Nonsense Books · Chapter
The Pelican Chorus explained
The King and Queen of the Pelicans celebrate their happy life on the Nile, describing their daily routines and the grand feast they held for their daughter Dell.
What happens
The King and Queen of the Pelicans celebrate their happy life on the Nile, describing their daily routines and the grand feast they held for their daughter Dell. At the feast, the King of the Cranes falls in love with Dell, wins her heart with a crocodile's egg and a fish-tart, and marries her. Dell leaves with the Cranes for distant lands, and the Pelican parents are left alone, mourning her absence under the moonlight.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
Lady Jingly’s tearful confession that she already has a mate in England delivers the emotional peak of unfulfi…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Love and Marriage
The King of the Cranes falls in love with Dell and marries her, leading to her departure from her family.
- Loneliness and Longing
After Dell leaves, the Pelican parents are left alone, mourning her absence and expressing longing under the moonlight.
- Nonsense and Absurdity
The poem features playful nonsense refrains ('Ploffskin, Pluffskin, Pelican jee!') and absurd details like a wreath of shrimps and a crocodile's egg as a love token.
Characters to notice
- The Pelican Chorus
The King and Queen of the Pelicans narrate their story, expressing pride in their species and sorrow at their daughter's departure.
- The Dell
The Pelicans' daughter, who marries the King of the Cranes and leaves the Nile for the Gromboolian Plain.
- The Cranes
The King of the Cranes, who falls in love with Dell and marries her, taking her away from the Nile.
Key passages
“Ploffskin, Pluffskin, Pelican jee! We think no Birds so happy as we! Plumpskin, Ploshkin, Pelican jill! We think so then, and we thought so still!”
The Pelicans sing a joyful nonsense chorus, declaring their happiness and pride in being Pelicans.
This refrain is repeated throughout the poem, emphasizing the Pelicans' contentment and their unique identity.
“She has gone to the great Gromboolian Plain, And we probably never shall meet again!”
Dell has traveled to a distant, mythical land, and her parents fear they will never see her again.
The Gromboolian Plain is a recurring imaginary location in Lear's works, symbolizing far-off, unreachable places.
