The Clothes Line by Charlotte Druitt Cole

The Clothes Line  

by Charlotte Druitt Cole

Hand in hand they dance in a row,  

Hither and thither, and to and fro,  

Flip! Flap! Flop! and away they go—  

Flutt’ring creatures as white as snow,  

Like restive horses they caper and prance;  

Like fairy tale witches they wildly dance;  

Rounded in front, but hollow behind,  

They shiver and skip in the merry March wind.  

One I saw dancing excitedly,  

Struggling so wildly till she was free,  

Then, leaving pegs and clothes line behind her,  

She flew like a bird, and no one can find her.  

I saw her gleam, like a sail, in the sun,  

Flipping and flapping and flopping for fun.  

Nobody knows where she now can be,  

Hid in a ditch, or drowned in the sea.  

She was my handkerchief not long ago,  

But she’ll never come back to my pocket, I know.

The Clothes Line  

by Charlotte Druitt Cole

Stanza 1 – 

Hand in hand they dance in a row,  

Hither and thither, and to and fro,   (here & there, back & forth)

Flip! Flap! Flop! and away they go—  (turn/toss, swing/wave/beat, falling) 

Flutt’ring creatures as white as snow,   (trembling/waving)

Rhyme Scheme: AAAA

Paraphrase

The clothes move together in a line, swaying here and there and back again. They are turning,

swinging, and moving loosely in the wind, waving like a white snow creature.

Stanza 2 – 

Like restive horses they caper and prance;  (restless,/impatient, skipping, jumping)

Like fairy tale witches they wildly dance;   

Rounded in front, but hollow behind,   (empty)

They shiver and skip in the merry March wind. (tremble, jumping/hoping, cheerful)

Rhyme Scheme: AABB

Paraphrase

They leap and whirl like restless horses and dance like witches from fairy tales. Filled out in

front but empty behind, they shake and jump in the cheerful March breeze.

Stanza 3 – 

One I saw dancing excitedly,  (cheerfully)

Struggling so wildly till she was free,  

Then, leaving pegs and clothes line behind her,  

She flew like a bird, and no one can find her.  

Rhyme Scheme: ABCC

Paraphrase:

I noticed one cloth dancing eagerly, pulling so hard that it broke free. Leaving the clips and

clothesline behind, it flew away like a bird and vanished.

Stanza 4 – 

I saw her gleam, like a sail, in the sun,  (joy/shine)

Flipping and flapping and flopping for fun.  (turn/toss, swing/wave/beat, falling) 

Nobody knows where she now can be,  

Hid in a ditch, or drowned in the sea.  ( hide, trench, sink) 

She was my handkerchief not long ago,  

But she’ll never come back to my pocket, I know.

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCC

Paraphrase:

I watched it shine in the sunlight like a sail. Turning, swinging, and moving with happiness,

as it drifted away. No one knows where it has gone. Perhaps into a trench or sink in the

sea. It was my handkerchief a short time ago. But I know it will never return to me.

Central Idea

The poem shows how imagination can transform ordinary things into magical experiences

by making simple clothes appear lively and adventurous.

Theme

The power of imagination and the playful beauty of ordinary everyday things. The poem

turns a simple scene into an exciting adventure through creative observation.

Summary

The poet describes clothes hanging on a clothes line that move and dance in the March wind.

They look like lively creatures, restless horses, and dancing witches.  One handkerchief

breaks free from the line and flies away like a bird. The poet watches it disappear into the

distance and sadly realizes that it will never return.