# The Patriotic Canadian Hen explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by James McIntyre.

## What happens

A humorous poem personifying a Canadian hen who patriotically vows to lay large double-yolk eggs to evade American tariffs, while boasting of her superiority over ducks and expressing pride in her own kind.

## Themes in this chapter

### Local Patriotism and Regional Pride

The hen's boastful patriotism and defiance of American tariffs reflect a strong sense of Canadian pride.

### Agriculture and Rural Economy

The poem centers on farm life, egg production, and the economic impact of tariffs on rural livelihoods.

## Character check-ins

### James McIntyre

Author of the poem, as inferred from the book's context.

## Key lines

> Cheap eggs I’ll give the Yankee folk, For I will lay big double yolk, And very large shell I will fill, And peck a flaw in McKinley Bill.

The hen promises to provide inexpensive eggs to Americans by laying oversized eggs, thereby undermining the McKinley Tariff.

_Highlights the hen's patriotic economic strategy._

> There’s nothing on the farm doth pay So well as these our hens do lay.

The farmer's wife remarks that the hens are the most profitable part of the farm.

_Emphasizes the economic value of egg production._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_12_se/chapters/the-patriotic-canadian-hen
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_12_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_12_se/chapters