Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Poem
August 28, 1899
The Beatrice Daily Express
Beatrice, Gage County, Nebraska
What is this article about?
A satirical poem depicting officials meticulously and suspiciously inspecting a secret dossier through various methods, ultimately concluding with reluctant approval that it seems all right.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
The Secret Dossier.
They looked at it and smelled of it
And turned it o'er and o'er;
They passed it round from hand to hand
And sized it up some more.
They tasted it with acids rare,
They held it to the light,
They looked at one another, and
They sighed, "It seems all right."
They plugged the keyhole up with tow,
They pulled the shades all down,
They put their heads together tight
And gave the thing a frown.
Again they started it around,
And when it ceased its flight
They let it lie before them, and
They hissed, "It seems all right."
-Cleveland Plain Dealer
They looked at it and smelled of it
And turned it o'er and o'er;
They passed it round from hand to hand
And sized it up some more.
They tasted it with acids rare,
They held it to the light,
They looked at one another, and
They sighed, "It seems all right."
They plugged the keyhole up with tow,
They pulled the shades all down,
They put their heads together tight
And gave the thing a frown.
Again they started it around,
And when it ceased its flight
They let it lie before them, and
They hissed, "It seems all right."
-Cleveland Plain Dealer
What sub-type of article is it?
Satire
What themes does it cover?
Political
Satire Society
What keywords are associated?
Secret Dossier
Examination
Suspicion
Bureaucracy
Satire
What entities or persons were involved?
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Poem Details
Title
The Secret Dossier.
Author
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Form / Style
Rhymed Quatrains
Key Lines
They Looked At It And Smelled Of It
And Turned It O'er And O'er;
They Sighed, "It Seems All Right."
They Hissed, "It Seems All Right."