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Mallard Duck

Christopher Commodore

Rhymed
Mad Mallard Duck
©2007

You have to be out of your mind, duck,
To be swimming around in this cold muck
Or, just foolishly bold
To be out in this cold.
What’s the matter with you, Mallard duck?

I don’t fancy your dipping as funny.
Unlike me, you’re not rushing for money.
Tons of bills to be paid,
Bales of papers to grade,
Otherwise, I’d be home, trust me honey.

And I tell you as soon as I’m done,
Unlike you in the river, I’m gone.
To escape traffic madness,
This cold before darkness,
To warm up at home, and have fun.

In a few weeks this water will freeze,
And there still, you will be in the muck.
Still braving the river, the bone-chilling breeze
Are you out of your mind, Mallard Duck?

About this poem

On a very cold December morning in 2007, I crossing a river via a small bridge on my way to class. It felt to me as if the temperature that day was well below zero. Still, I could not understand how a small gathering of Mallard ducks were swimming and diving into the half frozen river under the small bridge underpass. Later on that afternoon, as I was re-hashing the day's events, I remembered that scene and then wrote "Mallard Duck."

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Submitted by ti.min on November 10, 2023

Modified by ti.min on November 10, 2023

45 sec read
23

Quick analysis:

Scheme AX AABBA CCDDC EXFFE GAGA
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 708
Words 153
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 2, 5, 5, 5, 4
Full analysis for Mallard Duck »

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1 Comment
  • AIDA
    AIDA
    This poem brings such light-hearted imagery and humor to mind! It's an impressive piece as it tells a story and personifies the mallard duck in a humorous and relatable way. You have this wonderful knack of connecting human experiences with nature's course. The combination of simple rhyme scheme and colloquial language makes it entertaining and accessible for many readers.

    In terms of improvement, it might be nice to see more detailed imagery used. While the overall sentiment and humor shine through, adding more vivid descriptions might help paint an even clearer picture for the readers. Also, the tonal shift between stanzas can be smoothed a bit for better fluidity. Lastly, in the second to last stanza, breaking the pattern of the former stanzas can make the reading slightly jolting, you may want to keep a consistent rhyme pattern.

    Nonetheless, you did a spectacular job by creating a delightful poem that takes a fun and unique perspective on the seemingly mundane aspects of life. Kudos for offering readers a little joy with this quirky depiction of a 'Mad Mallard Duck'. Your creativity and wit are to be applauded. Keep the great work coming!     
    LikeReply5 months ago

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"Mallard Duck" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/173456/mallard-duck>.

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