A Baby In The House Poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Johnstown Center / Rock County / Wisconsin

A Baby In The House

Rating: 3.0


I knew that a baby was hid in that house,
Though I saw no cradle and heard no cry;
But the husband was tip-toeing 'round like a mouse,
And the good wife was humming a soft lullaby;
And there was a look on the face of the mother,
That I knew could mean only one thing, and no other.

The mother, I said to myself, for I knew
That the woman before me was certainly that;
And there lay in a corner a tiny cloth shoe,
And I saw on a stand such a wee little hat;
And the beard of the husband said, plain as could be,
'Two fat chubby hands have been tugging at me.'

And he took from his pocket a gay picture-book,
And a dog that could bark, if you pulled on a string;
And the wife laid them up with such a pleased look;
And I said to myself, 'There is no other thing
But a babe that could bring about all this, and so
That one thing is in hiding somewhere, I know.'

I stayed but a moment, and saw nothing more,
And heard not a sound, yet I know I was right;
What else could the shoe mean that lay on the floor,
The book and the toy, and the faces so bright;
And what made the husband as still as a mouse?
I am sure, very sure, there's a babe in that house.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Aisha Masha 15 December 2016

Very well written poem. Babies change houses. They reorganize every person's activity in the house.

6 2 Reply
Juliana Galal 17 May 2014

I really enjoyed reading that :)

7 0 Reply
* Sunprincess * 09 August 2015

...very interesting....nice imagery ★

4 1 Reply
Shaun Cronick 28 June 2020

One could argue that there is a large slice of voyeurism and a hint of darkness mingled between the gifted poetess's lines. I guess everyone sees something different and how they interpret things.

7 0 Reply
Shaun Cronick 27 June 2020

Is this a poem about a nosy neighbour or something deeper and much darker.

10 0 Reply
Ratnakar Mandlik 05 October 2019

A beautiful melody full of rhyme and rhythm and quite interesting story. A pleasure to read.

2 1 Reply
Ratnakar Mandlik 25 June 2019

A wonderful investigative poem about a baby hidden in the house and the tale tell marks that expose it's presence in the house. A pleasure to read.

2 1 Reply
Anil Kumar Panda 05 October 2018

Very well written and interesting poem. rhyming and flow are simply amazing. Enjoyed a lot. Thanks for sharing.

3 1 Reply
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Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Johnstown Center / Rock County / Wisconsin
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