REVIEW: The Doubtful Guest by Edward Gorey
The Doubtful Guest written and illustrated by Edward Gorey is a darkly humorous poem about a strange visitor who arrives in the home of an elegant Edwardian family. The guest in question is a curious figure who appears to be a penguin-like creature in white canvas shoes that proceeds to wreak havoc on the unsuspecting family. Much of the humor comes from the family’s response to their strange new inhabitant and the formal tone that heavily contrasts with the silliness of the subject matter. This narrative poem was originally published as a book in 1957 and famously contains crosshatched illustrations in Gorey's signature gothic style.
The Doubtful Guest is written in rhyming couplets using an AABB rhyme scheme with four-line stanzas containing two distinct pairs of rhymes. The majority of the rhymes used in the poem are ‘perfect’ rhymes (night/sight, hall/wall), which adds to the surrealism of the absurd situations described. Gorey’s darkly humorous style is further highlighted by the use of the familiar galloping melody created by anapestic tetrameter. In short, this meter consists of two short or weak syllables followed by one long or strong syllable, “When they AN- | swered the BELL | on that WILD | win-ter NIGHT.” When read aloud, it sounds like da-da-DUM, and this pattern repeats 4 times in every line. This melody sounds familiar to most ears as it was famously used in the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas" (and quite frequently by Dr. Seuss.) The use of this formal, albeit familiar, rhyme scheme adds to the satirical humor of the poem as the ‘guest’ runs around causing mischief while the overly polite family is helpless to stop him. Gorey also uses alliteration, “wild winter,” and imagery, “in the night through the house it would aimlessly creep,” to create the spooky, yet silly tone of the poem. Gorey’s crosshatched, gothic illustrations further contribute to the mood of the poem as they juxtapose the serious and gloomy setting against the mundane and absurd mischief of the guest as plates are eaten and towels are hidden.
The Doubtful Guest
When they answered the bell on that wild winter night,
There was no one expected – and no one in sight.
Then they saw something standing on top of an urn,
Whose peculiar appearance gave them quite a turn.
All at once it leapt down and ran into the hall,
Where it chose to remain with its nose to the wall.
It was seemingly deaf to whatever they said,
So at last they stopped screaming, and went off to bed.
It joined them at breakfast and presently ate
All the syrup and toast, and a part of a plate.
It wrenched off the horn from the new gramophone,
And could not be persuaded to leave it alone.
It betrayed a great liking for peering up flues,
And for peeling the soles of its white canvas shoes.
At times it would tear out whole chapters from books,
Or put roomfuls of pictures askew on their hooks.
Every Sunday it brooded and lay on the floor,
Inconveniently close to the drawing-room door.
Now and then it would vanish for hours from the scene,
But, alas, be discovered inside a tureen.
It was subject to fits of bewildering wrath,
During which it would hide all the towels from the bath.
In the night through the house it would aimlessly creep,
In spite of the fact of its being asleep.
It would carry off objects of which it grew fond,
And protect them by dropping them into the pond.
It came seventeen years ago – and to this day
It has shown no intention of going away.
The Doubtful Guest is the perfect read-aloud for a mini lesson about meter as it is short, funny, and spooky. Ideally, I would introduce this poem to students during the Halloween season or on a day like Friday the 13th to fully incorporate the mood of the poem. Before reading the poem aloud, I would ask the students to pay close attention to the meter of the poem (defining meter briefly if needed) After reading the poem, I would then start a group discussion, asking students what they noticed about the movement of the poem and how it was created. This poem would also pair well with the high school curriculum, specifically in American Literature. I would recommend pairing this poem with Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” for a comparative analysis of tone and mood, as both poems are about strange, dark birds entering a home uninvited and never leaving. The pairing of Gorey’s accessible poem to the more intimidating work of Poe can help bridge the gap for hesitant readers and those who fear poetry.
While the initial audience of the poem is children, I believe it is deeply appealing to teens as it contains the same gothic humor as the works of Tim Burton and the incredibly popular film adaptation of Coraline. The Doubtful Guest is a fun read for teens as they are able to get a taste of a 'traditional' poem through a short, funny, and stylish read.
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