Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog - Oliver Goldsmith

ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF A MAD DOG

Good people all of every sort,

Give ear unto my song;

And if you find it wondrous short,

It cannot hold you long.

In Islington there was a man,

Of whom the world might say

That still a godly race he ran,

Where'er he went to pray.

A kind and gentle heart he had,

To comfort friends and foes;

The naked every day he clad,

When he put on his clothes.

And in that town a dog was found,

As many dogs there be,

Both mongrel, puppy, whelp, and hound,

And curs of low degree.

The dog and man at first were friends;

But when a pique began,

The dog, to gain some private ends,

Went mad and bit the man.

Around from all the neighb'ring streets

The wond'ring neighbours ran,

And swore the dog had lost his wits,

To bite so good a man.

The wound it seemed both sore and sad

To every Christian eye;

And while they swore the dog was mad,

They swore the man would die.

But soon a wonder came to light

That showed the rogues they lied:

The man recovered of the bite,

The dog it was that died.

OLIVER GOLDSMITH

Summary: 'Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog' by Oliver Goldsmith is a humorous and satirical poem that tells the story of a dog that goes mad and bites a man in Islington. The poem is written in a lighthearted tone and uses irony to comment on human nature.

The poem begins with an invitation to 'Good people all of every sort' to listen to the story, assuring them that it will be short. The narrative unfolds in Islington, where there as a man described as godly and charitable. This man had a kind and generous heart, always helping those in need, even clothing the naked.

In the same town, there was a dog, like many others, of various breeds and lowly origins. Initially, the dog and the man were friends, but a quarrel between them led the dog to bite the man, causing an uproar in the neighbourhood. The neighbours were astonished that the dog had bitten such a good man, and they assumed the man would die from the wound.

However, the poem takes an ironic turn when it is revealed that the man recovers from the dog's bite, while the dog itself dies. This twist serves as a commentary on human behaviour, suggesting that sometimes people rush to judgment or make false assumptions based on appearances, only to find out they were wrong in the end.

Overall, 'Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog' is a playful and witty poem that uses a simple incident involving a dog and a man to highlight the folly of snap judgments and the unpredictability of life. It combines humor with a deeper message about human nature and the tendency to jump to conclusions.