Today, Poetry on Parade takes a walk on the wild side, featuring a lumbering herd of funny poems to celebrate Hippopotamus Day. The hippopotamus (who gets its name from the ancient Greek phrase river horse) is a striking creature. With four stumpy legs supporting a practically hairless barrel-shaped torso-- and an enormous mouth with prominent teeth-- the hippopotamus lazes in African lakes and rivers and munches on leafy plants and tall grasses. No doubt about it: if you're a hippo, you are large and heavy and very recognizable... and poets like to write poetry about you!
The Hippopotamus
The huge hippopotamus hasn't a hair
on the back of his wrinkly hide;
he carries the bulk of his prominent hulk
rather loosely assembled inside.
The huge hippopotamus lives without care
The huge hippopotamus lives without care
at a slow philosophical pace,
as he wades in the mud with a thump and a thud
ad a permanent grin on his face.
-- Jack Prelutsky
Hippopotamus
How far from human beauty
-- Mary Ann Hoberman
A Hippo's Hip
A hippo's hip
-- Douglas Florian
The hippopotamus is strong
And huge of head and broad of bustle;
The limbs on which he rolls along
Are big with hippopotomuscle.
He does not greatly care for sweets
Like ice cream, apple pie, or custard,
But takes to flavor what he eats
A little hippopotomustard.
The hippopotamus is true
To his principles, and just;
He always tries his best to do
The things one hippopotomust.
He never rides in trucks or trams,
In taxicabs or omnibuses,
And so keeps out of traffic jams
And other hippopotomusses.
-- Arthur Guiterman
One territorial male bull hippo and a group of females with their young will claim a stretch of African waterfront and live happy hippo lives. During hot days, hippos stay cool in water or mud; at dusk, they graze on yummy plants and shoreline grasses. Not surprisingly, hippos are not city-dwellers, and they rarely ride the... Hippopotabus:
The giant city bus
-- Jack Prelutsky
Hippopotamus
Is the hairless hippopotamus
With such a square enormous head
And such a heavy botamus.
A Hippo's Hip
Could sink a ship.
Its back could crack a street.
But a hippo's rear,
I truly fear,
Could sink the British fleet.
Our next poem discusses a very serious scientific topic, the Habits of the Hippopotamus. Despite its comical appearance, a cranky hippo can be quite dangerous. Poetry Paraders don't want to pick a fight with a hippo herd (also called a bloat, or a crash). They are known to be some of the strongest, most aggressive creatures in the world:
And huge of head and broad of bustle;
The limbs on which he rolls along
Are big with hippopotomuscle.
He does not greatly care for sweets
Like ice cream, apple pie, or custard,
But takes to flavor what he eats
A little hippopotomustard.
The hippopotamus is true
To his principles, and just;
He always tries his best to do
The things one hippopotomust.
He never rides in trucks or trams,
In taxicabs or omnibuses,
And so keeps out of traffic jams
And other hippopotomusses.
-- Arthur Guiterman
One territorial male bull hippo and a group of females with their young will claim a stretch of African waterfront and live happy hippo lives. During hot days, hippos stay cool in water or mud; at dusk, they graze on yummy plants and shoreline grasses. Not surprisingly, hippos are not city-dwellers, and they rarely ride the... Hippopotabus:
Looks like a hippopotamus
That lumbers down the busy street,
With rounded nose and rubber feet.
It swallows people whole
It swallows people whole
While charging them a toll,
Then carries them about
Until it stops and spits them out.
-- Douglas Florian
Zoologists estimate that there are approximately 125,000 to 150,000 hippos living in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Let's take this opportunity to remind every one of them that they need to mind their Ps and Qs, that they need to be on their best hippopotamus behavior. Even the third-heaviest land mammals in the world (white rhinoceros and elephants weigh more) need to follow the rules:
A Hippopotamusn't
-- Douglas Florian
Zoologists estimate that there are approximately 125,000 to 150,000 hippos living in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Let's take this opportunity to remind every one of them that they need to mind their Ps and Qs, that they need to be on their best hippopotamus behavior. Even the third-heaviest land mammals in the world (white rhinoceros and elephants weigh more) need to follow the rules:
A Hippopotamusn't
On lawn chairs, stools, and rockers.
A hippopotamusn't yawn
Directly under tightrope walkers.
A hippopotamusnt' roll
In gutters used by bowlers.
A hippopotamusn't fail
To floss his hippopotamolars.
The awful things a hippopotamusn't do
The awful things a hippopotamusn't do
Are just
As important as the lawful things
A hippopotamust.
-- J. Patrick. Lewis
The Hippopotanoose
-- J. Patrick. Lewis
Even with stubby legs and stocky physiques, hippos can easily outrun humans: they've been clocked at around 20 miles per hour for short distances. Our next poems suggest two possible career paths for our fast-moving Sub-Saharan friends. They might like to join the rodeo or, perhaps, pursue a life on the stage:
Prepared for cowboy use?
The newest thing in lariats:
The Hippopotanoose.
It's only drawback is its size,
For hang on to your saddle
And any normal quarterhorse
Will be inclined to waddle.
But throw it round a running steer,
Or round a big stampede,
The Hippopotanoose will fill
A cowpoke's every need.
-- Jane Yolen
The Ballerina
There once was a hippo named Rose
Who thought she had delicate toes
But on stage, the old frau
Would not take a bow
For her tutu was tight, I suppose.
-- Judy Young
Our next hippo poem makes use of good old-fashioned hippopotamus hyperbole, a figure of speech that creates obvious and intentional exaggeration to get the point across:
Hippopotamus
Hooray for the hippopotamus--
A most enormous beast;
He looks as though he's eaten
Just a little too much yeast.
His mouth would dwarf a canyon
(And that's the honest truth!)--
Why, it takes three dozen dentists
Just to pull a hippo's tooth.
-- Gail Kredenser
Habitat destruction and illegal hunting for hippo meat and hippo teeth threaten the species. Hippos inspire poetry and creativity, and we need to take good care of them!
Rhinos Purple, Hippos Green
The Ballerina
Who thought she had delicate toes
But on stage, the old frau
Would not take a bow
For her tutu was tight, I suppose.
-- Judy Young
Our next hippo poem makes use of good old-fashioned hippopotamus hyperbole, a figure of speech that creates obvious and intentional exaggeration to get the point across:
A most enormous beast;
He looks as though he's eaten
Just a little too much yeast.
His mouth would dwarf a canyon
(And that's the honest truth!)--
Why, it takes three dozen dentists
Just to pull a hippo's tooth.
-- Gail Kredenser
Habitat destruction and illegal hunting for hippo meat and hippo teeth threaten the species. Hippos inspire poetry and creativity, and we need to take good care of them!
My sister says
I shouldn't color
Rhinos purple,
Hippos green.
She says
I shouldn't be so stupid;
Those are things
She's never seen.
But I don't careWhat my sister says,
I don't care
What my sister's seen.
I will color
What I want to--
Rhinos purple,
Hippos green.
-- Michael Patrick Hearn
It's one hippopotamus and two hippopotamuses... but it can be three, four, or maybe more hippopotami. No matter how many, no matter what silly things we say today... it's Hip, Hippo, Hooray! Happy Hippopotamus Day!
-- Michael Patrick Hearn
It's one hippopotamus and two hippopotamuses... but it can be three, four, or maybe more hippopotami. No matter how many, no matter what silly things we say today... it's Hip, Hippo, Hooray! Happy Hippopotamus Day!
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