To be intoned, all but the two italicized lines, which are to be spoken in a snappy, matter-of-fact way.
Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong.
Here lies a kitten good, who kept
A kitten’s proper place.
He stole no pantry eatables,
Nor scratched the baby’s face.
He let the alley-cats alone.
He had no yowling vice.
His shirt was always laundried well,
He freed the house of mice.
Until his death he had not caused
His little mistress tears,
He wore his ribbon prettily,
He washed behind his ears.
Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong.
(Vachel Lindsay)
More Poetry from Vachel Lindsay:
Vachel Lindsay Poems based on Topics: Faces, Place, Vice & Virtue, Babies- Bryan, Bryan, Bryan, Bryan (Vachel Lindsay Poems)
- An Indian Summer Day on the Prairie (Vachel Lindsay Poems)
- A Colloquial Reply: To Any Newsboy (Vachel Lindsay Poems)
- Love and Law (Vachel Lindsay Poems)
- The Congo: A Study of the Negro Race (Vachel Lindsay Poems)
- The Hope of the Resurrection (Vachel Lindsay Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Faces Poems, Place Poems, Vice & Virtue Poems, Babies PoemsBased on Keywords: scratched, prettily, intoned, kitten, ding-dong, snappy, matter-of-fact, eatables, yowling, italicized