Thursday, July 3, 2008

word analysis

Polly put the kettle on
Polly put the kettle on
Polly put the kettle on

We'll all have tea

Sukey take it off again
Sukey take it off again
Sukey take it off again

They've all gone away



So, literature 101 class, what does this nursery rhyme mean? Is it a circle of life sort of poem? Is is about the incessant nagging of a parent trying to get a child to take care of their responsibilities? Is it really about the laundry piling up in your hamper waiting to be washed, worn and dirtied again? The ebb and flow of social engagements?

Just wondering.

2 comments:

  1. it's about smart women learning, early in life, that men tend to disappear whenever something that has cooking involved:

    http://www.rhymes.org.uk/polly_put_the_kettle_on.htm

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh Zeynep! That is so funny! (and true.)

    ReplyDelete