The camel's hump - Rudyard Kipling

The Camel’s Hump            

The Camel’s hump is an ugly lump

Which well you may see at the Zoo;

But uglier yet is the hump we get

From having too little to do.

Kiddies and grown-ups too-oo-oo,

If we haven’t enough to do-oo-oo,

We get the hump Cameelious hump

The hump that is black and blue!

We climb out of bed with a frouzly head,

And a snarly-yarly voice.                                           

We shiver and scowl and we grunt and we growl

At our bath and our boots and our toys;

And there ought to be a corner for me

(And I know there is one for you)

When we get the humpCameelious hump

The hump that is black and blue!

The cure for this ill is not to sit still,

Or frowst with a book by the fire; But to take a large hoe and a shovel also,

And dig till you gently perspire;

And then you will find that the sun and the wind,

And the Djinn of the Garden too,

Have lifted the humpThe horrible hump

The hump that is black and blue!

I get it as well as you-oo-oo-

If I haven’t enough to do-oo-oo!

We all get the hump

Cameelious hump

Kiddies and grown-ups too!

 

Rudyard Kipling         

Rudyard Kipling was born in India in 1865. He was educated in England but returned to India in 1882. Kipling married Caroline Balestier and settled in Brattleboro, Vermont, where he wrote The Jungle Book (1894), among other works that made him huge success. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize in Literature. He died in 1936. He wrote Just so Stories, If and The Jungle Book.

 Background of the story

The poem goes like a story about a lazy camel and hump. This camel is a lazy one and sits in the middle of the Howling Desert. He wastes his time eating prickle and milk weeds. The camel’s answer to anyone would be “Hump”

On Monday. The Horse asks the camel to help, but the camel replies “Hump”. The horse is disappointed and complains to the man. On Tuesday, the dog asks the camel to help fetch and carry. The camel replies “Hump”. On Wednesday the Ox asks the lazy camel to help plough. The camel responds “Hump”. The Ox complains this to the man. At the end of the day the man calls the three animals and orders them to work more to make up for the camel. This makes the three animals unhappy and angry they complain about the camel.

The three animals go to a Djinn. The man who is in charge of all Deserts. They complain about the lazy camel and their extra work. Djinn is not happy with the camel’s behavior goes to the middle of the Dessert where the camel is resting. The Djinn asks the camel why he is not doing and the camel replies “hump”. The Djinn tells the camel that since he has chosen not to work, he has given three extra work. But the camel says, “Hump” again. Now Djinn warns the camel that his reply “hump” would bring him something bad. Now as soon as the camel responds “hump”, a huge hump grows on the back of the camel.

The Djinn says that the camel hump is due to his selfishness and laziness. Djinn says the camel to work, but the camel says it is difficult to work with a giant hump on his back. The Djinn feels and says that the hump on the back will hold enough fuel for him to be able to do the work for three days, without eating. Then the camel joins with the other three animals to work, but he has not learned how to work and behave.

 Critical summary

In the poem the camel Hump Rudyard Kipling compares human with a camel. The poet expresses the idea of laziness of human and what it could do to him. Actually camel’s hump is not a pleasant sight to see. Even the camel in a zero is not a pleasant animal to see, as it has the hump. The poet points out that like a camel. We too might develop a hump when we waste our time. Hump is a symbol of lethargy.

The poet brings out an idea.  All people will eventually develop a hump when we no nothing. The poet makes his remarks on all individual who do nothing and waste their time and life in idleness. The repetitive sound of “to-oo-oo” and “do-oo-oo” have a sloppy and dragging sense. The poet for and motivates us to do work which could make us active. The dragging repetition words are laziness due to doing nothing. The word “we” denotes all including the poet.

The poet is using the term “black” and “blue”. They are symbolically representing with shame and blue with pain. The poet says it will be black. If we work our burden of work will make us blue.

The third stanza is about men who gets up every morning from bed with their sleepy heads and uncombed hair. Rudyard says, snarly- yarly” meaning cross, and a sleep voice. We after wake up peel lazy and it will take time to get up rid of feeling sleepy. We are too lazy to get up and get ready to go to work. We keep frowning faces, take time to bath or dresses very slowly and think of the play time. Such is the human nature. The poet comments and satirizes the lethargic nature of human as the one who work with laziness in personal level will not perform perfect in public.

In the fourth stanza describes the corners the hiding places. We could hide four faces but as the world is round. We will be soon find out. The poet express his guilt as he too is included in such in achieve group and looking for a corner to hide. This nature is an ugly hump. That we try to hide. We seclude ourselves from the rest. The poet in an ironic tone warns such Hump will fatigue us and we seek a place to rest. The phrase “black and blue” repeats to remind us of the consequences of such nature.

The fifth stanza gives a remedy for such laziness. The poet tries to bring an action for the in-activeness. The poet commands the readers to be active and occupy in busy work which is the only remedy to get rid of embarrassment of ugly humps. Fortunately the process is reversible. The poet nails to his readers that every action will have its equal reaction. So we should not enjoy the reading sitting in a comfortable fire side, enjoying the coziness. Instead everyone should enjoy doing our door activities. We must sweat due to our hard work.

Working hard work not only brings physical blessings but also benevolent would remove the ugly hump which is “black and blue”. If we go again into the laziness again the hump will grow to embarrass you and me.

In the last stanza, the poet summarizes that the work is the only form of natural life work is significant in our life which could take us away from sin of lethargy. It is a never ending curse. “Enough” is an important word which tells us not to be satisfied with minimal work. Our ability should come out. We must sweat by the hard work, our hard work must be our Blessing it is our identity.

 Poetical Devices

                                                                                        Theme

The main idea in the story is to give awareness about the important of hard work and the blessings of hard work and curse of laziness.

Metaphor

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

The camel’s hump is a metaphor for a lazy state of mind.

Language is in a simple form.

Internal rhymes can be in 1, 3, 5 and 6 verses. The vowel sound “too-oo / you –oo-oo-and do-oo-oo” makes a musical effect to chant.

Many lines are repeated “camelilious hump” “black and blue”

Rhythm is swinging.

All these provide entertainment to enjoy and thought provoking too as it gives a moral warning to all of us.

Thank you