The Clothes-Line
Hand in hand they dance in a row,
Hither and thither, and to and fro,
Flip! Flap! Flop! and away they go—
Flutt'ring creatures as white as snow,
Like restive horses they caper and prance;
Like fairy-tale witches they wildly dance;
Rounded in front, but hollow behind,
They shiver and skip in the merry March wind.
One I saw dancing excitedly,
Struggling so wildly till she was free,
Then, leaving pegs and clothes-line behind her,
She flew like a bird, and no one can find her.
I saw her gleam, like a sail, in the sun,
Flipping and flapping and flopping for fun.
Nobody knows where she now can be,
Hid in a ditch, or drowned in the sea.
She was my handkerchief not long ago,
But she'll never come back to my pocket, I know.
Hither and thither, and to and fro,
Flip! Flap! Flop! and away they go—
Flutt'ring creatures as white as snow,
Like restive horses they caper and prance;
Like fairy-tale witches they wildly dance;
Rounded in front, but hollow behind,
They shiver and skip in the merry March wind.
One I saw dancing excitedly,
Struggling so wildly till she was free,
Then, leaving pegs and clothes-line behind her,
She flew like a bird, and no one can find her.
I saw her gleam, like a sail, in the sun,
Flipping and flapping and flopping for fun.
Nobody knows where she now can be,
Hid in a ditch, or drowned in the sea.
She was my handkerchief not long ago,
But she'll never come back to my pocket, I know.
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Comments
That was a fantastic poem. I
That was a fantastic poem. I liked the concept, and good use of imagery. The title of the poem had me intrigued.
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Indeed an excellent poem. It
Indeed an excellent poem. It really proves a very good poem could be written on so simple a subject as clothes-line.
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"The Clothes-Line" by
"The Clothes-Line" by Charlotte Druitt Cole
In "The Clothes-Line" by Charlotte Druitt Cole, the poet spins a whimsical tale of adventure and mystery centered around a clothes-line and its fluttering inhabitants. Through playful imagery and lively language, Cole invites readers to join in the fanciful dance of the clothes-line and its enchanted pegs.
The poem opens with a vivid scene of hand-in-hand dancing, as the clothes-line and its pegs sway "Hither and thither, and to and fro." The onomatopoeic words "Flip! Flap! Flop!" add a rhythmic cadence to the verse, mimicking the lively movements of the fluttering creatures. Like a chorus of white snowflakes, they cavort in the air, animated by the whims of the "merry March wind."
Cole's imaginative portrayal of the clothes-line and pegs as "restive horses" and "fairy-tale witches" infuses the scene with a sense of magic and wonder. The personification of these everyday objects lends them a fantastical quality, transforming the mundane into the extraordinary.
Amidst the swirling dance, one peg stands out, depicted as a spirited dancer struggling to break free. When she finally succeeds, she takes flight "like a bird," disappearing into the vast expanse of the sky. This sudden disappearance adds an element of mystery and intrigue to the poem, leaving readers to wonder about the fate of the wayward peg.
The poet's wistful tone in the final stanzas reflects on the peg's departure, likening her to a lost handkerchief that will never return to its owner's pocket. The whimsy of the earlier verses gives way to a sense of longing and nostalgia, as the poet laments the loss of the peg's companionship.
Through "The Clothes-Line," Charlotte Druitt Cole crafts a charming and imaginative narrative that captures the joy of childhood imagination and the fleeting nature of adventure. With its playful imagery and spirited storytelling, the poem invites readers to embrace the magic and wonder that surrounds us, even in the most ordinary of objects.
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