University of Pittsburgh Library System

In my research I sought to analyze death, dying, and funerary culture in Victorian children’s literature. I focused specifically on “The Death of Cock Robin”, a short story written in verses about a robin who is shot and killed by a sparrow and the funeral held by his community that follows. I looked at over two dozen versions of the story ranging from some of its earliest iterations in Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Songbook from the mid 1700s to modern versions from the late 1900s. While researching the story of Cock Robin, I also researched death and funeral culture in the Victorian era and noted how the story used those elements and how it has evolved to reflect the changes in death culture since then. Each community member in the story plays a part in the funeral, such as the rook being the parson, thus teaching children about the different roles and their importance. Death was extremely common during the late 19th century, and children were exposed to it early and often. Stories such as “The Death of Cock Robin” introduced them to death and funerals in an approachable way and integrated it into their daily lives. My deliverable focuses on how funerary roles are presented in “The Death of Cock Robin” as well as how the imagery changes as the story evolves and the possible origins for the story. While doing my research I have become increasingly familiar with chapbooks, which are stories that are printed on one piece of paper and folded into a small book. Many versions of “The Death of Cock Robin” that I have looked at during my research have been printed as chapbooks, and I plan on making my own chapbook version of the story next year as part of my senior thesis. I will utilize what I have learned while doing my ASRA project as well as the printing resources we have in the library to make my own chapbook version of “The Death of Cock Robin” that reflects modern day funerary values.