"a little" modifiying an attributive adjective

[birdeen's call]

He is an a little poor boy.

Is this sentence correct or at least possible?

 

[5jj]

I can imagine it said, semi jokingly, with careful stress and pausing.

In writing? well, I had to read it four times before I understood it. I was a more than a little confused reader.

Interestingly, as soon as I had written that last sentence, it seemed less unlikely to me than yours. Perhaps it was the underlined words that confused me: He is an a little poor boy.

Or perhaps it's because I may be a little confused, but I don't think I am likely to be a little poor.

Or (will this never end?) it's because the idea of a poor little boy came to mind and muddied the waters.

 

[birdeen's call]

I can imagine it said, semi jokingly, with careful stress and pausing.

In writing? well, I had to read it four times before I understood it. I was a more than a little confused reader.

Interestingly, as soon as I had written that last sentence, it seemed less unlikely to me than yours. Perhaps it was the underlined words that confused me: He is an a little poor boy.

Or perhaps it's because I may be a little confused, but I don't think I am likely to be a little poor.

Or (will this never end?) it's because the idea of a poor little boy came to mind and muddied the waters.

I just took the first example that came to my mind. "Confused" is better I think.

I'm not asking out of mere curiosity. I happened to trip on this while speaking. I don't remember the actual adjective I wanted to use but I remember I had no idea whether to use "an a little" or just "a little".

 

[5jj]

I had no idea whether to use "an a little" or just "a little".

If you were going to use it, it would have to be an a little. Without an it would mean a small, impoverished boy.