There was an old man of Thermopylæ

Portrait of Edward Lear
Edward Lear 1812–1888

There was an old man of Thermopylæ, Who never did anything properly; But they said, "If you choose, To boil eggs in your shoes, You shall never remain in Thermopylæ."

Keep reading

Discover more of Edward Lear’s poetry.

Explore all poems

Readers

Reader discussion

Your turn

Shown with your comment.

Never published. Only so we can reach you.

Comments are read before they appear. See our terms.