How the Whale Got His Throat

Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)



When the cabin port-holes are dark and green
Because of the seas outside
When the ship goes wop (with a wiggle between)
And steward falls into the soup-tureen,
And trunks begin to slide;
When Nursey lies on the floor in a heap,
And Mummy tells you to let her sleep,
And you aren't waked or washed or dressed,
Why, then you will know (if you haven't guessed)
You're "Fifty North and Forty West!"

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 10, 2023

23 sec read
515

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAABCCDDD
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 393
Words 76
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 10

Rudyard Kipling

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English short-story writer, poet, and novelist chiefly remembered for his tales and poems of British soldiers in India and his tales for children. more…

All Rudyard Kipling poems | Rudyard Kipling Books

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    "How the Whale Got His Throat" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 16 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/33242/how-the-whale-got-his-throat>.

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