Poems
The Elf Singing
An Elf sat on a twig,
He was not very big,
He sang a little song,
He did not think it wrong;
But he was on a Wizard’s ground,
Who hated all sweet sound.
Elf, Elf,
Take care of yourself.
He’s coming behind you,
To seize you and bind you
And stifle you song.
The Wizard! The Wizard!
He changes his shape
In crawling along–
An ugly old ape,
A poisonous lizard,
A spotted spider,
A wormy glider
The Wizard! The Wizard!
He’s up on the bough
He’ll bite through your gizzard,
He’s close to you now!
The Elf went on with his song,
It grew more clear and strong;
It lifted him into air,
He floated singing away,
With rainbows in his hair;
While the Wizard-Worm from his creep
Mad a sudden leap,
Fell down into a hole,
And, are his magic word he could say,
Was eaten up by a Mole.
He was not very big,
He sang a little song,
He did not think it wrong;
But he was on a Wizard’s ground,
Who hated all sweet sound.
Elf, Elf,
Take care of yourself.
He’s coming behind you,
To seize you and bind you
And stifle you song.
The Wizard! The Wizard!
He changes his shape
In crawling along–
An ugly old ape,
A poisonous lizard,
A spotted spider,
A wormy glider
The Wizard! The Wizard!
He’s up on the bough
He’ll bite through your gizzard,
He’s close to you now!
The Elf went on with his song,
It grew more clear and strong;
It lifted him into air,
He floated singing away,
With rainbows in his hair;
While the Wizard-Worm from his creep
Mad a sudden leap,
Fell down into a hole,
And, are his magic word he could say,
Was eaten up by a Mole.
Analysis (ai): The poem centers on defiance through art, positioning song as a force of resistance against suppression. The Elf’s unwavering singing, despite threat, frames creativity as both vulnerable and resilient. Unlike many of the author’s pastoral or melancholic works, this piece adopts a fable-like stance where imagination triumphs over literal menace.
- Tone and Structure: The tone shifts from playful to suspenseful, then resolves into triumph. Ballad-like quatrains give way to fragmented cries and a rhythmic climax, creating tension through repetition and urgency. The form aligns with 19th-century interest in folklore and musicality but simplifies meter, making it accessible yet rhythmic.
- Narrative Devices: The refrain “The Wizard! The Wizard!” disrupts the narrative flow, mimicking alarm and heightening stakes. This call-and-response between unseen voices introduces a communal dimension to the Elf’s isolation. It suggests external awareness of danger the Elf ignores—highlighting a contrast between collective fear and individual courage.
- Engagement with Folk Tradition: While rooted in Irish folklore common in the author’s other writings, this poem diverges by assigning the supernatural a predatory role. The Wizard, typically a neutral or wise figure, becomes an antagonist to artistic expression. This inversion critiques authority that silences or distorts cultural voices.
- Symbolism and Interpretation: The Elf’s ascent amid rainbows marks transformation through art, not magic. Flight follows persistence, implying that expression—rather than confrontation—disarms oppression. Less discussed is how the Mole, an unseen force, delivers the final justice, suggesting that suppression eventually consumes itself.
- Place in Author’s Oeuvre: More allegorical than the author’s typical lyrical reflections on nature and memory, this poem stands out for its narrative drive. It fits within his lesser-known fantastical works but carries a sharper moral edge. Its relative obscurity may stem from its tonal departure from his elegiac tendencies.
- Historical Context: Written during a revival of fairy lore in Victorian literature, it aligns with contemporaneous interest in moralized fantasy. Yet unlike didactic children’s tales of the era, it allows ambiguity—neither fully explaining the characters nor moralizing explicitly. The resolution implies cosmic balance without preaching.
William Allingham (19 March 1824 – 18 November 1889) was an Irish poet, diarist and editor. He wrote several volumes of lyric verse, and his poem “The Faeries” was much anthologised. But he is better known for his posthumously published Diary, in which he records his lively encounters with Tennyson, Carlyle and other writers and artists. His wife, Helen Allingham, was a well-known artist, watercolourist and illustrator.
