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Poem 3 - The Duck and the Kangaroo - by Edward Lear


About the Poet:

"The Duck and the Kangaroo" is a nonsense poem by Edward Lear. It was first published in Lear's 1870 collection, Nonsense Songs. The poem depicts a dialogue between a pond-bound duck and the kangaroo who represents the duck's greatest chance at freedom. The duck persuades the kangaroo to take the duck around the world on its back. While "The Duck and the Kangaroo" do not share the structure or the precise meter of Lear's limericks, his greatest claim to fame, the poem includes Lear's signature wordplay and his use of anthropomorphism, in which he gives animal characters very human traits and interactions).

About the Poem:

               The Duck explains that its own life in the pond is boring and that it wants to explore the world. It could fulfil its dream if it could hop like the Kangaroo. The Duck asks the Kangaroo for a ride on the Kangaroo's back. The Duck promises it would sit still and only quack all day.

SUMMARY

 The Duck exclaims to the kangaroo that it is very impressed with the kangaroo's ability to hop over land and water, seemingly without the need to stop. The Duck explains that its own life in the pond is boring and that it wants to explore the world. It could fulfil its dream if it could hop like the Kangaroo.
The Duck asks the Kangaroo for a ride on the Kangaroo's back. The Duck promises it would sit still and only quack all day. The Duck proposes travelling to places like the Dee and the Jelly Bo Lee, crossing land and water in the process. The Duck repeats its polite plea for a ride on the Kangaroo's back.
The Kangaroo explains to the Duck that it will need to consider the Duck's proposal. While it might be a source of good luck for the Kangaroo, the Kangaroo does have just one concern: to speak plainly, the Duck's wet, cold feet might make give the Kangaroo rheumatism (joint inflammation) if they are on the Kangaroo's back.
The Duck explains that it has thought of this concern already and has purchased four pairs of warm socks that fit its webbed feet well. The Duck has also purchased a cloak to stay warm and plans to smoke a cigar every day, all so that it may ride along with its dear friend, the Kangaroo.
The Kangaroo announces that it's ready to leave that night. The Kangaroo urges the Duck to sit on the end of the Kangaroo's tail to achieve the best balance possible. The Duck and the Kangaroo take off hopping and they travel around the world three times. There is no one as happy as the Duck and the Kangaroo.

Video Lecture Links:
https://youtu.be/jRzsrEcGFz4


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