Silly Poem About an Elephant

Years ago, when I was in the third grade, I learned a poem that I enjoyed reading so much that I memorized it. I read it and quoted it so many times that even now over sixty years older, I am able to quote the first six lines of it without even looking.

It is such a delightful and humorous poem that I thought it might make someone smile. The poem is about an elephant.

I have a great respect and love for elephants because of their social community and connection with each other, their survival skills, their intelligence, and their strength. Since I enjoy poetry, here is a humorous poem by Laura Elizabeth Richards named “Eletelephony,” along with some of my photos of elephants from the Asheboro Zoo.

Elephant at Asheboro Zoo
Elephant at Asheboro Zoo

Eletelephony by Elizabeth Richards

Once there was an elephant,

Who tried to use the telephant-

No! no! I mean the elephone

Who tried to use the telephone-

Dear me! I’m not certain quite

That even now I got it right.)

Howe’er it was he got his trunk

Entangled in the telephunk;

The more he tried to get it free,

The louder buzzed the telphee-

(I fear I’d better drop the song

Of elephop and telephong!)            

         


20 thoughts on “Silly Poem About an Elephant

  1. Thank you. I was so surprised that remembered most of the words from so far back! I did find it and quote it from the internet though to be sure of spelling and accuracy. Appreciate the comment!

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  2. Eileen Clark, hello! Thank you for letting me know that you love elephants and the poem! I was so tickled that you liked it. I learned it when I was about 9 and could still quote most of it at 70! It stuck in my head all these years!! It is a cute poem!

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  3. Love the poem as well as the photograph of the dust bath. That poem does deserve to be remembered and it sorta feels like I might have heard it before, but probably not as if my dad and mom had read it to me we probably all would have memorized it!!! They were great Dr. Seuss appreciators.

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  4. Thank you! Reading, quoting, or thinking about this funny poem always made me laugh.i remember hearing or reading it in elementary school. Delighted that you enjoyed it too!!

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