The Duck and The Kangaroo Class 9 | Edward Lear | Beehive |
Table of Contents
The Duck and The Kangaroo Class 9 & Class 8 | Edward Lear | Beehive |
Brief Introduction of The Duck and The Kangaroo
This is a humorous poem. It hardy makes any sense. In literature such poem is known as ‘Non Sense’ Verse. Its only purpose is to provide humor. A duck asks a Kangaroo to give him a ride on his back. He promises to remain silent all through the ride. The kangaroo fears that the cold and wet feet of the duck will make him sick but the duck says that he has bought four pairs of woolen socks for his feet. At this, Kangaroo agrees to take the Duck on the ride on his back. The Duck seats himself comfortably on the Kangaroo’s tail. Then the two of them go hopping round the world three times in the dim moonlight.
Summary of The Duck and The Kangaroo
Once there lived Duck and a kangaroo. One day the Duck said to the Kangaroo, “How nicely you keep hopping over the fields and water also! It seems as if you would never stop. But I have to live all the time in this nasty pond. My life is so boring. I want to go and see the world beyond this pond. I wish I could hop like you.
The duck requested the Kangaroo to take him for a ride on his back. He said that he would sit still all day long and say nothing except his quacks. Thus he wanted to go over land and sea in the company of Kangaroo and visit distant places. The Duck once again requested to take him on a ride.
The Kangaroo thought over it a little. He thought that it might bring him some good luck but the only fear he had that Duck’s cold and wet feet might make him ill.
At this, the duck said that he too had thought over it while sitting on the rocks. He announced that he had bought four pairs of woolen socks that could fit his feet very neatly. He had also bought cloak (a type of loose coat without sleeves ) to save himself from cold.
At this, the Kangaroo agreed to give the Duck a ride on his back. He advised the Duck to steady at the end of his tail so that he could balance himself well. Thus the two went hopping and bounding in pale moonlight. They went round the world three times. Both of them were so happy as none else could be.
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Stanza-wise Questions of The Duck and The Kangaroo
Stanza 1
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.
Q1. What did the Duck like about the Kangaroo?
Ans: The Duck liked the way the Kangaroo could hop.
Q2. Where could the Kangaroo hop?
Ans: The Kangaroo could hop over the fields and water too.
Q3. What did the Duck feel about his own life?
Ans: He felt his life was dull and boring.
Q4. Where did the Duck live?
Ans: The Duck lived in a nasty pond.
Q5. Where did the Duck long to go?
Ans: He wanted to go to the places beyond his pond.
Q6. What did the Duck wish to do?
Ans: The duck wished he could also hop like the Kangaroo.
Poetic Devices Used in The Duck and The Kangaroo Stanza 1
Alliteration: It is the use of same consonant sound at the beginning of the words in a group.
Examples: Good gracious! how you hop!
Repetition : It is the repetition of words or phrases in the poem for emphasize.
Examples: Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.
Inversion: In this device two characters are found talking to each other.
Example: Said the Duck to the Kangaroo, Said the kangaroo to the duck.
Rhyme Scheme of Stanza 1 is ABABCCAA
Stanza 2
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.
Q1. What kind of ride did the Duck want to have?
Ans: The Duck wanted to have a ride on the Kangaroo’s back.
Q2. What did the Duck promise to do?
Ans: The Duck promised to sit still and say nothing except quack.
Q3. How long did he want to ride?
Ans: He wanted to ride the whole world.
Q4. What places did he want to go?
Ans: He wanted to go to the Dee and the Jelly Bo Lee.
Q5. What request did he make to the Kangaroo?
Ans: He requested the Kangaroo to give him a ride on his back.
Poetic Devices Used in Stanza 2
Alliteration: It is the use of same consonant sound at the beginning of the words in a group.
Example: I would sit quite still, and say nothing but “Quack,”
Rhyme Scheme of Stanza 1 is ABABCCBB
Stanza 3
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.
Q1. What according to the Kangaroo, required reflection?
Ans: The Kangaroo required reflection (second thought) to give the Duck a ride on his back.
Q2. What was the Kangaroo’s objection?
Ans: The wet and cold feet of the Duck was the only objection he had.
Q3. What did he say about Duck’s feet?
Ans: He said the feet of the Duck are unpleasantly wet and cold.
Q4. Find all the rhyming pairs of words in the above stanza.
Ans: Duck-Luck, Reflection-Objection, Bold-cold.
Rhyme Scheme of Stanza 1 is ABABCCDD
Stanza 4
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!’
Q1. Who is the Duck speaking to?
Ans: He is speaking to the Kangaroo.
Q2. Where had the Duck been sitting?
Ans: He had been sitting on the rocks.
Q3. What had he thought over?
Ans: He thought over the Kangaroo’s objection about his wet and cold feet.
Q4. What thing had he bought?
Ans: He had bought four pairs of worsted socks and a cloak.
Q5. What did he say he would do every day?
Ans: The Duck said he would smoke a cigar every day.
Rhyme Scheme of Stanza 1 is ABABCCDD
Poetic Devices Used in Stanza 4
Anaphora: It is the repetition of an expression or word at the starting of a successive clause, phrase or sentence or verse especially for poetic effect.
And to keep out the cold I’ve bought a cloak,
And every day a cigar I’ll smoke,
Enjambment: It is literacy device in which a line of the poem carries its idea or thought in next line without grammatical pause(like full stop, comma etc.) In other words we can say that when a line in the poem ends without any punctuation there the device Enjambment is used.
Example: And I bought four pairs of worsted socks
Which fit my web-feet neatly.
Stanza 5
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?.
Q1. How did the Kangaroo react?
Ans: He agreed to give the Duck a ride on his back.
Q2. Where did the Kangaroo ask the Duck to sit?
Ans : He asked the Duck to sit steady at the end of his tail.
Rhyme Scheme of Stanza 1 is ABABCCDD
Poetic Devices Used in Stanza 5
Alliteration: It is the use of same consonant sound at the beginning of the words in a group.
Examples: But to balance me well, dear Duck, sit steady!
And they hopped the whole world three times round;
To Watch Video of Poetic Devices/Literary Devices/Figures of Speech : Click Here
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