FITTE THE FIFTH by Eugene Field: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
A freshly bathed puppy bolts into the street, instantly creating mayhem as it splatters soap and mud on every child unfortunate enough to be around.
The poem
He whisked into the dusty street And to the Waller lot, Where bonnie Annie Evans played With charming Sissy Knott. And with those pretty little dears He mixed himself all up-- Oh, fie upon such boisterous play-- Fie, fie, you naughty pup! Woe, woe on Annie's India mull, And Sissy's blue percale! One got that pup's belathered flanks, And one his soapy tail! Forth to the rescue of those maids Rushed gallant Willie Clow; His panties they were white and clean-- Where are those panties now? Where is the nicely laundered shirt That Kendall Evans wore, And Robbie James' tricot coat All buttoned up before? The leaven, which, as we are told, Leavens a monstrous lump, Hath far less reaching qualities Than a wet pup on the jump. This way and that he swung and swayed, He gambolled far and near, And everywhere he thrust himself He left a soapy smear.
A freshly bathed puppy bolts into the street, instantly creating mayhem as it splatters soap and mud on every child unfortunate enough to be around. Field plays up the scene for laughs, feigning horror at the ruined clothes while clearly relishing the dog's exuberant antics. It's a slapstick comedy poem wrapped in mock-serious language.
Line-by-line
He whisked into the dusty street / And to the Waller lot,
And with those pretty little dears / He mixed himself all up--
Woe, woe on Annie's India mull, / And Sissy's blue percale!
Forth to the rescue of those maids / Rushed gallant Willie Clow;
Where is the nicely laundered shirt / That Kendall Evans wore,
The leaven, which, as we are told, / Leavens a monstrous lump,
This way and that he swung and swayed, / He gambolled far and near,
Tone & mood
Comic and mock-heroic throughout, Field takes the lofty tone of epic poetry and biblical scripture and uses it to describe a trivial subject: a wet dog ruining children's clothes. The humor arises from the contrast between the grand language and the ridiculous situation. Underneath it all, there's a genuine warmth — Field clearly cares for these kids and this dog — but the main tone is one of gleeful, straight-faced absurdity.
Symbols & metaphors
- The soapy, wet pup — The dog is a bundle of pure, unfiltered energy that no amount of adult supervision or tidy laundry can contain. He doesn’t intend to cause trouble — he’s simply overflowing with life — making him a hilarious representation of the chaos of childhood.
- The named fabrics (India mull, blue percale, white panties, laundered shirt) — Each specific garment reflects the diligent, time-consuming efforts of parents to keep their children looking presentable. Naming them adds a layer of humor to their destruction while subtly acknowledging the domestic work involved in maintaining appearances.
- The leaven — The biblical leaven, or yeast in dough, is used humorously as a benchmark. By suggesting that the pup spreads more widely than leaven, Field transforms a simple mess into something incredibly powerful, poking fun at the absurdity of referencing scripture to describe a dog.
- The soapy smear — The smear left behind wherever the dog goes is a physical trace of disruption — a mark that shows no corner of the neighborhood was untouched. It serves as the poem's recurring punchline and its final image.
Historical context
Eugene Field was a journalist and poet based in Chicago, gaining recognition in the 1880s and 1890s for his heartfelt yet humorously sharp writings about children. "Fitte the Fifth" is part of a longer comedic story about a puppy's disastrous bath — the old-fashioned word "Fitte," meaning a section or canto of a poem, hints that Field is using epic style for comedic effect right from the start. He wrote during the peak of American newspaper verse, a time when humorous poems about ordinary family life captivated middle-class readers. His characters — Annie Evans, Sissy Knott, Willie Clow — were likely inspired by real kids from his Chicago neighborhood, which helped his audience feel personally connected to the humor. This poem fits right in with his more famous pieces like "Little Boy Blue" and "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod."
FAQ
A "fitte" (or "fit") is an old English term for a segment of a longer poem, often found in medieval epics. Field uses it here to indicate that this is part five of a comic series featuring the same puppy. The old-fashioned title adds to the humor by presenting a dog's bath as if it were a chapter in a grand heroic saga.
Annie Evans, Sissy Knott, Willie Clow, Kendall Evans, and Robbie James pop up in the poem. Field likely drew inspiration from real kids in his Chicago neighborhood. Naming them directly gives the poem a local news vibe and allows readers to either recognize them or enjoy the fantasy of knowing these children.
India mull is a fine, lightweight muslin fabric—delicate and costly enough that getting it dirty was a real concern. By specifying this fabric, Field highlights just how pristine Annie's dress was before the dog showed up, making the destruction even funnier. The same idea applies to Sissy's "blue percale," which is a crisp, smooth cotton.
"Belathered" refers to being covered in lather — or soap suds. The pup was in the middle of a bath when he made a run for it, so his sides and tail are still coated in soap. Each time he bumps into a child, he leaves a foamy streak on their clothes.
Field is alluding to the biblical parable of the leaven from Matthew 13:33, where a tiny bit of yeast permeates an entire batch of dough — representing how something small can spread widely. Field's joke suggests that even this well-known force has "far less reaching qualities" than a wet, bouncing puppy. It's a tongue-in-cheek argument that the dog is more unstoppable than scripture.
To gambol means to skip, leap, and run around in a playful way. It’s a term often used for lambs or young animals having fun. Field picks it on purpose — it perfectly reflects the dog's sheer joy and carefree nature, which is what makes the chaos so amusing. The pup isn’t being mean; he’s just over-the-moon happy.
Yes. The title indicates that this is the fifth part of a series. The previous fitttes explore both the preparation for and the actual bathing of the puppy. This section focuses on what happens afterward: the escape and the chaos in the neighborhood. Field released these as a continuous comic story, and the "Fitte" format humorously mimics how medieval poets organized lengthy epic poems into numbered segments.
That gap between the language and the subject is where all the humor lies. Words like "gallant," "forth to the rescue," "those maids," and "woe, woe" are typically found in epic poetry and tragedy. Using them in the context of muddy panties and a soapy dog tail creates a hilarious contrast that Field's newspaper readers would have found instantly amusing. This approach is known as mock-heroic, and Field mastered it.