Poetry · Chapter
The Patriotic Canadian Hen explained
A humorous poem personifying a Canadian hen who patriotically vows to lay large double-yolk eggs to evade American tariffs, while boasting of her superiority over ducks and expressing pride in her own kind.
What happens
A humorous poem personifying a Canadian hen who patriotically vows to lay large double-yolk eggs to evade American tariffs, while boasting of her superiority over ducks and expressing pride in her own kind.
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
The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the boy’s childish joy and naive belief that he can see Ameri…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Local Patriotism and Regional Pride
The hen's boastful patriotism and defiance of American tariffs reflect a strong sense of Canadian pride.
- Agriculture and Rural Economy
The poem centers on farm life, egg production, and the economic impact of tariffs on rural livelihoods.
Characters to notice
- James McIntyre
Author of the poem, as inferred from the book's context.
Key passages
“Cheap eggs I’ll give the Yankee folk, For I will lay big double yolk, And very large shell I will fill, And peck a flaw in McKinley Bill.”
The hen promises to provide inexpensive eggs to Americans by laying oversized eggs, thereby undermining the McKinley Tariff.
Highlights the hen's patriotic economic strategy.
“There’s nothing on the farm doth pay So well as these our hens do lay.”
The farmer's wife remarks that the hens are the most profitable part of the farm.
Emphasizes the economic value of egg production.
