# First Aid explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ring Lardner.

## What happens

The narrator humorously praises a rhyming dictionary as a handy tool for finding rhymes for difficult words, but laments that it cannot help with deciding what to actually write about.

## Themes in this chapter

### Humor and Satire

The poem playfully mocks the reliance on a rhyming dictionary and the absurdity of finding rhymes for obscure words.

### Work and Profession

The narrator's craft of writing poetry is highlighted, showing the practical tools and frustrations of the trade.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown Narrator

The narrator uses a rhyming dictionary and reflects on its limitations.

## Key lines

> A rhyming dictionary is A handy little thing. My uncle, though, got tired of his And passed it on to Ring.

A rhyming dictionary is useful; the narrator's uncle gave his away to Ring.

_Introduces the rhyming dictionary as a passed-down tool._

> But what my book neglects to tell, The thing my book leaves out, Is whattheell and whotheell To write my rhymes about.

The dictionary fails to provide inspiration for content, leaving the narrator stuck.

_Highlights the central frustration of the poem._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/first-aid
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters