🦉🐱 The Owl and the Pussycat

 The Owl and the Pussy-Cat

By Edward Lear

I

The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea

   In a beautiful pea-green boat,

They took some honey, and plenty of money,

   Wrapped up in a five-pound note.

The Owl looked up to the stars above,

   And sang to a small guitar,

"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,

    What a beautiful Pussy you are,

         You are,

         You are!

What a beautiful Pussy you are!"

II

Pussy said to the Owl, "You elegant fowl!

   How charmingly sweet you sing!

O let us be married! too long we have tarried:

   But what shall we do for a ring?"

They sailed away, for a year and a day,

   To the land where the Bong-Tree grows

And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood

   With a ring at the end of his nose,

             His nose,

             His nose,

   With a ring at the end of his nose.

III

"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling

   Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will."

So they took it away, and were married next day

   By the Turkey who lives on the hill.

They dined on mince, and slices of quince,

   Which they ate with a runcible spoon;

And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,

   They danced by the light of the moon,

             The moon,

             The moon,

They danced by the light of the moon.

Source: The Random House Book of Poetry for Children (1983)

🦉🐱 The Owl and the Pussycat – Discussion Guide

Warm-Up Questions (for any age)

1. What is your favorite part of the poem? Why?

2. Do you think it’s funny, sweet, or just plain silly? Explain.

3. If you could sail away with any animal, which would it be?

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Understanding the Poem (Middle School and Up)

1. The owl and the pussycat are very different animals. What does their friendship (and marriage) show us about differences?

2. Why do you think Edward Lear chose animals instead of people for this love story?

3. The poem uses lots of rhymes and musical sounds. How do the sounds make you feel as you read it?

4. Why do you think Lear wrote about a turkey as the wedding minister, and a pig selling the ring? What might he be poking fun at?

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Deeper Thinking (High School / Advanced Students)

1. How might the owl and pussycat symbolize different kinds of people in society?

2. Victorian society cared a lot about “proper” marriages. How does this nonsense wedding break those rules?

3. What do you think Lear is saying about love, imagination, and happiness?

4. Do you see this poem as just for children, or does it carry ideas that adults can also think about?

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Creative Extensions

• Draw It: Illustrate a scene from the poem.

• Rewrite It: Make your own nonsense poem about two very different creatures falling in love.

• Sound Play: Read the poem aloud in silly voices to feel the rhythm and rhyme.

• Modern Twist: Imagine the owl and the pussycat on a “Zoom date” or road trip today—what would their story look like?

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👉 This guide gives you a range—from fun icebreakers to deeper analysis—so you can adapt it to different grade levels.

Would you like me to also make a one-page printable version (like a handout with sections and spaces for answers)?