennyson
    B Walt Whitman
    C Ho Xuan Huong
    D Rudyard Kipling