Origin of Little Willies

Harry Graham is credited with inspiring the poetic form called "Little Willies". While Graham's "Ruthless Rhymes for Heartless Homes" included the oft misquoted poem about "Billy" and his tragic end in the fireplace, there is no character called "Little Willie".

While the form and nature that Little Willies take are certainly based on Graham's work, it's just not clear how they so staunchly became "Little Willies" and not "Ruthless Rhymes" (i.e., one literary reference suggests that "pop culture" of 1915 called these wicked little poems "Ruthless Rhymes" - an obvious nod to Graham, but not "Little Willies").

Graham's work included a variety of character names and as of yet, I have to find any of his books focus on a character called "Little Willie" or even, as some suggest, "Little Billy". Do the books exist? Possibly, I have several of Grahams work on order and will let you know what I find.

In my quest to solve this great mystery (please, I enjoy these types of quest, don't tell me I "need to get a life"), I discovered a Little Willie reference in the "Manzanar Free Press". The Manzanar Free Press [1942-1945] was a publication of the Manzanar internment camp -- which begs the question, "just how free was the press?" -- claims the honor for creating Little Willies:

"It was in the Nov. 14 [1942] Saturday issue of the Free Press when Little Willie was born. It was then that Little Willie shot his sister rat-tat-tat."

That may have been the first time that Little Willie shot his sister to a military beat, but I'm not convinced that was when "Ruthless Rhymes" made the transition to "Little Willies" -- and not just because I don't want to give credit to "free press" from an internment camp.

The February 28, 1944 issue of Time Magazine reported on a "Ruthless Rhymes" competition that was sponsored by the London weekly, Tide & Time:

"Recently London's weekly Time & Tide offered prizes for the best wartime ruthless rhyme."

Now, just because the Brit's were still calling them Ruthless Rhymes, there's no reason to think that we Yanks hadn't switched to "Little Willies" -- in fact, we may have. BUT. The Letters to the Editor in response to that Time Magazine article show that the poems were being written as "Little Willies" prior to the 1942 Manzanar Free Press publication.

"Sirs:

. . . For 20 years, since my first Englishman taught me my first ruthless rhyme, I've been searching for a copy of Ruthless Rhymes for Heartless Homes (TIME, Feb. 28). But no one even knew Little Willie. [snip]

. . .
Sirs:

Those rhymes of yours were really sissy. They made 'em better than that in the good old days
Listen:

Willie fell down the elevator,
Wasn't found till eight days later.
All the neighbors said, 'Gee whiz,
What a spoiled child Willie is.'

Willie poisoned Grandma's tea,
Grandma died in agony,
Willie's always up to tricks,
Ain't he cute? He's only six."

The quest continues.