Poems

Hickety, Pickety, My Black Hen

Mother Goose 1806 – 
 
 
 

Hickety, pickety, my black hen,
She lays eggs for gentlemen:
Gentlemen come every day
To see what my black hen doth lay.

 
Analysis (ai): The poem uses a simple AABB rhyme scheme and short iambic lines typical of nursery rhymes, prioritizing rhythm and repetition for memorability rather than syntactic complexity.
  • Historical Context: Originating in the mid-seventeenth century, it fits within a tradition of orally transmitted children’s verse, aligning with contemporary folk practices that used rhyme for pedagogical or entertainment purposes.
  • Language and Diction: Archaic verb forms like “doth” lend a formal tone incongruous with the mundane subject, creating a mock-grandiosity that humorously elevates the hen’s function.
  • Tone and Irony: The exaggerated importance placed on the hen’s eggs and the recurring presence of gentlemen suggest subtle satire, possibly mocking class rituals or commodification of rural labor.
  • Comparison to Author’s Other Works: Unlike many nursery rhymes attributed to “Mother Goose” that involve moral lessons or violent outcomes, this piece lacks narrative consequence, focusing instead on cyclic observation.
  • Contrast with Contemporaneous Norms: While many rhymes of the period featured clear didactic or cautionary elements, this one stands out for its observational passivity and absence of consequence.
  • Less-Discussed Angle: The poem can be read as an early commentary on spectacle and consumerism—the hen’s laying becomes a daily performance for elite onlookers, paralleling later critiques of labor and display.
  • Place in Author’s Oeuvre: Though minor within the broader collection of nursery rhymes, its focus on routine and social hierarchy makes it an unusual example of class observation in a genre typically apolitical.
  • Relevance to Modern Concerns: Despite its age, the theme of commodified domestic production resonates with contemporary discussions about labor visibility and the spectacle of everyday life.

Mother Goose

1806 –
 

Mother Goose is a character that originated in children’s fiction, as the imaginary author of a collection of French fairy tales and later of English nursery rhymes. She also appeared in a song, the first stanza of which often functions now as a nursery rhyme. The character also appears in a pantomime tracing its roots to 1806.

About Mother Goose
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