Nonsense Books · Chapter
Laughable Lyrics explained
This chapter collects several of Edward Lear's nonsense poems, including 'The Dong with a Luminous Nose,' 'The Two Old Bachelors,' 'Mr.
What happens
This chapter collects several of Edward Lear's nonsense poems, including 'The Dong with a Luminous Nose,' 'The Two Old Bachelors,' 'Mr. and Mrs. Discobbolos,' 'The Quangle Wangle's Hat,' 'The Pelican Chorus,' and 'The Courtship of the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò.' The poems explore themes of love, loss, absurdity, and the search for belonging, featuring characters who embark on whimsical adventures, face heartbreak, or find contentment in eccentric circumstances.
Themes in this chapter
Nonsense and Absurdity
The poems feature absurd scenarios such as a Dong with a luminous nose, a Quangle Wangle with a giant hat, and a couple living on a wall, all embracing illogical and whimsical elements.
Loneliness and Longing
The Dong's eternal search for his lost Jumbly Girl and the Quangle Wangle's initial isolation highlight deep feelings of loneliness and yearning.
Love and Marriage
The poems explore love and marriage through the Dong's love for the Jumbly Girl, the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò's proposal, and the Discobboloses' decision to stay together forever.
Characters to notice
- The Dong
The Dong falls in love with a Jumbly Girl, is left behind when the Jumblies sail away, and creates a luminous nose to search for her eternally.
- The Jumblies
The Jumblies arrive in a sieve, befriend the Dong, and later sail away, leaving the Dong heartbroken.
- The Quangle Wangle
The Quangle Wangle sits atop the Crumpetty Tree under a huge beaver hat, feeling lonely until various animals come to build homes on his hat.
- Mr. and Mrs. Discobbolos
Mr. and Mrs. Discobbolos climb a wall and decide to stay there forever after fearing a fall, embracing a life free from worry.
- The Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò
The Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò proposes to Lady Jingly Jones but is rejected because she is already married; he then flees on a turtle.
- Lady Jingly Jones
Lady Jingly Jones rejects the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò's proposal, explaining that she has a mate in England named Handel Jones.
Key passages
“When awful darkness and silence reign Over the great Gromboolian plain, Through the long, long wintry nights; When the angry breakers roar As they beat on the rocky shore; When Storm-clouds brood on the towering heights Of the Hills of the Chankly Bore— Then, through the vast and gloomy dark There moves what seems a fiery spark— A lonely spark with silvery rays Piercing the coal-black night— A Meteor strange and bright: Hither and thither the vision strays, A single lurid light.”
During dark, stormy winter nights on the Gromboolian plain, a strange, lonely light appears, moving like a meteor through the blackness.
This opening sets the eerie, melancholic tone for the Dong's eternal wandering.
“And the Quangle Wangle said To himself on the Crumpetty Tree, 'Jam, and jelly, and bread Are the best of food for me! But the longer I live on this Crumpetty Tree The plainer than ever it seems to me That very few people come this way And that life on the whole is far from gay!'”
The Quangle Wangle muses that while he enjoys simple foods, he feels lonely because few visitors come his way, making life seem dull.
This reveals the Quangle Wangle's initial loneliness before the animals arrive.
“Lady Jingly answered sadly, And her tears began to flow— 'Your proposal comes too late, Mr. Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò! I would be your wife most gladly!' (Here she twirled her fingers madly,) 'But in England I've a mate! Yes! you've asked me far too late, For in England I've a mate, Mr. Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò!'”
Lady Jingly sadly rejects the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò's marriage proposal, explaining that she is already married to someone in England.
This moment of rejection drives the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bò to flee on a turtle.
