The poem "This is Going to Hurt Just a Little Bit" by Ogden Nash is a humorous take on the experience of visiting the dentist. In the poem, the speaker laments the discomfort of sitting in the dentist's chair with his mouth wide open. He describes how difficult it is to remain calm and composed during the dental procedure, with his jaw digging into his chest and his fingernails making serious alterations in his life or love line.
The speaker compares dental torture to physical and mental torture, saying that dental torture is both physical and mental. He vividly describes the various tools and machines used by the dentist, such as stone crushers, concrete mixers, drills, and steam rollers, which make the experience even more uncomfortable. He likens his mouth to a section of road being worked on, cluttered with all sorts of machinery and irritating his nerves.
The speaker also expresses his fear of the dentist getting mixed up with the mirror, which would make the experience even worse. He jokes that the dentist may be a bear, and the use of a mirror may cause him to get confused with left and right, just as the speaker gets confused while tying a bow tie.
Finally, the speaker leaves the dentist's office, thinking that the ordeal is over. However, the dentist instructs him to come back in three months for another visit, which the speaker finds to be a vicious circle. The poem uses humour to highlight the discomfort and anxiety associated with dental visits, making it relatable to many readers who have experienced similar fears and discomforts.
This is going to hurt - Literature Billabong High - Class 8 - English
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Extra Questions - This is going to hurt | Literature Billabong High | Class 8 Literature | English
One thing I like less than most things is sitting in a dentist chair with
my mouth wide open.
And that I will never have to do it again is a hope that I am against hope hopen.
my mouth wide open.
And that I will never have to do it again is a hope that I am against hope hopen.
1. What is the main activity the speaker dislikes in this stanza?
2. How does the speaker convey their dread of sitting in the dentist's chair with their mouth wide open?
3. What is the speaker's hope regarding dental visits, and how likely do they think their hope will come true?
4. How does the stanza evoke the common fear of dental visits by describing their personal sentiments?
5. What could be the reasons why the speaker dislikes sitting in the dentist's chair with their mouth wide open?
1. The main activity the speaker dislikes in this stanza is sitting in a dentist's chair with their mouth wide open.
2. The speaker conveys his dread of sitting in the dentist's chair by stating that it's something he "like less than most things," emphasizing the intense discomfort and dislike he experiences during dental visits.
3. The speaker hopes that he will never have to sit in a dentist's chair with his mouth wide open again, but he acknowledges that this hope is "against hope," meaning it is unlikely to become a reality.
4. The stanza evokes the common fear of dental visits by describing the speaker's personal sentiments and his extreme dislike of sitting in the dentist's chair with his mouth wide open, which many people can relate to.
5. Possible reasons why the speaker dislikes sitting in the dentist's chair with his mouth wide open could include vulnerability, discomfort, pain, anxiety about the procedure, or fear of the dentist – all of which are common concerns that people have about dental visits.
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Because some tortures are physical and some are mental,
But the one that is both is dental.
It is hard to be self-possessed
With your jaw digging into your chest.
a. In what ways does the stanza describe dental treatment as a form of torture?
b. How does the stanza highlight the dual nature of dental treatment's discomfort?
c. What image does the stanza create to illustrate the physical discomfort experienced during dental treatment?
d. How might the description of dental treatment in the stanza contribute to people's fear or anxiety about visiting the dentist?
e. What does the term "self-possessed" mean, and why do you think it is difficult to achieve during dental treatment?
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Unlock now 🔓Back Questions - This is going to hurt | Literature Billabong High | Class 8 Literature | English
Comment on the title of the poem.
The title "This Is Going To Hurt Just A Little Bit" is quite suggestive and playful, setting the tone for the rest of the poem. It's a commonly used phrase by medical practitioners, often used to prepare individuals for the relative discomfort of a procedure, especially a dental one. However, in reality, these procedures tend to be more painful than the underplayed phrase suggests. The title, therefore, introduces and summarizes the poem's main theme - the fear, anxiety, and pain associated with a visit to the dentist. It effectively prepares the reader for the humour and exaggeration that characterize the poet's description of a dental visit.
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Cite the humourous points that come to light in stanza 1.
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Unlock now 🔓Bring out the humour that comes to light in stanza 2.
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Unlock now 🔓And your mouth is like a section of road that is being worked on.
And it is all cluttered up with stone crushers and
concrete mixers and drills and steam rollers and
there isn’t a nerve in your head that you aren’t being irked on.
Identify and explain the figures of speech that you come across in this stanza.
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Unlock now 🔓Oh, some people are unfortunate enough
to be strung up by thumbs.
And others have things done to their gums,
And your teeth are supposed to be being polished,
But you have reason to believe they are being demolished.
What is the poet trying to convey through this stanza?
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Unlock now 🔓And the circumstance that adds most to your terror
Is that it’s all done with a mirror,
Because the dentist may be a bear,
or as the Romans used to say,
only they were referring to a feminine bear when they said it, an ursa,
But all the same, how can you be sure when he takes his crowbar in one hand and mirror in the other he won’t get mixed up, the way you do when you try to tie a bow tie with the aid of a mirror, and forget that left is right and vice versa?
Bring out the humour that comes to light in the stanza.
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Unlock now 🔓And then at last he says That will be all; but it isn’t because he then coats your mouth from cellar to roof With something that I suspect is generally used to put a shine on a horse’s hoof. And you totter to your feet and think. Well, it’s all over now and after all it was only this once. And he says come back in three month
Select a description that stands out in the last stanza. Explain.
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Unlock now 🔓Quiz - This is going to hurt | Literature Billabong High | Class 8 Literature | English
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Unlock now 🔓About the Author - This is going to hurt | Literature Billabong High | Class 8 Literature | English
Ogden Nash (1902-1971) was an American poet, humorist, and writer. He was known for his clever wordplay, humour, and satire, and his poetry was often characterized by his use of unconventional rhyming schemes and puns. Nash published his first collection of poems, "Hard Lines," in 1931, which was well-received and helped establish his career as a poet. Over the years, he wrote numerous books of poetry, as well as articles, essays, and other works. Nash's work remains popular to this day and has been included in numerous anthologies and collections of American poetry.
Summary - This is going to hurt | Literature Billabong High | Class 8 Literature | English
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Themes - This is going to hurt | Literature Billabong High | Class 8 Literature | English
The Painful and Humiliating Experience of Dental Treatment
The Physical and Mental Torture of Dental Treatment
The poem highlights the physical and mental pain that a patient undergoes during a dental treatment. The poet expresses his dislike for sitting in a dentist's chair with his mouth wide open, as it is one of the most uncomfortable positions to be in. He further explains that dental treatment is a form of torture that is both physical and mental.
The Loss of Dignity and Self-Possession
The poet also emphasizes the loss of dignity and self-possession that a person experiences during dental treatment. The patient is ..............................................
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Unlock now 🔓Poetic Devices - This is going to hurt | Literature Billabong High | Class 8 Literature | English
some figurative language and metaphors are employed to convey the physical and emotional pain of a dental visit. For example:
"And your mouth is like a section of road that is being worked on"
This simile compares the dentist's work on the patient's teeth to a road construction site, conveying the sense of discomfort and disruption caused by the procedure.
"And it is all cluttered up with stone crushers and concrete mixers and drills and steam rollers"
This metaphor uses industrial machinery to describe the tools........................................
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Unlock now 🔓Vocabulary - This is going to hurt | Literature Billabong High | Class 8 Literature | English
- Tortures - severe physical or mental pain or suffering
- Self-possessed - in control of one's feelings or emotions
- Benignity - kindness or tolerance..........................................
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