A Dirge for a Righteous Kitten

Vachel Lindsay 1879 (Springfield) – 1931 (Springfield)



To be intoned, all but the two italicized lines, which are to be spoken in a snappy, matter-of-fact way.

Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong.
Here lies a kitten good, who kept
A kitten's proper place.
He stole no pantry eatables,
Nor scratched the baby's face.
He let the alley-cats alone.
He had no yowling vice.
His shirt was always laundried well,
He freed the house of mice.
Until his death he had not caused
His little mistress tears,
He wore his ribbon prettily,
He washed behind his ears.
Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 29, 2023

27 sec read
104

Quick analysis:

Scheme x AxbbbxcdcxxdxA
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 518
Words 91
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 1, 14

Vachel Lindsay

Nicholas Vachel Lindsay was an American poet. more…

All Vachel Lindsay poems | Vachel Lindsay Books

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    "A Dirge for a Righteous Kitten" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/37253/a-dirge-for-a-righteous-kitten>.

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