There are lions and roaring tigers, and enormous camels and things,
There are biffalo-buffalo-bisons, and a great big bear with wings,
There's a sort of a tiny potamus, and a tiny nosserus too—
But I gave buns to the elephant when I went down to the Zoo!
There are badgers and bidgers and bodgers, and a Super-intendent's House,
There are masses of goats, and a Polar, and different kinds of mouse,
And I think there's a sort of a something which is called a wallaboo—
But I gave buns to the elephant when I went down to the Zoo!
If you try to talk to the bison, he never quite understands;
You can't shake hands with a mingo—he doesn't like shaking hands.
And lions and roaring tigers _hate_ saying, "How do you do?"—
But I give buns to the elephant when I go down to the Zoo!
I am busy working to bring A. A. Milne's "At the Zoo" to life through some unique musical arrangements and will have a full analysis of the poem here for you later.
In the meantime, I invite you to explore the poem's themes, structure, and meaning. You can also check out the gallery for other musical arrangements or learn more about A. A. Milne's life and contributions to literature.
Check back soon to experience how "At the Zoo" transforms when verse meets melody—a unique journey that makes poetry accessible, engaging, and profoundly moving in new ways.