Contextual stuff

Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was the British scientist who first propounded the theory of evolution and the principle of natural selection. He travelled widely and recorded his observations in notebooks, in a diary format.

Theme

Social status.

 

Language/imagery

This four line poem takes the form of a diary; significantly, it is headed with a date - 7 April 1852 - which predates the publication of Darwin's Origin of Species by several years. The joke within this poem is that Darwin's controversial and world-changing theory of natural selection is formulated not by the scientist as a result of careful study but by his wife as the result of a perceived likeness between Darwin himself and a chimpanzee. The humour of the piece is emphasised by the internal rhyme of 'zoo' and 'you'.

Structure

The poem is written in note form, mimicking Darwin's own diaries which contained careful and precise notes of his observations.

 

 

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