The Camel’s Hump by Rudyard Kipling — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

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 humpCameelious humpThe 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 humpThe 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 humpThe 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 humpCameelious humpKiddies and grown-ups too! by Rudyard Kipling

Translation (English)

The Camel's hump is an unattractive bump you can see at the Zoo; But even uglier is the hump we get from having too little to do. Kids and adults too, if we don't have enough to do, we get the Cameelious hump, the hump that is bruised! We get out of bed with messy hair and a grumpy voice. We shiver, frown, grunt, and growl at our bath, shoes, and toys; And there should be a place for me (and I know there's one for you) when we get the Cameelious hump, the hump that is bruised! The cure for this problem is not to sit still, or read by the fire; but to take a big hoe and a shovel, and dig until you sweat; And then you'll find that the sun and the wind, and the Garden's spirit too, have lifted the terrible hump, the hump that is bruised! I get it just like you if I don't have enough to do! We all get the Cameelious hump, kids and adults too!

About the Poet

Rudyard Kipling (Late 19th to early 20th century)

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer, born in British India. He is best known for works like 'The Jungle Book' and 'If—'. Kipling was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Children's poem
When Written: Early 20th century
Background: The poem humorously addresses the concept of boredom and inactivity, suggesting that idleness leads to a metaphorical 'hump' of lethargy and dissatisfaction. It reflects Kipling's playful yet insightful take on human behavior.

Sources: https://www.poetry.com/poem/33386/the-camels-hump, https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/tale/rk_camelhump.htm, https://americanliterature.com/author/rudyard-kipling/poem/how-the-camel-got-his-hump-poem

Detailed Explanation

Rudyard Kipling's poem 'The Camel’s Hump' humorously explores the theme of boredom and its effects on people. The 'hump' in the poem symbolizes the lethargy and dissatisfaction that arise from having nothing to do. Kipling uses playful language and repetition to emphasize how inactivity can lead to a grumpy and unpleasant demeanor, akin to the unattractive hump of a camel. The poem suggests that the remedy for this 'hump' is to engage in physical activity, which can lift one's spirits and remove the metaphorical hump. The poem's playful tone and rhythmic structure make it appealing to both children and adults, while also conveying a universal truth about the importance of staying active and engaged.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
hump	bump	a raised part on an animal's back or a metaphorical burden	huhmp
frouzly	messy	untidy or disheveled	frouz-lee
snarly-yarly	grumpy	irritable or bad-tempered	snaar-lee yaar-lee
frowst	lounge	to sit lazily or idly	frowst
perspire	sweat	to sweat or exude moisture	per-spire
Djinn	spirit	a supernatural being or spirit	jin
Cameelious	camel-like	resembling a camel, used humorously	ka-mee-lee-us
scowl	frown	to make an angry or bad-tempered expression	skowl
grunt	complain	to make a low, rough noise or complain	gruhnt
growl	snarl	to make a low, threatening sound	growl
shiver	tremble	to shake slightly due to cold or fear	shiv-er
hoe	tool	a gardening tool used for digging	hoh
shovel	spade	a tool with a broad blade for digging	shuhv-ul
ugly	unattractive	not pleasing to look at	uhg-lee
lump	bump	a small mass or swelling	luhmp