The Quangle Wangle's Hat

Edward Lear 1812 (Holloway) – 1888 (Sanremo)



I.
   On the top of the Crumpetty Tree
     The Quangle Wangle sat,
   But his face you could not see,
     On account of his Beaver Hat.
   For his Hat was a hundred and two feet wide,
   With ribbons and bibbons on every side
   And bells, and buttons, and loops, and lace,
   So that nobody every could see the face
       Of the Quangle Wangle Quee.II.

  The Quangle Wangle said
    To himself on the Crumpetty Tree, --
 "Jam; and jelly; and bread;
   "Are the best of food for me!
 "But the longer I live on this Crumpetty Tree
 "The plainer than ever it seems to me
 "That very few people come this way
 "And that life on the whole is far from gay!"
      Said the Quangle Wangle Quee.III.

  But there came to the Crumpetty Tree,
    Mr. and Mrs. Canary;
  And they said, -- "Did every you see
   "Any spot so charmingly airy?
 "May we build a nest on your lovely Hat?
 "Mr. Quangle Wangle, grant us that!
 "O please let us come and build a nest
 "Of whatever material suits you best,
     "Mr. Quangle Wangle Quee!"IV.

  And besides, to the Crumpetty Tree
    Came the Stork, the Duck, and the Owl;
  The Snail, and the Bumble-Bee,
    The Frog, and the Fimble Fowl;
 (The Fimble Fowl, with a corkscrew leg;)
  And all of them said, -- "We humbly beg,
  "We may build out homes on your lovely Hat, --
  "Mr. Quangle Wangle, grant us that!
     "Mr. Quangle Wangle Quee!"V.

  And the Golden Grouse came there,
    And the Pobble who has no toes, --
  And the small Olympian bear, --
    And the Dong with a luminous nose.
  And the Blue Baboon, who played the Flute, --
  And the Orient Calf from the Land of Tute, --
  And the Attery Squash, and the Bisky Bat, --
  All came and built on the lovely Hat
      Of the Quangle Wangle Quee.VI.

  And the Quangle Wangle said
    To himself on the Crumpetty Tree, --
  "When all these creatures move
   "What a wonderful noise there'll be!"
  And at night by the light of the Mulberry moon
  They danced to the Flute of the Blue Baboon,
  On the broad green leaves of the Crumpetty Tree,
  And all were as happy as happy could be,
      With the Quangle Wangle Quee.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 27, 2023

1:55 min read
277

Quick analysis:

Scheme xababccdde fAfaaaxee aaaabBggh aiaieebBh jkjkxbbbh fAhallaae
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 2,071
Words 387
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 10, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9

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

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