"Hide and Seek" appears in Vernon Scannell's collection Walking Wounded (1965). Written in the second person, it instructs "you" on how to win at the children's game of hide-and-seek, conjuring a specific scenario that involves hiding in a garden shed. As "you" emerge victorious, however, you find that all the seekers are gone—you no longer know where they are. The literal scenario seems to become a metaphor for isolation and abandonment, and an implied warning against more figurative kids of "hiding," such as withdrawing socially or concealing your true self from others.

• Read the full text of “Hide and Seek”

• “Hide and Seek” Summary

• “Hide and Seek” Themes

  • 

    Withdrawal, Isolation, and Abandonment

    Where this theme appears in the poem:

    • Lines 1-27

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Hide and Seek”

  • Lines 1-4

    Call out. Call ...
    ... aren't sticking out.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 5-8

    Wiser not to ...
    ... they come prowling in.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 9-13

    And here they ...
    ... and laughter scuffle, and they're gone.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 14-17

    But don't come out ...
    ... search all over.

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 18-22

    It seems a ...
    ... stretch. That's better!

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 23-27

    Out of the ...
    ... who sought you?

    

    

    

    

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• “Hide and Seek” Symbols

  • 

    Salt, Sand, and Sandbags

    Where this symbol appears in the poem:

    • Lines 2-3: “The sacks in the toolshed smell like the seaside. / They'll never find you in this salty dark,”
    • Line 20: “The dark damp smell of sand moves in your throat.”
    • Line 22: “Push off the sacks. Uncurl and stretch. That's better!”

• “Hide and Seek” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

  • Imagery

    

    

    

    

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    Where imagery appears in the poem:

    • Lines 2-3: “The sacks in the toolshed smell like the seaside. / They'll never find you in this salty dark,”
    • Line 6: “The floor is cold.”
    • Lines 9-10: “And here they are, whispering at the door; / You've never heard them sound so hushed before.”
    • Lines 12-13: “They're moving closer, someone stumbles, mutters; / Their words and laughter scuffle, and they're gone.”
    • Lines 14-15: “they'll try the lane / And then the greenhouse and back here again.”
    • Lines 19-20: “Your legs are stiff, the cold bites through your coat; / The dark damp smell of sand moves in your throat.”
    • Lines 25-26: “The darkening garden watches. Nothing stirs. / The bushes hold their breath; the sun is gone.”

  • Extended Metaphor

    

    

    

    

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    Where extended metaphor appears in the poem:

    • Lines 1-27

  • Alliteration

    

    

    

    

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    Where alliteration appears in the poem:

    • Line 1: “Call,” “Call,” “Come”
    • Line 2: “sacks,” “smell,” “seaside”
    • Line 4: “But be”
    • Line 9: “here”
    • Line 10: “heard,” “sound so,” “hushed”
    • Line 11: “Don't,” “Don't,” “dumb”
    • Line 12: “someone stumbles”
    • Line 18: “seems,” “since”
    • Line 19: “stiff,” “cold,” “coat”
    • Line 20: “dark damp,” “smell,” “sand”
    • Line 22: “sacks,” “stretch”
    • Line 24: “Come,” “caught”
    • Line 26: “bushes,” “breath”

  • Caesura

    

    

    

    

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    Where caesura appears in the poem:

    • Line 1: “out. Call,” “loud: 'I'm,” “ready! Come”
    • Line 6: “cold. They'll”
    • Line 7: “swing. Whatever”
    • Line 9: “are, whispering”
    • Line 11: “breathe. Don't,” “move. Stay,” “dumb. Hide”
    • Line 12: “closer, someone,” “stumbles, mutters”
    • Line 13: “scuffle, and”
    • Line 14: “yet; they'll”
    • Line 19: “stiff, the”
    • Line 22: “sacks. Uncurl,” “stretch. That's”
    • Line 23: “them: 'I've”
    • Line 24: “am! Come”
    • Line 25: “watches. Nothing”
    • Line 26: “breath; the”
    • Line 27: “Yes, here,” “are. But”

  • Rhetorical Question

    

    

    

    

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    Where rhetorical question appears in the poem:

• “Hide and Seek” Vocabulary

  Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

  • Sacks
  • Toolshed
  • Prowling
  • Scuffle
  • Lane
  • Greenhouse
  • Uncurl
  • Caught you
  • Own up
  • (Location in poem: Line 2: “The sacks in the toolshed smell like the seaside.”)

• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Hide and Seek”

  • Form

  • Meter

  • Rhyme Scheme

• “Hide and Seek” Speaker

• “Hide and Seek” Setting

• Literary and Historical Context of “Hide and Seek”

• More “Hide and Seek” Resources

  • External Resources

    • The Poet's Life and Work — A brief biography of Scannell at the Poetry Foundation.

    • The Poet's Obituary — A 2007 obituary for Scannell in The Guardian, with more information about his life and work.

    • Scannell and World War II Poets — Read Scannell's work alongside that of other poets who served in WWII.

    • Scannell Resources — Browse a digital exhibit on Scannell's work, courtesy of the library at Leeds University.

    • The Poet's Biographer — Watch Scannell's biographer, James Andrew Taylor, discussing his life and work.

  • LitCharts on Other Poems by Vernon Scannell

    • Nettles

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