A Funny Man by Natalie Joan—exploring poetic devices such as imagery, hyperbole, and rhyme scheme. A must-read for Class 7 English students.
Poem ‘A Funny Man’
One day a funny kind of man
Came walking down this street
He wore a shoe upon his head
And hats upon his feet.He raised the shoe and smiled at me,
His manners were polite;
But never had I seen before
Such a funny sounding sight.He said, “Allow me to present
Your Highness with a rose.”
And taking out a currant bun
He held it to my nose.I staggered back against the wall
And then I answered, “Well!
I never saw a rose with such
A funny looking smell.”He then began to sing a song,
And sat down on the ground;
You never heard in all your life
Such a funny feeling sound.“My friend, why do you wear two hats
Upon your feet?” I said.
He turned the other way about,
And hopped home on his head.Natalie Joan
Poetic Devices Used in ‘Funny Man’ Poem
Let’s dive into Natalie Joan’s poem “A Funny Man,” analysing poetic devices like imagery, irony, and rhyme scheme—ideal for gaining deeper insight, preparing for exams, or sparking engaging classroom discussions.
Rhyme Scheme
The poem follows a regular rhyme scheme – ABCB in each stanza.
This means lines 2 & 4 rhyme in every stanza.
Example:
Man (A)
street (B) ✔
Head (C)
feet (B) ✔
🧒 This regular pattern makes the poem easy to read aloud and catchy for children.
Imagery
The poet paints clear and funny pictures in our minds.
Examples:
- Shoe on head and hats on feet
- Offering a bun as a rose
- Hopping on his head
🧒 This kind of visual imagery makes children laugh and imagine silly scenes.
Personification
Giving human qualities to things that are not human.
How it shows up: Talking about a smell “looking” funny, as if smells could have faces like humans.
Example: “A rose with such a funny looking smell.”
Alliteration
Repeating the same consonant sound at the beginning of words.
Examples:
- “his head” – Repetition of the ‘h’ sound. (1st stanza)
- “sounding sight” – Repetition of the ‘s’ sound. (2nd stanza)
🧒 These repeating sounds add rhythm and make the lines musical.
4. Synaesthesia
Blending two different senses in one phrase.
The poet mixes senses for comic effect: “funny sounding sight”, “funny looking smell”, “funny feeling sound.” This emphasizes the confusion.
How it shows up: We “feel” a sound or “see” a smell.
Example:
- “Funny sounding sight” (ध्वनि और दृश्य को एक साथ जोड़ना)
- “Funny looking smell” (You can smell, not look at smell)
- “Funny feeling sound” (You hear sound, not feel it)
Irony (विडंबना)
Saying or doing something opposite or unexpected.
Examples:
- Saying “a rose” but offering a currant bun.
- Hopping home on his head, not feet.
🧒 These silly surprises make the poem humorous and playful.
Hyperbole (अतिशयोक्ति अलंकार)
Exaggeration or over-the-top actions to make something sound more amazing or silly.
Example:
- The man hops on his head. (of course nobody really does that!)
- “Funny looking smell” – smell can’t be seen!
🧒 These impossible actions make the poem funnier.
Inversion (वाक्य विन्यास का उलटफेर)
Changing normal sentence order to make it sound poetic.
Example:
- “But never had I seen before”
(Instead of: …I had seen before) - “Came walking down this street”
(Instead of: “He came walking…”)
Also, Normal order is inverted both in the man’s clothing (shoes on head) and his actions (hopping on head), creating a complete world of “topsy-turvy.”
🧒 This helps in keeping the rhythm and rhyme of the poem.
Paradox or Silly Mix of Senses
Mixing senses or ideas in a funny way (that don’t fit in real life) or self-contradictory but makes you think
Example:
- “Funny looking smell” (You can smell, not look at smell)
- “Funny feeling sound” (You hear sound, not feel it)
🧒 These lines are confusing but funny — which kids enjoy!
🎯 Conclusion:
The poem uses many poetic devices like imagery, alliteration, irony, hyperbole, and funny sense mixing. These make the poem playful, musical, and perfect for children to enjoy and imagine silly scenes.