The Duck and the Kangaroo (Beehive)

 BY Edward lear

ABOUT THE POET

The British poet and painter known for his absurd wit, Edward Lear was born on May 12, 1812 and began his career as an artist at age 15. Lear quickly gained recognition for his work and in 1832 was hired by the London Zoological Society to execute illustrations of birds. In the same year, the Earl of Derby invited Lear to reside at his estate; Lear ended up staying on until 1836.

His first book of poems, A Book of Nonsense (1846) was composed for the grandchildren of the Derby household. Lear is remembered for his humorous poems, such as “The Owl and the Pussycat,” and as the creator of the form and meter of the modern limerick. Like his younger peer Lewis Carroll, Lear wrote many deeply fantastical poems about imaginary creatures, such as “The Dong with the Luminous Nose.” His books of humorous verse also include Nonsense Songs (1871) and Laughable Lyrics (1877). Lear died on January 29, 1888 at the age of 76.

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.

The duck is awestruck to see the movement of the kangaroo. It expressed that the kangaroo could hop continuously over the fields and water bodies. The ducks life was boring as it remained in the pond all the time. It wished to see the world beyond the limits of the pond. It wishes that it could also hop like the kangaroo.

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.

The duck requests the kangaroo to give it a ride on its back. It promised that it would sit quietly and would just quack all day. The duck lists the places that they would visit as Dee river and Jelly Bo Lee. It adds that they would hop over the land and waters.

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.

Roo-matiz: refers to the disease of rheumatism

The kangaroo replied that it had to think over it. The idea could be good for him but he had an objection – that the duck’s wet and cold feet could give it body pains.

STANZA 4
Said the Duck, ‘As I sate 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!’

The duck said that as it sat on the rocks during the day, it had thought over it. In order to avoid that, the duck had bought four pairs of worsted socks which fitted its web – shaped feet well. In order to stay warm, it would wear a shrug and also, smoke a cigar every day. The duck would do all this to protect the kangaroo as it was a beloved.

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?.

The kangaroo is honest to its words and leaves for the journey with the moonlit sky as their guide. The duck stuck fast and tightly to the kangaroo’s tail and they both journeyed across the world multiple times over. They were enjoying each other’s company immensely.

1. Messege conveyed in the poem.

The message of the poem The Duck and The Kangaroo is that life is meant to be enjoyed. The duck is tired of living in a small pond. Hence he desires to escape from the small space and do adventure with the kangaroo.

So, we should also travel the world because our world is too big and we should not spend our lives in a small area. In addition, there is also another theme which is the theme of the friendship. Kangaroo tells the duck that he is irritated by the wet and cold feet of the latter. The duck acknowledges this and buys three pairs of socks, a cloak and cigars to avoid irritating the kangaroo. Hence their friendship is based on sacrifice and compromise.

2.     Central theme of the poem.

The poem is about finding friendships in the strangest of places. Here, the bond is established between two different animals, an aspirational duck and free-spirited kangaroo. The duck feels like is a prisoner in the only world it knows, its pond. 

It harbours aspirations to explore and travel throughout the world and witness all its glory and beauty. Through the parable, the poet imagines the pain of a being who is caged and imprisoned and cannot enjoy the freedom of movement and friendship.

Such limitations hamper one’s growth and development as individuals. Freedom is something that is valued by all beings, be it humans or animals.

3. Why did the duck admire the kangaroo?

The duck is amazed by seeing the way kangaroo hops over the fields and the water. He feels that the kangaroo always enjoys his life and never stops. He too desires to enjoy his life like kangaroo.

4.    Why did the duck call the pond nasty?

The duck called the pond nasty because he is tired of living in the small space till now. He is amazed by the hopping and jumping of kangaroo and considers his life in the pond boring.

5. What is the tone of the poem.

The tone of the poem The Duck and The Kangaroo is light and humorous.

6. What would bring luck to the kangaroo?

Travelling the world with the duck would bring luck for the kangaroo he thought.

7. What did the duck wish?
The duck wanted to travel around the world with the kangaroo.

8. Why did the kangaroo give a ride to the duck?
Kangaroo gives a ride to the duck because he too wanted to travel along with the duck.