Author: Guy Wetmore Carryl

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    Once a flock of stately peacocks
    Promenaded on a green,
    There were twenty-two or three cocks,
    Each as proud as seventeen,
    And a glance, however hasty,
    Showed their plumage to be tasty;
    Wheresoever one was placed, he
    Was a credit to the scene.

    Now their owner had a daughter
    Who, when people came to call,
    Used to say, "You'd reelly oughter
    See them peacocks on the mall."
    Now this wasn't to her credit,
    And her callers came to dread it,
    For the way the lady said it
    Wasn't recherche at all.

    But a jay that overheard it
    From his perch upon a fir
    Didn't take in how absurd it
    Was to every one but her;
    When they answered, "You don't tell us!"
    And to see the birds seemed zealous
    He became extremely jealous,
    Wishing, too, to make a stir.

    As the peacocks fed together
    He would join them at their lunch,
    Culling here and there a feather
    Till he'd gathered quite a bunch;
    Then this bird, of ways perfidious,
    Stuck them on him most fastidious
    Till he looked uncommon hideous,
    Like a Judy or a Punch.

    But the peacocks, when they saw him,
    One and all began to haul,
    And to harry and to claw him
    Till the creature couldn't crawl;
    While their owner's vulgar daughter,
    When her startled callers sought her,
    And to see the struggle brought her,
    Only said, "They're on the maul."

    It was really quite revolting
    When the tumult died away,
    One would think he had been moulting
    So dishevelled was the jay;
    He was more than merely slighted,
    He was more than disunited,
    He'd been simply dynamited
    In the fervor of the fray.

    And THE MORAL of the verses
    Is: That short men can't be tall.
    Nothing sillier or worse is
    Than a jay upon a mall.
    And the jay opiniative
    Who, because he's imitative,
    Thinks he's highly decorative
    Is the biggest jay of all.

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Type of Poem: Fable

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: The poem under consideration is a humorous narrative that utilizes anthropomorphism, satire, and a dash of morality to engage readers in an exploration of pride, pretense, and the consequences of false identity. The peacocks depict arrogance and superficial beauty, while the jay symbolizes the desire for social elevation and the pitfalls of imitation. The owner's daughter serves as a link between the human and avian worlds, hinting at the universality of the themes.

The poem is structured in a light-hearted, almost rollicking rhythm, employing a consistent rhyme scheme that helps to underscore the mock-serious tone. The humor is derived from the incongruity of the situation and the unexpectedness of the jay's unsuccessful transformation. The poet uses vivid imagery and playful language to enhance the comedic effect, such as the description of the jay as looking "uncommon hideous, like a Judy or a Punch." The poem concludes with a clear moral, delivered in a tongue-in-cheek manner, cautioning against the folly of pretentiousness and the illusion of superficial appearances. This humorous yet insightful poem serves as a reminder that true worth lies in authenticity, rather than ostentatious display.