Vespers, Little Boy Kneels at the Foot of the Bed

Vespers
A.A. Milne

Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed,
Droops on the little hands little gold head.
Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares!
Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.

God bless Mummy, I know that’s right.
Wasn’t it fun in the bath to-night?
The cold’s so cold and the hot’s so hot.
Oh! God bless Daddy – I quite forgot.

If I open my fingers a little bit more,
I can see Nanny’s dressing –gown on the door.
It’s a beautiful blue, but it hasn’t a hood.
Oh! God bless Nanny and make her good.

Mine has a hood, and I lie in bed,
And pull the hood right over my head,
And I shut my eyes, and curl up small,
And nobody knows that I’m there at all.

Oh! Thank-you God for a lovely day.
And what was the other I had to say?
I said “Bless Daddy,” so what can it be?
Oh! Now I remember it. God bless Me.

Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed,
Droops on the little hands little gold head.
Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares!
Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.

Questions to ask to see if you understand a work

1) Is the work basically happy or sad?
The work is basically happy, playful with a little bit of thoughtfulness.

2) Are there any characters? If so, what are they like?
The main character, Christopher Robin, is a small child. He is playful, thoughtful, has a child’s wandering mind. He mentions Mommy, Daddy, and Nanny although they are not speaking. There is an unidentified narrator for 2 stanzas.

3) Is the narration in first (I), second (you), or third (he/she/it) person? What can we tell about the narrator?
The first and last stanza is narrated by an unknown person and directed at the audience, almost like the narrator in a Shakespearian play. The bulk of the poem is 1st person, life as seen by Christopher Robin.

4) When and where does the work seem to take place? Use your imagination if time and place are not clear.
The work was written in the early 1920’s. It takes place in the nursery or Christopher Robin’s bedroom, at the foot of his bed. Could also take place in the parents’ room or the nanny’s room, at the foot of their bed.

5) What picture words does the author use?
Foot of the bed
Little hands
Little gold head
Cold’s so cold
Hot’s so hot
Dressing gown on the door
Beautiful blue
Hasn’t a hood
Mine has a hood
Lie in bed
Shut my eyes
Curl up small
Pull hood over my head
Lovely day

6) What idea or thing is the work about, and what point is the author making about it?
Children are serious about everything in life. Even though their minds ramble they are serious and believe that they are the catalyst who makes things happen.

Vespers is an interesting poem, the start of the Winnie-the-Pooh series. Even though this poem does not introduce the characters of Winnie-the-Pooh, it opened the door for Milne to write the series.

Ever wonder what children think about when they pause mid-speech? This poem is about Christopher Robin, a little boy who is anywhere from 3 years old to 5 years old. The poem follows the train of thought that Christopher Robin has, along the lines of strains of his consciousness. The poem follows his wandering mind from his evening prayer to his bath, back to his prayer, to his playing in bed, then back to his prayer again. The poem shows a little boy’s playfulness, his zest for life, and his desire to make sure that he has everything right in his own little world.

Oral Presentation

In British Lit 2 we have to give an oral presentation. It had to be a piece from the British Empire during the Romantic, Victorian, or Modern English time periods. I wanted to use something from Dickens or Austen but it is difficult to come up with a short piece from their works. The professor said we could do anything except 'Tie Me Kangaroo Down' so I was extremely tempted to use that poem, but I didn't. Several people have given theirs already, tonight is my night to be 'on stage' for the class. The hardest part of the assignment for me was finding the poem to use. I chose A. A. Milne's Vespers, or Little Boy Kneels at the Foot of the Bed.