Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall
By Mother Goose
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.
Summary of Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall
- Popularity of “Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall”: First published in 1797 in Juvenile Amusements, “Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall” is a lyrical poem. Mother Goose features a giant ball-like man in this poem whose fall wreaks havoc. The popularity of the poems lies in the fact that their simplicity has grabbed the attention of great authors such as Lewis Carroll, who added this poem to his work, Through Looking Glass.
- “Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall” As a Representation of Hard Luck: This nursery rhyme begins with the description of the major character, Humpty Dumpty, who sits on a wall. The egg-like Humpty fails to balance himself and faces a great fall. Unfortunately, his fall breaks him into pieces that no one is able to stick him together. Although it is a simple nursery rhyme that is primarily composed to amuse the children, it also has underlying meanings. Some historians believe that Humpty Dumpty was a device for a riddle around unbreakable objects.
Others believe that Humpty Dumpty is King Richard III, who faced defeat in 1845 in the battle of Bosworth. According to this theory, Humpty Dumpty is the king; the wall symbolizes his reign, his fall stands for his defeat, and the King’s men and army could not help him win the battle. Although there are various other theories attached to this simple nursery rhyme, this one shares a close connection. - Major Themes in “Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall”: Fall, power, sadness, and humanity are the poem’s major themes. Although this is a simple poem, it conveys more than the words simply describe. The writer personifies egg to explain how one should have a balanced approach in life. The egg’s fall shows that if one fails to maintain balance in life, he has to face defeat and pain. Unfortunately, when bad luck hits someone hard, no other human can put the scattered pieces of the victim together. Through this simple poem, the poet urges us to be careful about what we desire in life.
Literary Devices Used in Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall
literary devices are tools that poets use to create meaning in their texts. It is through these devices they convey their emotions, feelings, and ideas to the readers. The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem is as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “All the king’s horses and all the king’s men” and the sound of /o/ in “Couldn’t put Humpty together again.”
- Anaphora: It refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. The poet repeated the words “Humpty Dumpty” in the first stanza of the poem to emphasize the point, such as;
“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /t/ in “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,” and the sound of /n/ in “All the king’s horses and all the king’s men.”
- 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;
“All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.”
- 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 poem shows situational irony toward the end. It’s rather ironic that all king’s men failed to put Humpty together again.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Mother Goose used imagery in this poem, such as; “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall” and “All the king’s horses and all the king’s men.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects different in nature. The poet used the fall of a man as an extended metaphor to show when someone faces defeat. It becomes difficult for him to catch the normal pace of life.
- 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 loss, failure, fall, and help.
Poetic Devices Used in Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall
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; “wall/fall” and “men/again.”
- Quatrain: A quatrain is a four-lined stanza borrowed from Persian poetry. This poem has only one quatrain.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem shows the use of an AABB rhyme scheme, as this quatrain shows.
- Tone: It means the voice of the text. This poem shows an exciting, interesting, and yet deep tone.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to describe the condition of people who lose a fight or battle.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.
