FITTE THE FOURTH by Eugene Field: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
A freshly bathed dog leaps out of his tub and dashes through the house, shaking soapy water all around, leaving his owner, Mrs.
The poem
Then from that tub and from that room He gat with vast ado; At every hop he gave a shake, And--how the water flew! He paddled down the winding stairs And to the parlor hied, Dispensing pools of foamy suds And slop on every side. Upon the carpet then he rolled And brushed against the wall, And, horror! whisked his lathery sides On overcoat and shawl. Attracted by the dreadful din, His mistress came below-- Who, who can speak her wonderment-- Who, who can paint her woe! Great smears of soap were here and there-- Her startled vision met With blobs of lather everywhere, And everything was wet! Then Mrs. Taylor gave a shriek Like one about to die: "Get out--get out, and don't you dare Come in till you are dry!" With that she opened wide the door And waved the critter through; Out in the circumambient air With grateful yelps he flew.
A freshly bathed dog leaps out of his tub and dashes through the house, shaking soapy water all around, leaving his owner, Mrs. Taylor, in a state of hilarious dismay before she finally shooes him outside. It's a slapstick moment captured in lively, bouncy verse, and the punchline lands squarely on the poor woman who decided to bathe him indoors. Meanwhile, the dog is overjoyed to be running free.
Line-by-line
Then from that tub and from that room / He gat with vast ado;
He paddled down the winding stairs / And to the parlor hied,
Upon the carpet then he rolled / And brushed against the wall,
Attracted by the dreadful din, / His mistress came below--
Great smears of soap were here and there-- / Her startled vision met
Then Mrs. Taylor gave a shriek / Like one about to die:
With that she opened wide the door / And waved the critter through;
Tone & mood
Gleefully comic from start to finish. Field writes in a light, rollicking ballad meter that dances along just like the dog does, and every word choice embraces the absurdity. There's no real menace or sadness here—just the warm, affectionate humor of someone who has clearly witnessed a wet dog wreak havoc in a clean room and found it utterly hilarious.
Symbols & metaphors
- The parlor — The Victorian parlor was the most formal and meticulously kept room in the house—set aside for guests and a display of respectability. The dog barging in with soap and water represents a clash between the tidy domestic space and the wildness of animals, driving the humor throughout the poem.
- The lather and suds — The soap isn’t merely a mess; it’s proof of a human effort to civilize the dog. The way it ends up smeared on walls and coats shows that this attempt has dramatically failed.
- The open door — Mrs. Taylor flinging the door open serves as a practical solution and a symbolic surrender. The outside world — the rightful place for wet dogs — reclaims the dog, and restoring order only comes through conceding the fight.
- The grateful yelps — The dog's excitement at being let loose is the poem's closing moment. It shifts the entire narrative: what seemed like a disaster was, for the dog, a clever escape. His joy is real and total.
Historical context
Eugene Field was a newspaper columnist and poet from Chicago who gained popularity in the 1880s and 1890s for his humorous and sentimental poems targeting family audiences. "Fitte the Fourth" is part of a longer comic poem about giving a dog a bath — the old-fashioned term "fitte" (a section of a medieval narrative poem) adds a playful twist, treating a domestic mishap with an exaggerated sense of seriousness. Field wrote during a time when American newspapers frequently featured light verse, and his work resonated with readers because it captured the warmth and humor of everyday family life. This poem is part of a tradition of American comic verse that includes writers like James Whitcomb Riley, showcasing the Victorian middle-class home as a space brimming with comedic possibilities — from carpets and parlors to overcoats and the never-ending battle to maintain cleanliness.
FAQ
A "fitte" (or "fit") is an archaic term for a section or canto of a lengthy narrative poem — it's often seen in medieval literature, such as *Sir Gawain and the Green Knight*. Field uses this term humorously: naming a tale about a wet dog "Fitte the Fourth" elevates the ordinary topic to the level of a grand epic, adding to the comedic effect.
A dog just finished a bath, jumps out of the tub, and races through the house, shaking off soapy water all over the place. He rolls on the carpet, leaves lather on the walls, and makes a mess in the living room. His owner, Mrs. Taylor, yells and tosses him outside. The dog couldn't be happier.
"Circumambient" refers to the air surrounding us — the atmosphere all around. It's a deliberately sophisticated, Latinate term for something as straightforward as "outside," and the contrast between this grand word and the image of a wet dog rushing through a door captures the essence of Field humor perfectly.
Field employs a traditional ballad meter, featuring lines that alternate between eight and six syllables (iambic tetrameter and trimeter), with the second and fourth lines of each stanza rhyming. This lively rhythm is reminiscent of folk songs and nursery rhymes, giving the poem a quick and enjoyable quality when read aloud.
Yes. The "Fourth" in the title indicates that there are at least three previous sections. The complete poem narrates the entire experience of bathing the dog, detailing each "fitte" that addresses a different stage of the chaos. This section focuses on the dog's escape and what happened afterward.
Despite the noise and the chaos, Field maintains a warm tone. She refers to him as a "critter" instead of using something more severe, and her only punishment is to send him outside. The poem hints at a loving yet exasperated relationship — she aims to do right by the dog, he has his own ideas, and they've settled into a temporary truce.
Field employs a mix of comic techniques: hyperbole with the shriek "like one about to die," mock-epic language like "circumambient air" and the fitte structure, the contrast between the formal Victorian setting and the wild chaos of the animal, and the twist at the end where the dog emerges victorious. The lively meter ensures the tone remains light, preventing any sense of mean-spiritedness.
Field was a journalist and poet from Chicago, celebrated during his lifetime, particularly for his children's poems such as "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" and "Little Boy Blue." While he isn’t as widely read today as he was in the 1890s, those two poems continue to feature in children's anthologies. His humorous verse for adults, including this poem, may not be as recognized, but it demonstrates true skill and a keen sense of timing.