A Real Groaner
From the book My Dog Likes to Disco
I stood in line to get some punch.
I wanted some to drink with lunch.
The line was long. The line was slow.
It seemed to take an hour or so.
At last I got up to the front.
The serving lady gave a grunt
and punched me squarely on the nose,
which made me groan. That’s how it goes.
I shook my head. I should have known…
A punchline sure can make you groan.
— Kenn Nesbitt
Copyright © 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Reading Level: Grade 2
Topics: Food Poems, School Poems, Wordplay
Poetic Techniques: Pun Poems
About This Poem
Yes, this poem ends with a pun; a real groaner of a pun. When you read it, you may even roll your eyes and groan. But I’m okay with that.
My friend Jack Prelutsky once told me that he thinks a good pun is one that you can be equally proud of and ashamed of at the same time. By that standard, I think this one qualifies as a good pun because I am so proud of it and, at the same time, I am so sorry for having inflicted this upon my readers.
It’s also worth noting that while many puns have double meanings, the word “punchline” at the end of this poem actually has three different meanings. Can you see all three different meanings conveyed by this one word?
From the book My Dog Likes to Disco
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