Appreciation: The Height of the Ridiculous — Oliver Wendell Holmes

 

The Height of the Ridiculous

— Oliver Wendell Holmes

I wrote some lines once on a time,
In wondrous merry mood,
And thought, as usual, men would say
They were exceeding good.

They were so queer, so very queer,
I laughed as I would die;
Albeit, in the general way,
A sober man am I.

I called my servant, and he came;
How kind it was of him
To mind a slender man like me,
He of the mighty limb!

“These to the printer,” I exclaimed,
And, in my humorous way,
I added (as a trifling jest),
“There’ll be the devil to pay.”

He took the paper, and I watched,
At the least, I’m sure, an hour,
To see him fold his giant arms,
Lethargic in their power.

He did not tremble when he took
The paper in his hand;
He did not stagger when he went
To bear it to the stand.

But, when he read them, oh, the change!
The horror in his face!
He dropped the paper to the floor,
And staggered back a pace.

Then suddenly he clutched his side,
With a convulsive sob,
And, like a wretch half-choked with mud,
Plunged in a loathsome mob.

He laughed so long and laughed so loud,
It seemed as he would die;
I held my breath to hear the words
That should succeed his cry.

And then he screamed in frantic tone,
And shrieked in laughter’s burst,
Till I thought the very window-panes
Would shiver with the thirst.

He struggled hard, and, at the last,
Fell down, and ceased to laugh,
And a dreadful silence followed then,
As if ‘twere cut in half.

I seized the paper, tore it up,
And, lest it might be found,
I buried it deep beneath the earth,
And smoothed the grassy mound.

Since then, I laugh no more myself,
And have but rarest mirth,
And learned that when I write a joke,
To keep it safe on earth.

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Poem Appreciation

1. Title and Poet:
The poem The Height of the Ridiculous is composed by Oliver Wendell Holmes. The title is an ironic exaggeration, emphasizing the extreme absurdity that the poet’s verses provoke in the reader.

2. Rhyme Scheme:
The poem adheres to a ballad-like rhyme scheme (ABCB) in each quatrain, imparting a rhythmic, flowing cadence that complements the humorous tone.

3. Figure of Speech:
A dominant figure of speech in the poem is Hyperbole, evident in the extreme reaction of the servant, who is overwhelmed to the point of near collapse. This exaggeration magnifies the absurdity, rendering the poem deeply comical. Additionally, Personification is employed in “the window-panes would shiver,” lending human attributes to inanimate objects to heighten dramatic intensity.

4. Central Idea/Theme:
The poem satirically portrays the unintended consequences of humor taken to an extreme. The poet’s seemingly harmless verses provoke an exaggerated response, leading to chaos and regret. Through hyperbolic humor, Holmes underscores the unpredictability of artistic expression and the volatile nature of human reaction to literature. The underlying theme explores how laughter, if unchecked, can spiral into the absurd, transforming mirth into an uncontrollable force. The poem serves as both a lighthearted commentary on creative expression and a subtle warning about the unforeseen repercussions of unchecked hilarity.