51 pages • 1 hour read
Benjamin HoffThe Tao Of Pooh
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1982A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
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Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Key Figures
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
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BetaSymbols & Motifs
Cottleston Pie
Cottleston Pie alludes to the poem or song by the same title in the dedication, and, later, in the text of the book.In some respects, Cottleston Pie is a symbol for that which cannot be explained adequately with words. The poem says that everything is imbued with its own unchangeable reality. Simply stated, “Things Are As They Are” (30).
In addition, Cottleston Pie is the answer to the riddle posed in the poem. The Cottleston Pie Principle, also derived from the poem’s lyrics, cautions against working against nature.
The Uncarved Block
The Uncarved Block represents innocence and simplicity. It is untainted by contact with the world and pretends to be nothing beyond what it actually is. Pooh is an example of the Uncarved Block, a blank slate with no preconceptions imprinted on its surface.
Honey
Honey is a recurring motif in The Tao of Pooh. Pooh loves honey and spends time in pursuit of this simple pleasure. Pooh’s desire for this item contrasts sharply with the busy populace depicted as frantically working to purchase the latest unnecessary consumer items.
Bisy Backson
The Bisy Backson serves as the symbol of those who work against their inner nature. These are people who are constantly busy, always striving, and often fighting against the natural order of the universe. Bisy Backsons fill their time with activity, most of it meaningless.
Tails
Eeyore first complains that the Bisy Backson rushes by without pausing for the even the briefest of conversations.“I saw your tail in the distance as I was meditating my reply,” Eeyore says (96). Then, Eeyore offers his own tail in a half-hearted attempt to rescue Roo from the water. Eeyore doesn’t believe this method will work, and it doesn’t.
Later, Eeyore loses his own tail, though he is in denial about his condition at first. Pooh goes off to find the tail. Since Pooh is the epitome of the Uncarved Block, he sets about the task without any preconceptions and finds Eeyore’s tail with little effort.
