Up Wright and down Wright by Hugh Lofting
Up Wright and Down Wright are brothers of contrasting temperament, so unlike each other that their neighbors nickname them Up and Down. Up Wright is devout, lean, proper, virtuous, and prim; when he feels low or mean he responds only with a sigh or a hymn. Down Wright, by contrast, is short and thick, plainspoken, and given to arguing, fighting, and kicking. Despite being such an odd and mismatched pair, and despite their constant strife through the ups and downs of life, through thick and thin, and through good and ill, the two brothers continue living together still.
By Hugh Lofting · First published 1931 · Genre: Poetry, Narrative Poetry, Humorous Poetry · 154 words
First lines
Long ago the Brothers Wright / Were men of odd but great renown, / As different as day and night, / The neighbors called them Up and Down.
Now Up Wright was devout and lean, / Proper, virtuous and prim. / Whenever he felt low or mean / He merely sighed or sang a hymn.
A queerer pair was never made; / For Down Wright, short and thick, / Who always called a spade a spade, / Loved to argue, fight and kick.
Yet through the ups and downs of life / Through thick and thin, through good and ill, / In spite of all their constant strife / The brothers lived together still.
What this Textopian page supports
Up Wright and down Wright is listed on Textopian as a poem by Hugh Lofting, dated 1931 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Hugh Lofting
- Date: 1931 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Narrative Poetry, Humorous Poetry, Children's Literature, Moral Allegory
- Length: 154 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Up Wright and down Wright by Hugh Lofting
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is composed entirely in rhyming verse with a regular poetic structure and consistent rhyme scheme.
- Narrative Poetry — The poem tells a coherent story spanning the lives of two contrasting brothers, with plot progression through 'ups and downs of life.'
- Humorous Poetry — The work employs wordplay on names (Up Wright/Upright, Down Wright/Downright) and presents comic character contrasts with whimsical tone.
- Children's Literature — Lofting's primary genre; this poem exhibits characteristics of children's verse including accessible language, moral themes, and playful rhyming structure.
Tags
brothers · sibling rivalry · loyalty · family bonds · contrasting personalities · opposites · moral contrast · paradox · narrative poem · verse · humor · wordplay