Little Birds Poem by Lewis Carroll

Little Birds

Rating: 3.3


Little Birds are dining
Warily and well,
Hid in mossy cell:
Hid, I say, by waiters
Gorgeous in their gaiters -
I've a Tale to tell.

Little Birds are feeding
Justices with jam,
Rich in frizzled ham:
Rich, I say, in oysters
Haunting shady cloisters -
That is what I am.

Little Birds are teaching
Tigresses to smile,
Innocent of guile:
Smile, I say, not smirkle -
Mouth a semicircle,
That's the proper style!

Little Birds are sleeping
All among the pins,
Where the loser wins:
Where, I say, he sneezes
When and how he pleases -
So the Tale begins.

Little Birds are writing
Interesting books,
To be read by cooks:
Read, I say, not roasted -
Letterpress, when toasted,
Loses its good looks.

Little Birds are playing
Bagpipes on the shore,
Where the tourists snore:
"Thanks!" they cry. "'Tis thrilling!
Take, oh take this shilling!
Let us have no more!"

Little Birds are bathing
Crocodiles in cream,
Like a happy dream:
Like, but not so lasting -
Crocodiles, when fasting,
Are not all they seem!

Little Birds are choking
Baronets with bun,
Taught to fire a gun:
Taught, I say, to splinter
Salmon in the winter -
Merely for the fun.

Little Birds are hiding
Crimes in carpet-bags,
Blessed by happy stags:
Blessed, I say, though beaten -
Since our friends are eaten
When the memory flags.

Little Birds are tasting
Gratitude and gold,
Pale with sudden cold:
Pale, I say, and wrinkled -
When the bells have tinkled,
And the Tale is told.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Adeline Foster 31 March 2012

Shall we giggle, laugh, and guffaw! Someone actually wants to tell Louie Carroll that his poetry is nonsense. Is this not merely a bedtime ditty in disguise? And who could teach Louie Carroll to write it better? Adeline Foster

9 16 Reply
Ankita Sharma 31 March 2010

Love you Lewis....I love Alice and I love wonderland.....: D I can't forget the lovely time I spent reading your book when I was a child......those happy, wonderful moments......wonderland....love that crazy world like hell

11 13 Reply

Not a very good poem. It's slightly confusing and is complete nonsense.

9 12 Reply
Kevin Straw 31 March 2010

Are there really only 365 poems in the English language? I commented on this poem just a year ago. There are tens of thousands of poems which could be poem of the day.

11 10 Reply
Ramesh T A 31 March 2010

The meaningful joking poetry of the poet is a fun to read!

9 10 Reply
Geeta Radhakrishna Menon 19 January 2024

Enjoyed reading this lovely poem. To my favourite

0 0 Reply
Geeta Radhakrishna Menon 19 January 2024

What a delightful poem! Little birds are writing, teaching, playing, sleeping. A fun poem full of imagination like the little Alice in Wonderland.

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 19 January 2024

THANK YOU SO MUCH, DEAR POEM HUNTER AND TEAM forhaving chosen LEWIS CARROLL as the Classic Poem Of The Day.

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 19 January 2024

SIX: The poem's meaning is ultimately up to the reader to decide, and it can be enjoyed for its clever wordplay and imaginative imagery. I like this Classic Poem Of The Day very very much, so many interpretations cen be put here

0 0 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 19 January 2024

FIVE: So many ways for interpretation

0 0 Reply
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