Noticing my
blog dominated by short stories and novels I have decided to write about a
poem. Now, don’t expect this to be your average romantic, lovey-dovey, rose
petals on a park bench kind of poem. No, oh no, this is about MURDER! The poem is titled Ten Little Indians and has been around for ages. The poem started as
an Irish folk song in the 1800's but has been changed and adapted over time. The “Indians”
have been change to soldiers, niggers, sailors, or roosters over time but the
verses remain mostly the same. Here is one version of the poem:
Ten little Indian
boys went out to dine;
One choked his little self and then there were nine.
Nine little Indian boys sat up very late;
One overslept himself and then there were eight.
Eight little Indian boys travelling in Devon;
One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.
Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks;
One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.
Six little Indian boys playing with a hive;
A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.
Five little Indian boys going in for law;
One got in Chancery and then there were four.
Four little Indian boys going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one and then there were
three.
Three little Indian boys walking in the zoo;
A big bear hugged one and then there were two.
Two little Indian boys playing in the sun;
One got all frizzled up and then there was one.
One little Indian boy left all alone;
He went out and hanged himself and then there were none.
Perhaps the
main reason I like the poem is the mystery. In two instances the poem has appeared
in a larger story as an omen to when a killer may strike and who the next
victim will be. In Agatha Christie’s novel And Then There Were None the
poem is used to follow ten dinner guest as they are killed off one by one. In
online giant Roosterteeth’s interactive mystery show Ten Little Roosters fans can follow along and guess the victims
using slightly edited version of the poem in which the killer is killed and a
survivor is left standing. The popularity of the poem comes from its unique use
of literary techniques and devices. The first thing the reader notices is the
parallelism between each verse. Each successive verse counts down the remaining
victims as there is one less each verse. The syntax of each verse is also
paralleled with the Indians performing a certain action before the death of
another is detailed. Another technique that connects adjacent verses is the end
rhyme. In addition to rhyme the reader sees a distinct rhythm. The repeated
pattern of stressed, unstressed, unstressed syllables indicates a dactylic
meter. The meter paired with the rhyme help keep the poem moving and maintain a
flow. While I like the poem for its meaning and mystery, I feel myself drawn
back to it again and again because of the excellent use of the most basic literary devices.
