Daddy Fell into the Pond Poem Summary Notes and Line by Line Explanation in English Class 7th

Introduction

The poem is short and humorous describing a day which at first was boring, but then an event occurs and turns the dismal day into a jolly one.

About the Poet

Alfred Noyes (1850- 1958), the renowned English poet, short story writer and playwright was born in Wolverhampton, England. His well-known works include โ€˜The Highwaymanโ€™ and โ€˜The Barrel Organโ€™. He was honoured with D.Litt by Yale University in 1913.

Theme

The day was boring but then a simple incident turned it interesting and exciting. It is these little things that make or break your day. Finding joy in little things keeps one content and happy. The main themes of the poem are excitement and joy.

Stanza I

Everyone grumbled. The sky was grey.
We had nothing to do and nothing to say.
We were nearing the end of a dismal day,
And there seemed to be nothing beyond,
THEN
Daddy fell into the pond!

The day was boring and insipid, and so was the weather. The sky lacked light and was gray. Everyone was idle and clueless. Just as the dull day was about to end, suddenly the father fell into a pond.ย 

Stanza II

And everyone's face grew merry and bright,
And Timothy danced for sheer delight.
"Give me the camera, quick, oh quick!
He's crawling out of the duckweed."
Click!

This fall of the father at once changed everyoneโ€™s mood. From dull, the day suddenly turned bright and everyone had something to laugh about, and the mood turned merry. Timothy particularly enjoyed this incident and her witty thinking told her to capture this moment forever.

Stanza III

Then the gardener suddenly slapped his knee,
And doubled up, shaking silently,
And the ducks all quacked as if they were daft
And it sounded as if the old drake laughed.
O, there wasn't a thing that didn't respond
WHEN
Daddy fell into the pond!

The gardener too found this very funny and burst out laughing.ย ย Either the sudden splash must have startled the ducks or they must have found the man falling into the pond hilarious as they too quacked crazily. When the dad fell into the pond, he caught everyoneโ€™s attention and whether it was the people or the ducks, each thing reacted to his falling.