Homework! Oh, Homework!
By Jack Prelutsky
Homework! Oh, Homework!
I hate you! You stink!
I wish I could wash you away in the sink,
if only a bomb
would explode you to bits.
Homework! Oh, homework!
You’re giving me fits.I’d rather take baths
with a man-eating shark,
or wrestle a lion
alone in the dark,
eat spinach and liver,
pet ten porcupines,
than tackle the homework,
my teacher assigns.Homework! Oh, homework!
You’re last on my list,
I simply can’t see
why you even exist,
if you just disappeared
it would tickle me pink.
Homework! Oh, homework!
I hate you! You stink!
Summary of Homework! Oh, Homework!
- Popularity of “Homework! Oh, Homework!”: The poem ‘Homework! Oh, Homework!’ was written by Jack Prelutsky, a well-known children’s poet. Its first publication dates back to 1999, and it is acclaimed for its exceptional composition that underscores the triviality of homework. The poem speaks about how mad homework can make students. The funny tone of the poem illustrates the speaker’s disgust, hatred, and revulsion for homework. The poem gained immense popularity on account of its universal appeal. The exasperated yet humorous mood added further to its rhythm and melody.
- “Homework! Oh, Homework!” As a Representative of Hatred: This poem is written from a child’s perspective who expresses his feelings related to homework. It begins when the speaker shows extreme hatred for homework and wishes to wash it away in the sink or to explode it into pieces. He dislikes homework so much that in the poem, he’d prefer to take a bath with a man-eating shark or wrestle a lion in the dark instead.. He further informs his readers that homework is the last on his list. He would rather be happy if it gets disappeared from his to-do list.
- Major Themes in “Homework! Oh, Homework!” Hatred, student life, and homework revulsion are the major themes of the poem. The poem centers on the feelings of a student who has gone mad because of the study workload. Knowing it is a compulsion and the demand of his education, he desires to get rid of it. He hates homework so much that he would instead perform some insane and crazy actions rather than doing his homework. It is through this funny poetic piece, the poet sheds light on the problems students face during their student life.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Homework! Oh, Homework!
Literary devices allow the writers to bring variety and color to their simple poetic pieces. Jack Prelutsky also made this poem worth read with the excessive use of these devices. The analysis used in this poem is analyzed below.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /o/ in “Homework! Oh, homework” and the sound of /oo/ in “would explode you to bits.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /h/ in “Homework! Oh, homework” and /p/ sound in “pet ten porcupines.”
- Apostrophe: An apostrophe is a device used to call somebody or something from afar. Here, the poet has used apostrophe to call homework a disgusting thing such as,
“Homework! Oh, Homework!
I hate you! You stink.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /k/ in “than tackle the homework,” and the sound of /sh/ in “I wish I could wash you away in the sink.”
- 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,
“I simply can’t see
why you even exist,
if you just disappeared
it would tickle me pink.”
- Hyperbole: Hyperbole is a device used to exaggerate any statement for the sake of emphasis. The writer used this device by comparing the homework more difficult even than wrestling with a lion or man eating shark.
- Irony: Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning differs from the actual meaning. The writer has used this device in the opening stanza of the poem while talking about the self-recognition, such as,
“Homework! Oh, Homework!
I hate you! You stink.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “You’re last on my list”, “I wish I could wash you away in the sink” and “eat spinach and liver.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between the objects that are different. The poem shows the use of extended metaphors of homework, comparing it with several things that he hates the most in life.
- Personification: The poem shows the use of personification as the poet has personified homework, showing it having life and emotions of its own.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal meanings. The poem shows the use of the symbols of “stink” and “giving me fits” as signs of anger and hatred.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Homework! Oh, Homework!
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction: The poem shows descriptive diction having metaphors, symbols, and hyperbole.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows an ABCD rhyme scheme, and this pattern continues until the end.
- Repetition: There is a repetition of the verses “Homework! Oh, homework! /I hate you! You stink!” which have created a musical quality in the poem.
- Refrain: The lines occurring repeatedly at some distance in a poem are called a refrain. The verses, “Homework! Oh, homework! /I hate you! You stink!” are, therefore, a refrain.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are three stanzas in this poem, with each comprising a different number of verses.
Quotes to be Used
These lines are useful while talking about the things that one does not want to do intentionally.
“You’re last on my list,
I simply can’t see
why you even exist,
if you just disappeared
it would tickle me pink.”