Oh, the Places You'll Go! Stanza 17 Summary

Uh-Oh, Here It Comes

  • Uh-oh. Now we're really gearing up for disaster. Your child is now so fully gripped in a panic that they're running around like a chicken with its head cut off. 
  • (Sidebar: How did this phrase come about, anyway, and why do we still use it so freely? How many of us experience headless chickens on a daily basis? Still, we here at Shmoop believe firmly in its relevance. After all, it seems like it would make for a pretty chaotic scene, right?)
  • Hey, maybe this won't turn out so badly. Sometimes just running somewhere is better than going nowhere at all.
  • (Yeah, just tell that to the characters in the next place we're headed.)
  • Stop. Rhyme it out now. See how all but one line rhymes with "ace"? That's Seuss gearing up, building momentum so he can slam you head first into the mire. Thanks, Dr. Seuss!