Tweedledum And Tweedledee
By John Byrom
Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Agreed to have a battle;
For Tweedledum said Tweedledee
Had spoiled his nice new rattle.Just then flew down a monstrous crow,
As black as a tar-barrel;
Which frightened both the heroes so,
They quite forgot their quarrel.
Summary of Tweedledum and Tweedledee
- Popularity of “Tweedledum and Tweedledee”: Published back in the 18th century, “Tweedledum and Tweedledee” is a poem that presents a clash between two people. Originally these two nonsensical words, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, were invented by John Byrom in a satire illustrating the rivalry between two great musicians of his time. The rhyme appeared first in the collection of “Original Ditties for the Nursery.” However, since its first appearance, it has become a school rhyme due to its adaptation by several educational institutions for amusing children.
- “Tweedledum And Tweedledee” As a Representative of Rivalry: This poem perfectly shows the rivalry between two people. It begins with an ironic note: two characters agree to have a battle because Tweedledee has spoiled Tweedledum’s new rattle. However, the tension between the two does not get intense. Instead, it ends when a monstrous black crow scares them off. The fear of being captured makes them forget their quarrel. Although there are many interpretations of this nursery rhyme, many know these two characters from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass. Lewis has added this nursery rhyme conveying the same meanings. Even in the book, “Tweedledum and Tweedledee” decide to have a fight that never takes place. A giant crow swoops down and makes them forget what they were fighting about.
- Major Themes in “Tweedledum And Tweedledee”: Rivalry, human nature, fear, and settlement are the major themes of the poem. Although this is a simple poem that revolves around a single incident, it unfolds various meanings. For instance, their agreement on a fight reflects the dark side of human nature. It shows how quickly human beings get into a quarrel without thinking about the long-term consequences. Furthermore, the appearance of a monstrous figure shows the weak side of human nature. The poem exhibits how fear makes people set aside their businesses and urges them to seek survival. The ending of the poem, thus, presents situational irony, where a fight ends following a terrible situation.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Literary devices are tools that allow writers to choose their words to create a larger impact. In fact, with the help of these devices, writers convey their ideas effectively to the readers. John Byrom also employed some literary devices in this poem to show man’s nature. The analysis of some of the literary devices is discussed below.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “Tweedledum and Tweedledee” and the sound of /o/ in “Which frightened both the heroes so.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession, such as the sound of /t/ in “Tweedledum and Tweedledee.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /t/ in “They quite forgot their quarrel.” and the sound of /n/ in “Just then flew down a monstrous crow.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;
“Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Agreed to have a battle;
For Tweedledum said Tweedledee
Had spoiled his nice new rattle.”
- Irony: Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. The poet used this device at the end of the poem, where the two rivals forget their fight when a giant crow frightens them.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. John Byrom used imagery in this poem, such as; “As black as a tar-barrel;” and “Which frightened both the heroes so.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects different in nature. The poet used survival as an extended metaphor to show how man forgets everything when he confronts danger.
- Simile: It is a device used to compare something with something else to make the meanings clear to the readers. John used this device in the second stanza of the poem, such as; “Just then flew down a monstrous crow, As black as a tar-barrel”.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows symbols, such as fighting, human nature, survival, and quarrel.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Tweedledum And Tweedledee
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction: It means the type of language. The poem shows a descriptive simple, and poetic diction.
- End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. The Poet has used end rhyme in this poem, such as; “so/crow” and “battle/rattle.”
- Quatrain: A quatrain is a four-lined stanza borrowed from Persian poetry. There are two quatrains in this poem.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are two stanzas in this poem, with each comprising four verses.
- Tone: It means the voice of the text. Initially, the poem shows an indifferent tone, but later it turns surprising and suggestive.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to comment on man’s nature. These lines best describe how fear makes people forget their businesses.
“Just then flew down a monstrous crow,
As black as a tar-barrel;
Which frightened both the heroes so,
They quite forgot their quarrel.”