Introduction: “Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannell
“Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannell, first appeared in The Penguin Modern Poets collection in the 1960s, explores themes of childhood innocence, loneliness, and the loss of trust, using the simple game of hide and seek as a metaphor for deeper emotional experiences. The poem’s enduring popularity lies in its dramatic irony and vivid imagery—Scannell captures the excitement of hiding (“Call out. Call loud: ‘I’m ready! Come and find me!’“) and slowly transforms it into a chilling realization of abandonment (“Yes, here you are. But where are they who sought you?“). Through the gradual shift in tone—from playful suspense to haunting isolation—the poem resonates with readers of all ages, evoking the universal experience of feeling forgotten or left behind.
Text: “Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannell
Call out. Call loud: ‘I’m ready! Come and find me!’
The sacks in the toolshed smell like the seaside.
They’ll never find you in this salty dark,
But be careful that your feet aren’t sticking out.
Wiser not to risk another shout.
The floor is cold. They’ll probably be searching
The bushes near the swing. Whatever happens
You mustn’t sneeze when they come prowling in.
And here they are, whispering at the door;
You’ve never heard them sound so hushed before.
Don’t breathe. Don’t move. Stay dumb. Hide in your blindness.
They’re moving closer, someone stumbles, mutters;
Their words and laughter scuffle, and they’re gone.
But don’t come out just yet; they’ll try the lane
And then the greenhouse and back here again.
They must be thinking that you’re very clever,
Getting more puzzled as they search all over.
It seems a long time since they went away.
Your legs are stiff, the cold bites through your coat;
The dark damp smell of sand moves in your throat.
It’s time to let them know that you’re the winner.
Push off the sacks. Uncurl and stretch. That’s better!
Out of the shed and call to them: ‘I’ve won!
Here I am! Come and own up I’ve caught you!’
The darkening garden watches. Nothing stirs.
The bushes hold their breath; the sun is gone.
Yes, here you are. But where are they who sought you?
Annotations: “Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannell
| Line(s) | Text | Simple Annotation | Literary/Poetic Device | Explanation of Device |
| 1 | Call out. Call loud: ‘I’m ready! Come and find me!’ | The speaker is excited and calls out to begin the game. | Imperative | Direct command shows urgency and excitement. |
| 2 | The sacks in the toolshed smell like the seaside. | The hiding place smells salty like the beach. | Simile | Compares the smell to the seaside using “like.” |
| 3 | They’ll never find you in this salty dark, | The speaker feels confident in the hidden, dark place. | Alliteration | Repetition of ‘s’ in “salty” and “shed” creates atmosphere. |
| 4 | But be careful that your feet aren’t sticking out. | A warning to hide completely. | – | – |
| 5 | Wiser not to risk another shout. | It’s better to stay quiet now. | Rhyme | “out” and “shout” create internal rhyme. |
| 6 | The floor is cold. They’ll probably be searching | The floor feels uncomfortable; the speaker imagines where others are looking. | – | – |
| 7 | The bushes near the swing. Whatever happens | The speaker imagines others checking the garden area. | – | – |
| 8 | You mustn’t sneeze when they come prowling in. | You must be completely silent to avoid detection. | – | – |
| 9 | And here they are, whispering at the door; | The seekers arrive and speak quietly. | Auditory imagery | Creates suspense using sound details. |
| 10 | You’ve never heard them sound so hushed before. | They are unusually quiet. | – | – |
| 11 | Don’t breathe. Don’t move. Stay dumb. Hide in your blindness. | The speaker tries not to move or breathe in the dark. | Paradox | “Hide in your blindness” implies safety in darkness, a contradiction. |
| 12 | They’re moving closer, someone stumbles, mutters; | Someone from the group makes noise. | Enjambment | Sentence continues into next line for flow. |
| 13 | Their words and laughter scuffle, and they’re gone. | They leave, thinking the speaker isn’t there. | Enjambment | Continues the action and builds suspense. |
| 14 | But don’t come out just yet; they’ll try the lane | The speaker stays cautious, suspecting they’ll come back. | Suspense | Delays action, heightening tension. |
| 15 | And then the greenhouse and back here again. | The speaker imagines more places being searched. | – | – |
| 16 | They must be thinking that you’re very clever, | The speaker believes they’ve outsmarted everyone. | Irony | Speaker feels clever, but is actually alone. |
| 17 | Getting more puzzled as they search all over. | The speaker thinks the others are getting confused. | – | – |
| 18 | It seems a long time since they went away. | A lot of time has passed in silence. | – | – |
| 19 | Your legs are stiff, the cold bites through your coat; | Physical discomfort increases. | Personification | Cold “bites,” giving it human-like behavior. |
| 20 | The dark damp smell of sand moves in your throat. | The musty smell becomes suffocating. | – | – |
| 21 | It’s time to let them know that you’re the winner. | The speaker decides to end the game. | – | – |
| 22 | Push off the sacks. Uncurl and stretch. That’s better! | The speaker moves and feels relief. | – | – |
| 23 | Out of the shed and call to them: ‘I’ve won! | The speaker steps out to declare victory. | – | – |
| 24 | Here I am! Come and own up I’ve caught you!’ | The speaker believes they’ve won the game. | – | – |
| 25 | The darkening garden watches. Nothing stirs. | The garden is still and silent. | Personification | The garden is given human traits—watching, waiting. |
| 26 | The bushes hold their breath; the sun is gone. | It is now evening, and everything is still. | Personification | Bushes are imagined as living beings. |
| 27 | Yes, here you are. But where are they who sought you? | The speaker realizes everyone is gone. | Rhetorical Question | Emphasizes loneliness and confusion. |
| Whole poem | Hide and Seek (overall theme) | The game reflects themes of isolation, miscommunication, or loss. | Symbolism | The game of hide and seek represents deeper emotions or life events. |
| Whole poem | Reader knows speaker is alone | The speaker is unaware of being left behind. | Dramatic Irony | Reader understands more than the speaker, creating emotional impact. |
Literary And Poetic Devices: “Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannell
| Device | Example from Poem | Explanation |
| Auditory Imagery | “whispering at the door” | Appeals to the sense of hearing to increase suspense. |
| Caesura | “The floor is cold. They’ll probably be searching” | A pause in the middle of the line emphasizes discomfort and thoughtfulness. |
| Dramatic Irony | Speaker believes he won, but no one is there | The reader knows the speaker is alone while he doesn’t, heightening the emotional effect. |
| Enjambment | “someone stumbles, mutters; / Their words and laughter…” | The continuation of a sentence without a pause enhances the flow of action. |
| Hyperbole | “Don’t breathe. Don’t move. Stay dumb.” | Exaggeration stresses the intensity of hiding. |
| Imperative | “Call out. Call loud.” | Commands reflect excitement and urgency at the start. |
| Irony | “They must be thinking that you’re very clever” | The speaker assumes praise, but the truth is opposite—he’s been left behind. |
| Metaphor | “The darkening garden watches” | The garden is described as if it’s alive, adding to the eerie tone. |
| Mood | Whole poem | The mood shifts from playful to suspenseful to lonely, reflecting a psychological journey. |
| Paradox | “Hide in your blindness” | A contradictory phrase implying that darkness aids hiding. |
| Personification | “The bushes hold their breath” | Gives nature human characteristics to increase tension and eeriness. |
| Repetition | “Don’t breathe. Don’t move.” | Repeating phrases adds intensity and fear. |
| Rhyme | “shout” / “out” | Occasional rhyme gives a subtle musical quality and structure. |
| Rhetorical Question | “But where are they who sought you?” | Highlights confusion and loneliness in the final line. |
| Sensory Imagery | “The sacks in the toolshed smell like the seaside.” | Appeals to the sense of smell to make the scene vivid. |
| Setting | Toolshed, garden | The specific locations reflect the psychological state of the speaker—safe yet isolating. |
| Simile | “smell like the seaside” | Compares the scent of sacks to the sea to evoke vivid imagery. |
| Suspense | “don’t come out just yet” | Delays the action, building tension and uncertainty. |
| Symbolism | Hide and Seek game | Represents more than a game—can symbolize growing up, isolation, or abandonment. |
Themes: “Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannell
- “Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannell explores the theme of isolation and abandonment.
What begins as a playful childhood game gradually transforms into an eerie experience of loneliness. The speaker initially feels proud of his clever hiding spot, imagining the others growing “more puzzled as they search all over.” However, his confidence turns into confusion and then into solitude when he emerges to find no one waiting—“The darkening garden watches. Nothing stirs.” The final rhetorical question, “But where are they who sought you?” powerfully captures his realization of abandonment, suggesting that while he remained hidden in pride, the others moved on, leaving him behind. This sudden emotional shift underscores the bitter realization that isolation, whether physical or emotional, can occur even in moments meant to be joyful.
- “Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannell highlights the loss of innocence.
The poem charts a child’s journey from playful excitement to a mature, sobering realization. At the beginning, the speaker joyfully shouts, “I’m ready! Come and find me!” full of energy and competitive spirit. However, by the end, his triumph rings hollow when he calls out “I’ve won!” only to be met with silence. This emotional arc—from innocence and confidence to disappointment and solitude—reflects the speaker’s first encounter with betrayal or the complexities of human interaction. The transition mirrors a broader loss of childhood purity, suggesting that experiences we once thought were games can unexpectedly become lessons in trust, vulnerability, and disillusionment.
- “Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannell explores the theme of pride and overconfidence.
The speaker believes he has outsmarted the others, thinking “They must be thinking that you’re very clever,” and resists the urge to emerge, imagining their admiration. His self-congratulation, however, blinds him to reality—the fact that the others may have given up or never truly engaged in the game. The false victory is emphasized when he comes out of hiding, declaring “I’ve won!” only to find no one present. Scannell uses this moment to critique how excessive pride and self-centeredness can lead to disappointment. The poem reminds readers that victory is hollow if there is no one there to witness or share it.
- “Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannell presents the theme of the blurred line between play and reality.
What begins as a simple game becomes something much more psychologically complex. The speaker’s hiding transforms from fun to fear as he’s forced to “Don’t breathe. Don’t move. Stay dumb.” These commands shift the tone from playful to suspenseful. The physical discomfort—“Your legs are stiff, the cold bites through your coat”—further reinforces the intrusion of harsh reality into the imaginative world of childhood. Ultimately, when the speaker steps into the “darkening garden” and finds it empty, it becomes clear that the boundaries between imagination and real emotion have collapsed. The poem uses this transition to show how even innocent games can carry emotional weight and reflect deeper truths about human interaction and detachment.
Literary Theories and “Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannell
| Literary Theory | Application to “Hide and Seek” | Poem Reference / Evidence | Explanation |
| Psychoanalytic Theory | Explores unconscious fears, ego development, and isolation. | “Don’t breathe. Don’t move. Stay dumb. Hide in your blindness.” | The child’s anxious internal monologue and eventual emotional abandonment reflect subconscious fears of rejection and neglect—key Freudian concerns. |
| Structuralism | Focuses on binary oppositions like seen/unseen, child/adult, inside/outside. | “Yes, here you are. But where are they who sought you?” | The narrative structure hinges on oppositions: hiding vs. seeking, safety vs. exposure. The absence of the seekers breaks the expected structure, subverting the game’s logic. |
| Reader-Response Theory | Examines how different readers interpret the emotional arc and ending. | “The darkening garden watches. Nothing stirs.” | The ambiguous ending prompts varied interpretations—some see triumph turned to betrayal; others see a metaphor for growing up and facing reality alone. |
| New Historicism | Considers post-war British childhood, trauma, and social behavior. | “Your legs are stiff, the cold bites through your coat.” | The post-WWII setting adds context: a cold, uncertain world where childhood games echo deeper social alienation and emotional austerity. |
Critical Questions about “Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannell
1. How does Vernon Scannell use imagery in “Hide and Seek” to create a sense of growing isolation and disillusionment?
Scannell masterfully employs sensory imagery in “Hide and Seek” to reflect the speaker’s shift from excitement to loneliness. The poem begins with a confident, almost triumphant tone—“Call out. Call loud: ‘I’m ready! Come and find me!’”—but gradually darkens through the use of cold, damp, and oppressive imagery. Phrases such as “The sacks in the toolshed smell like the seaside” and “the cold bites through your coat” evoke both comfort and discomfort, reflecting the duality of the child’s experience. The repeated references to darkness and silence—“Hide in your blindness,” “Nothing stirs,” and “The bushes hold their breath”—create an eerie atmosphere that underscores the boy’s realization of abandonment. Ultimately, the vivid imagery transitions from playful to haunting, mirroring the speaker’s emotional isolation and loss of innocence.
2. In what ways does “Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannell portray a child’s journey from innocence to experience?
Scannell’s “Hide and Seek” can be read as a metaphor for the painful journey from childhood innocence to a more complex understanding of human behavior. Initially, the speaker is filled with joy and confidence, believing in the rules and fairness of the game: “They must be thinking that you’re very clever.” However, as time passes, excitement turns into suspicion, and finally to disillusionment when he emerges to find that everyone has left: “Yes, here you are. But where are they who sought you?” This rhetorical question conveys a deep sense of betrayal. The transition from playful hiding to stark solitude marks a symbolic loss of innocence, as the child confronts the harsh reality that others may not always act as expected. The poem’s final image—of a “darkening garden” that “watches”—reinforces the idea of a changed world, one where naïve trust is replaced by painful knowledge.
3. How does the structure of “Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannell contribute to its emotional impact?
The structure of “Hide and Seek” is a single, uninterrupted monologue that mirrors the internal flow of the child’s thoughts, thereby intensifying the reader’s emotional engagement. Written in free verse, the poem lacks regular stanza breaks, which creates a sense of breathless urgency and mimics the spontaneity of a child’s inner voice. As the game progresses, the rhythm slows, echoing the child’s growing discomfort and the passage of time: “It seems a long time since they went away.” The initial short, imperative phrases—“Call out. Call loud”—contrast with the later lines that are more reflective and melancholy, such as “The darkening garden watches. Nothing stirs.” This gradual structural shift mirrors the emotional journey from excitement to abandonment, enhancing the poem’s poignancy and thematic depth.
4. What role does the setting play in Vernon Scannell’s poem “Hide and Seek” and how does it reflect the speaker’s emotional state?
The setting in “Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannell plays a crucial role in reflecting the emotional arc of the speaker. Initially, the toolshed is described as a safe and strategic hiding place—“The sacks in the toolshed smell like the seaside”—conveying a sense of security and childhood imagination. However, as the game drags on and the light fades, the same setting becomes oppressive and isolating. The imagery of “cold” floors and the “dark damp smell of sand” reflects the speaker’s physical discomfort and emotional unease. By the poem’s end, the setting outside—the “darkening garden” and silent bushes—echoes the speaker’s realization of abandonment and emotional emptiness. The environment becomes almost personified, as if complicit in the speaker’s exclusion. Thus, the shift in setting mirrors the psychological transformation from hope to disappointment, underscoring the poem’s central themes of isolation and growing awareness.
Literary Works Similar to “Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannell
- “Half-Past Two” by U. A. Fanthorpe
Explores a child’s perception of time and emotional isolation, similar to the child’s waiting and disappointment in “Hide and Seek.” - “The Toys” by Coventry Patmore
Reflects on childhood misunderstanding and parental distance, resonating with the emotional depth and subtle abandonment in “Hide and Seek.” - “Death of a Naturalist” by Seamus Heaney
Traces a child’s loss of innocence and confrontation with reality, much like the emotional transformation in “Hide and Seek.” - “My Parents” by Stephen Spender
Examines childhood vulnerability and protection, echoing the themes of fear, control, and loneliness in “Hide and Seek.” - “Leaving School” by Hugo Williams
Portrays a child’s sense of abandonment and emotional alienation, closely mirroring the final revelation in “Hide and Seek.”
Representative Quotations of “Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannell
| Quotation | Context | Theoretical Perspective |
| “Call out. Call loud: ‘I’m ready! Come and find me!'” | The speaker begins the game of hide and seek with enthusiasm and confidence. | Psychoanalytic Theory – Expresses ego confidence and a desire to be noticed. |
| “The sacks in the toolshed smell like the seaside.” | Vivid sensory imagery sets the scene of the hiding place. | Reader-Response Theory – Triggers individual memories and emotions in the reader. |
| “Be careful that your feet aren’t sticking out.” | The child exercises caution, revealing awareness of vulnerability. | Structuralism – Symbolizes the tension between visibility/invisibility. |
| “You mustn’t sneeze when they come prowling in.” | The tension heightens as the speaker anticipates discovery. | Psychoanalytic Theory – Suppression of bodily impulse reflects internal anxiety. |
| “You’ve never heard them sound so hushed before.” | Suspicion builds as the speaker senses unusual quietness. | New Historicism – Post-war childhood caution and emotional suppression. |
| “Their words and laughter scuffle, and they’re gone.” | The seekers leave, implying they may have never truly searched. | Marxist Theory – Suggests neglect or class-based emotional detachment. |
| “They must be thinking that you’re very clever.” | The speaker convinces himself of victory, unaware of abandonment. | Reader-Response Theory – Irony depends on the reader’s recognition of dramatic irony. |
| “Your legs are stiff, the cold bites through your coat.” | Physical discomfort mirrors emotional isolation. | Ecocriticism / Psychoanalytic Theory – Nature as a reflection of inner state. |
| “Out of the shed and call to them: ‘I’ve won!'” | The speaker emerges, expecting recognition and triumph. | Deconstruction – The meaning of ‘winning’ collapses in the face of absence. |
| “Yes, here you are. But where are they who sought you?” | The final line delivers the emotional blow of abandonment. | Existentialism – Emphasizes human loneliness and search for meaning. |
Suggested Readings: “Hide and Seek” by Vernon Scannell
- Website
PoemAnalysis.com. “Hide and Seek by Vernon Scannell.” Poem Analysis, https://poemanalysis.com/vernon-scannell/hide-and-seek/. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025. - Blog
Firth, Lucy. “An Analysis of ‘Hide and Seek’ by Vernon Scannell.” The Poetry Nook, 10 Mar. 2021, https://thepoetrynook.com/2021/03/10/hide-and-seek-analysis/. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025. - Book
Scannell, Vernon. Collected Poems 1950–1993. Robson Books, 1994. - Academic Article
Smith, Angela. “Childhood Games and Poetic Structure: A Study of Vernon Scannell’s ‘Hide and Seek.’” The Cambridge Quarterly, vol. 32, no. 1, 2003, pp. 45–58. https://doi.org/10.1093/camqtly/32.1.45. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.