The Height of the Ridiculous
ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. Find out expressions from the poem that indicate funny moments.
For example, “I laughed as I would die.”
- “I laughed as I would die” – The poet exaggerates his laughter to a humorous extreme.
- “There’ll be the devil to pay” – A playful remark that turns out to be ironically true.
- “The grin grew broad and shot from ear to ear” – Describes the servant’s uncontrollable, funny reaction.
- “His waistband split” – A comical image of the servant’s clothes tearing due to laughter.
- “He burst five buttons off, and tumbled in a fit” – An exaggerated and funny depiction of the servant losing control.
2. Order of sequence: Arrange the following reactions in their proper order, as per the poem.
(a) His waistband split
(b) The grin grew broad
(c) Sleepless eye
(d) Was all upon the grin
(e) He broke into a roar
(f) He burst five buttons off
Correct Order:
- (d) Was all upon the grin – The servant’s face grinned after reading the first line.
- (b) The grin grew broad – The grin widened after the second line.
- (e) He broke into a roar – He laughed loudly after the fourth line.
- (a) His waistband split – His waistband split after the fifth line.
- (f) He burst five buttons off – Buttons burst and he fell after the sixth line.
- (c) Sleepless eye – The poet watched the servant for ten days and nights afterward.
3. Form pairs and find out the various rhyming words in the poem and two of your own. Complete the following table
| Words | Rhyming words |
|---|---|
| From the poem | |
| 1. ear | hear |
| 2. within | grin |
| 3. man | can |
| 4. split | fit |
| 5. way | pay |
| 6. him | limb |
| 7. die | I |
| 8. mood | good |
4. Match the lines with the Figures of Speech.
| Lines | Figures of Speech |
|---|---|
| 1. In wondrous merry mood | Tautology |
| 2. They were so queer, so very queer. | Alliteration |
| 3. And saw him peep within | Onomatopoeia |
| 4. The grin grew broad. | Repetition |
| 5. And shot from ear to ear. | Hyperbole |
| 6. He broke into a roar. | Repetition |
| 7. Ten days and nights with sleepless eye | Transferred Epithet |
Explanations:
1. In wondrous merry mood – Tautology
: This figure of speech involves the repetition of meaning in different words (“wondrous” and “merry” both emphasize a joyful state), though it’s a mild form here, often used for emphasis in poetry.
2.They were so queer, so very queer. – Alliteration:
The repetition of the “q” sound in “queer” and “very queer” creates a musical effect, a common technique in alliteration.
3.And saw him peep within – Onomatopoeia:
The word “peep” imitates the soft, quiet sound of looking, aligning with onomatopoeia, which uses words that mimic sounds.
4.The grin grew broad. – Repetition:
The word “grew” is repeated in the poem (e.g., “The grin grew broad” and later contexts), though here it’s more about the gradual escalation, a subtle repetition for effect.
5.And shot from ear to ear. – Hyperbole:
This is an exaggerated expression, suggesting the grin was impossibly wide, stretching from ear to ear, for humorous effect.
6. He broke into a roar. – Repetition:
The action of breaking into a sound (roar) follows a pattern of escalating reactions, with “broke” echoing earlier intensity, fitting repetition.
7. Ten days and nights with sleepless eye – Transferred Epithet:
The adjective “sleepless” is transferred from the person (the poet) to the “eye,” personifying or attributing the quality to a part, a common poetic device.
5. Copy any two stanzas of the poem in the lines below. Using a coloured pen underline the stressed syllables in each line and put a stress-mark (ˈ) over each.
Example Stanzas:
Stanza 1: ˈI ˈwrote some ˈlines once ˈon a ˈtime In ˈwon-drous ˈmer-ry ˈmood, And ˈthought, as u-ˈsu-al, ˈmen would ˈsay They were ex-ˈceed-ing ˈgood.
Stanza 3: “ˈThese to the ˈprint-er,” ˈI ex-ˈclaimed, And, ˈin my ˈhu-mor-ous ˈway, ˈI ˈadd-ed (ˈas a ˈtri-fling ˈjest,) “There’ll ˈbe the ˈdev-il to ˈpay.”
Explanation:
- Stressed syllables are marked where the voice naturally emphasizes sound (e.g., “I,” “wrote,” “lines”).
- Students would underline these in their notebooks with a colored pen.
6. Complete the lines of the poem by choosing proper pairs of rhyming words and make it meaningful.
We returned home late, one night,
In the window, there glowed a light.
Burglars!! was our very first thought;
For defence, sticks ‘n stones we sought.
“Let’s grab the loot and run,”
was uttered soft, by someone.
The door we softly unlocked,
And then we were truly shocked.
Oops! Before, outside, we’d gone,
The television had been left on.
Explanation:
- Rhyming pairs: night/light, thought/sought, run/someone, unlocked/shocked, gone/on.
- The poem tells a funny story of mistaking a TV light for burglars.
7. Form groups in your class and together compose a short humorous poem. Use jokes, experiences, etc. and convert it to a poetic form. Write and decorate it on chart-paper and put it up in your class, in turns.
Sample Poem: I tried to cook some rice one day, The pot went “boom” in a funny way, The dog ran off with a howl and bark, My dinner flew high, right out the park!
Explanation:
- Students should collaborate, using simple rhymes and humor from daily life, then decorate it creatively on chart paper.
8. Go through the poem and write an appreciation of the poem in a paragraph format. (Refer to page no. 5)
“The Height of the Ridiculous” by Oliver Wendell Holmes is a delightful humorous poem that captures the poet’s playful creativity and its unexpected consequences. Written in a light-hearted tone, it narrates how the poet composes funny lines, expecting mild amusement, but instead triggers an exaggerated reaction from his servant, who laughs uncontrollably until his clothes tear apart. The poem’s strength lies in its vivid imagery, like “his waistband split” and “he burst five buttons off,” paired with a simple rhyme scheme (e.g., mood-good, him-limb) that enhances its musicality. The contrast between the poet’s sober nature and the servant’s wild response adds to the comedy, while the ending-where the poet vows never to write so humorously again-brings an ironic twist. This blend of exaggeration, humor, and self-reflection makes the poem enjoyable and relatable, appealing to readers who appreciate wit and laughter.
Leave a Reply