What features make the poem , ” You are Old , Father William ” an appealing one specially to children?
You are Old , Father William by Lewis Carroll is an extract from Alice in Wonderland. It is known as a parody , as the writer has changed the poem into a humorous one that makes children happy, specially Alice. The whole poem is humorous. As children like humorous things very much this poem is a very much appealing one to children. The questions asked by the youth and the answers given by Father William make this poem humorous.
The questions and answers seem to be very foolish and the actions described in the poem are very much impossible. But that makes this poem humorous.
The youth asked,
” And yet you incessantly stand on your head –
Do you think , at your age , it is right ? ”
The question makes the reader happy. It creates visual imagery and it is very funny as a fat man is standing on his head. Specially to children, it may be humorous.
Then Father William answered,
” In my youth….
I feared it might injure my brain
But now I’m perfectly sure that I have none ”
This is not only humorous but also sarcastic. The writer is hinting at the irresponsible youth who thinks that they are the wisest. But for children, it is a humorous answer because Father William says that he has no brain.
The youth asked again,
” And have grown most uncommonly fat ;
Yet you turned a back – somersault in at the door ”
This also makes visual imagery and it makes read happy. It is impossible to turn a back somersault to a very fat person. So it is humorous.
The youth again asked,
” …………… And your jaws are too weak
For anything tougher than suet ;
Yet you finished the goose , with the bones and the beak ”
Even a healthy, strong person can’t eat a goose with bones and beak. So it is impossible to eat a goose with bones and beak by an old man. The imagination makes reader’s mind happy. And Father William says,
” In my youth…… I took to the law ,
And argued each case with my wife ;
And the muscular strength which it gave to my jaw,
Has lasted the rest of my life ”
This is very humorous. The writer says the old man has got the muscular strength by arguing with his wife. Likewise, the questions and answers are foolish and impossible but they make the reader happy. Specially little children do not want many things to make them happy. Even by a little story like this they become happy. So because of the humorous questions and answers this poem has become an appealing one specially to children.
And this conversation is exaggerated. A young person can easily understand that these things are not true. But little children do not think that much. So they become happy by hearing these stories as they think this conversation is somewhat true and specially children like when the impossible things become true. For an example fairy tales are imagined stories but children like them so much.
And the poet has used father and son in this poem. Young son asks questions from the old father. The usage of a young person and an old person has also made this poem an appealing one to children and youth. Because the writer is asking questions using a person of their age.
And this poem is presented in conversational language. It makes the story an interesting one. Specially children don’t like to read long stories but this type of short poems make them happy.
And this poem is not only humorous but also sarcastic. There are so many sarcastic events. One is though the youth tries hard to condemn the old always the old wins. And how the youth condemns old man is also very humorous.
” You are old ”
The writer has used repetition to show the condemning nature of the youth. But always old man wins making the reader happy.
” I have answered three questions, and that is enough ”
” Be off, or I’ll kick you down stairs ! ”
So this also makes the poem an appealing one.
And this poem gives an advice to children and youth. That is to respect elders. The poet has told that the old people are wiser than the youth by a simple way. The older generation has more experiences than the younger generations. So we should respect elders. The theme also makes this poem an appealing one specially to children.
So the questions and answers that are very humorous , the theme , conversational language, usage of a young person and old person and the exaggerated story has made this poem an appealing one specially to children.