# Taste explained — Poetry > Chapter companion for Poetry by Ring Lardner. ## What happens A parent observes their child's puzzling preference for a simple, everyday object—daddy's old hat and the telephone book—over the elaborate toys and picture books intended for them, reflecting on the whimsical and unpredictable nature of a child's taste. ## Themes in this chapter ### Childhood and Family The poem captures a domestic scene where a child's innocent and quirky preferences puzzle the adult, highlighting the unique bond and observations within family life. ### Innocence and Growth The child's delight in simple, ordinary items reflects a stage of innocence and discovery, contrasting with adult expectations of what should be appealing. ## Character check-ins ### Unknown Narrator The parent or observer who wonders at the child's unconventional choices. ### Young Stranger The child who ignores traditional toys and books in favor of daddy's hat and the telephone book. ### Daddy The father whose old hat becomes the child's chosen plaything. ## Key lines > I can’t understand why you pass up the toys That Santa considered just right for small boys; I can’t understand why you turn up your nose At dogs, hobbyhorses, and treasures like those, And play a whole hour, sometimes longer than that, With a thing as prosaic as daddy’s old hat. The speaker is baffled that the child ignores all the carefully chosen toys and instead spends a long time playing with a simple, ordinary hat. _Highlights the central contrast between adult expectations and child's actual interests._ > While you, on the floor, quite contentedly look At page after page of the telephone book. The child sits on the floor, happily flipping through the telephone directory, finding it more engaging than the colorful picture books. _Emphasizes the child's unique and unexpected source of amusement._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/taste - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters