A Tragic Story – by William Makepeace Thackeray
About the Poet
William Makepeace Thackeray (1811–1863) was one of the great novelists of the English Victorian Age. His most famous work, Vanity Fair, is one of the finest and best-known novels in English literature. Thackeray wrote in a colourful, lively style with a simple vocabulary and clearly-structured sentences. These qualities, combined with his honest view of life, give him an important place in the history of realistic literature. "A Tragic Story" is a humorous poem that uses gentle satire to convey a deeper message about human folly.
The Poem
There lived a sage in days of yore,
And he a handsome pigtail wore;
But wondered much and sorrowed more,
Because it hung behind him.
He mused upon this curious case,
And swore he'd change the pigtail's place,
And have it hanging at his face,
Not dangling there behind him.
Says he, "The mystery I've found –
Says he, "The mystery I've found!
I'll turn me round," he turned him round;
But still it hung behind him.
Then round and round, and out and in,
All day the puzzled sage did spin;
In vain – it mattered not a pin –
The pigtail hung behind him.
And right and left and round about,
And up and down and in and out
He turned; but still the pigtail stout
Hung steadily behind him.
And though his efforts never slack,
And though he twist and twirl, and tack,
Alas! Still faithful to his back,
The pigtail hangs behind him.
Summary & Analysis
The poem tells the story of a sage (a supposedly wise man) who lived long ago ("in days of yore"). Despite being considered wise, the sage had one great worry: his handsome pigtail hung behind him, and he desperately wanted it to hang in front of his face instead. He thought deeply about this "curious case" and resolved to change the pigtail's position. His brilliant solution was simply to turn himself around, believing that this would bring the pigtail to his front.
However, no matter how much he turned — round and round, right and left, up and down, in and out — the pigtail faithfully remained behind him. He spun all day long, but his efforts were completely in vain. The pigtail, being attached to the back of his head, naturally stayed at the back regardless of which direction he faced. The poem ends with the sage still trying, never giving up ("his efforts never slack"), yet the pigtail hangs stubbornly behind him.
The humour of the poem comes from the irony: a man called a "sage" (wise person) cannot understand a simple fact of nature. The title "A Tragic Story" is itself ironic — there is nothing truly tragic in the poem, only a comical situation. Thackeray uses this light-hearted poem to satirise people who think they are clever but fail to see obvious truths. It also suggests that some things in life cannot be changed no matter how hard we try, and wisdom lies in understanding what can and cannot be altered.
Glossary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sage | A wise man |
| Yore | Long ago; ancient times |
| Pigtail | A plaited lock of hair worn singly at the back |
| Mused | Thought over; pondered deeply |
| Curious | Eager to learn more; strange |
| Mystery | A puzzle; something difficult to understand |
| Vain | Without success; useless |
| Stout | Thick in structure; strong |
| Slack | To become less active or less careful |
| Tack | To change direction or course |
| Twirl | To spin or turn quickly |
| Dangling | Hanging loosely |
| Alas | An exclamation expressing sorrow or pity |
Literary Devices
- Irony: The title "A Tragic Story" is ironic because the story is actually humorous, not tragic. Additionally, calling the man a "sage" (wise person) is ironic because he cannot understand a simple fact.
- Alliteration: "He mused upon this curious case" — repetition of the 'c' sound; "twist and twirl, and tack" — repetition of the 't' sound.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows an AABB rhyme scheme in each stanza (e.g., yore/wore, more/him; case/place, face/him).
- Repetition: The phrase "behind him" is repeated at the end of every stanza, reinforcing the futility of the sage's efforts.
- Satire: Thackeray gently mocks people who consider themselves wise but fail to grasp obvious truths.
- Personification: The pigtail is described as "faithful to his back," giving it a human quality of loyalty.
Themes
- Foolishness disguised as wisdom: The poem highlights that being called wise does not guarantee true understanding. The sage's inability to see a simple truth despite his reputation is the central theme.
- Futility of trying to change the unchangeable: Some things are fixed by nature, and no amount of effort can alter them. True wisdom lies in recognising this.
- Humour and irony in everyday life: The poem uses a comical situation to show how people sometimes overcomplicate simple matters and fail to see the obvious solution.
- Persistence without understanding: The sage never gives up, but his persistence is misdirected because he does not understand the root cause of his problem.