Author: Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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    [This recitation is intended to be given with an accompaniment of waltz music, introducing dance-steps at the refrain "With one, two, three," etc.]

    A giddy young maiden with nimble feet,
    Heigh-ho! alack and alas!
    Declared she would far rather dance than eat,
    And the truth of it came to pass.
    For she danced all day and she danced all night;
    She danced till the green earth faded white;
    She danced ten partners out of breath;
    She danced the eleventh one quite to death;
    And still she redowaed up and down - 
    The giddiest girl in town.
    With one, two, three; one, two, three; one, two, three - kick;
    Chassee back, chassee back, whirl around quick.
    The name of this damsel ended with E - 
         Heigh-ho; alack and a-day!
    And she was as fair as a maiden need be,
         Till she danced her beauty away.
    She danced her big toes out of joint;
    She danced her other toes all to a point;
    She danced out slipper and boot and shoe;
    She danced till the bones of her feet came through.
    And still she redowaed, waltzed, and whirled - 
    The giddiest girl in the world.
    With one, two, three; one, two, three; one, two, three - kick;
    Chassee back, chassee back, whirl around quick.

    Now the end of my story is sad to relate - 
         Heigh-ho! and away we go!
    For this beautiful maiden's final fate
         Is shrouded in gloom and woe.
    She danced herself into a patent top;
    She whirled and whirled till she could not stop;
    She danced and bounded and sprang so far,
    That she stuck at last on a pointed star;
    And there she must dance till the Judgment Day,
    And after it, too, for she danced away
    Her soul, you see, so she has no place anywhere out of space,
    With her one, two, three; one, two, three; one, two, three - kick;
    Chassee back, chassee back, whirl about quick.

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Type of Poem: Ballad

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem is a cautionary tale, wrapped in an energetic, almost frenetic tempo that mirrors the protagonist's ceaseless dancing. The theme revolves around obsession and the consequences of excess, with the young maiden's relentless dancing leading to her physical deterioration and, ultimately, her doom. This is an allegory for the dangers of unchecked desires and the potential self-destruction they can cause.

The poem employs a rhythmic structure that seems to mimic the beat of a waltz, with the repeated refrain "one, two, three; one, two, three; one, two, three - kick; chassee back, chassee back, whirl around quick," acting as an auditory guide for the dance. This serves to further immerse the reader in the poem's atmosphere and underscores the all-consuming nature of the maiden's fixation. The tone is a blend of light-heartedness and tragedy, presented through the playful language and deeply sad ending. The use of repetition and rhyme makes the poem engaging and adds a degree of musicality. The personification of the maiden's dance as something that consumes her life, body, and soul is a powerful literary device that emphasizes the destructive potential of obsession.