A Wise Old Owl
A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?
Summary of A Wise Old Owl
- Popularity of “A Wise Old Owl”: Having witnessed various transformations and changes in its original version, this beautiful nursery poem, having just four verses, first seemed to have appeared back in 1875 and since then has become a highly popular nursery rhyme. It is included in Roud Folk Song at 7734 number. It presents the main idea of being silent to gain sagacity. The popularity of the rhyme lies in its rhyme scheme and the rhetorical question of getting sagacity.
- “A Wise Old Owl” As a Representative of Wisdom in Silence: The lyrics of this concise poem present an owl. It states that the owl is wise. It lives in an oak tree and only sees what passes by or under it and never speaks or tries to speak. He even hears more and speaks less. The rhetorical question that the anonymous poet poses are why all people become like that owl. The indirect hint is at the wisdom that lies in seeing and observing and not speaking.
- Major Themes in “A Wise Old Owl”: The value of silence, observation, and hearing are major themes of this nursery rhyme. The owl is a symbol of wisdom in western culture and literature. Therefore, the anonymous poet presents a wise owl with specific stress on wise. He is of the view that this owl lives in an oak tree that is traditionally its home. It seems more and speaks very less. Perhaps the poet has never heard the voice of the owl and has seen it hearing others. Therefore, he/she concludes that as it is a wise owl, therefore, all people should imitate this owl and become likewise. The stress is more on observation and hearing, and less on speaking, as both of these elements are integral to gaining wisdom.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in A Wise Old Owl
The anonymous poet used various literary devices to enhance the intended impact of the nursery rhyme. Some of the major literary devices he uses are as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /a/ in “Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?” and the sound of /o/ in “A wise old owl lived in an oak.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession, such as the sound of /h/ in “he heard.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /l/ in “Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?” and the sound of /h/ in “The less he spoke, the more he heard.”
- Enjambment: It is a device in which the meanings of verse roll over to the next without having any pause or punctuation mark. The poem shows the use of enjambment, such as;
A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. The anonymous poet used imagery in this poem, such as “The more he saw the less he spoke”, “The less he spoke the more he heard” and “Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?”
- Rhetorical Question: It is a rhetorical device in which questions are asked not to elicit answers but to stress upon the idea. The poet used a rhetorical question such as “Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?”
- 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 an owl, oak, and bird to show wisdom and its attendant features.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in A Wise Old Owl
Although poetic devices are part of literary devices, some of them differ in nature. With the help of poetic devices, the poet sets the mood of the poem. The analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem is as follows.
- Diction: It means the type of language. The poem shows good use of formal and poetic diction.
- End Rhyme: It means the end words of verses rhyme with each other such as oak/spoke and heard/bird.
- Quatrain: It is a Persian stanza having four verses. This poem is a quatrain.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. This is a single-stanza poem having four verses.
- Tone: It means the voice of the text. The poem shows a sanguine, rational, and quizzical tone.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to quote when talking about wisdom and how to get it.
A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?
