OCT 10, 2024: Survey Course in ENGLISH LITERATURE, first peek [5]

CURRENT CONTENTS:
Pass/fail(getting by)

"Hamlet, Prince of Denmark"

"La Belle Dame Sans Merci"

"The Raven"

"Diary of Samuel Pepys"

Authors' Note:  During the author's stint as a university science major, a modicum of knowledge of the liberal arts was putatively assured by subjecting students to pass/fail survey courses. "Getting by", as in the above described English class, seemed to be the modus operandi of students, and occasionally of teaching staff.

Authors' Note: 

bard: archaic term for a Celtic poet or wandering minstrel, currently applied primarily to the ‘Bard of Avon’, i.e. William Shakespeare

bodkin: a pointed instrument or pin, with archaic use to indicate a stiletto or other dagger

A question asked in Hamlet's most famous soliloquy is … 

 "Who would fardels bear?" 

Fardel is derived from fardeau, the French word for “burden”.

Authors' Note: 

rêverie (rehv-uh-REE): French for ‘dream, daydream’

grotesque: term adopted from French for an ancient Roman decorative artform rediscovered in Rome in the 15th century. Grotesques depict fantastical scenes and figures; the related adjective highlights the bizarre and even frightening nature of the images

grot: poetic variant of ‘grotto’ 

merci (mehr-SEE): French for mercy, forgiveness

   The usual critical view is that the protagonist of the poem, transfixed by the 'faery's child', has been trapped and victimized. However, Keats' description in his poem written in 1819 (but taking place in a mythical medieval past), leaves little doubt that the 'Belle Dame' is underage. The societal view of what constitutes child molestation / statutory rape seems to have changed over time.

Authors' Note:   Edgar Allan Poe wrote his best-known poem, "The Raven", in 1845. "The lost Lenore", and “quoth the Raven, ‘nevermore’ ” are famous phrases repeated in the poem. 

   An established classic, the poem will likely remain in the pantheon of poems ad infinitum (evermore).

 

OCT 5, 2024: American Satire, PROLONGATION #3 [10]

previous posted poems (prolongation #1)

archival

classified (Espionage Act)

criminal lying

crasscracy

deceit, social

defunding the FBI

deserved (schadenfreude)

distortion

previous posted poems (prolongation #2)

electoral count

FBIer

felony

gov by dopes

grift

hokum (election denial)
home schooling

CURRENT CONTENTS: (prolongation #3)

Honest Truth

Legal precedence

MAGAciousness

National pique

Obstruction of justice

Special master

Stupidest coup

Taking the Fifth

Unhinged

Voting from abroad

Author's Note: In 2023, the US was looking forward to televized trials of certain national figures. Television cameras are not allowed in trials in the federal system, and one has to rely on the renderings by artists; certain states, e.g. Georgia, do allow the transmission from the courtroom; currently, an important process related to the overturning of state election laws is pending. One hopes that, in that circumstance, each member of the public can easily cut through the veneer of righteousness conveyed by persons whose careers have been built on longstanding deception.

Authors' Note: The 'Mitt' in the above verse is  allegorical, unrelated to any real current person or long-serving Republican US senator.

Authors' Note: The reasons are not clear, but in Canada, compared to the US, a much smaller proportion of place-names are copies of names used geographically in the 'Old World'. The same also seems to be true for Australia and New Zealand. Just saying.

Folly Beach (name derived from an old English word for dense vegetation) is a seaside resort suburb of Charleston, South Carolina.

In the US, any proposed name-change would have to be reviewed by protocols of the Board of Geographic Names.

Mount Denali, at 6190m (20,310 feet), the loftiest peak in the United States, is discussed by the prodigious limericist SheilaB on the OEDILF website.

And, just in case you wanted to know for comparison, the loftiest peak in Canada is Mount Logan, at 5960m (19,550 feet).       

And for more views by Canadians on current related issues, poems in the series "Stand on Guard" can be viewed HERE.

Author's Note: 

A.G.: Attorney General, a political appointee heading the US Department of Justice   

prez: casual term for president, used in lightweight discussion of the American political situation

Forty-Five: a sequential numbering system is used in the United States for successive holders of the elected office of President; we are currently on number Forty-Six (Joe Biden)

capo: 'head', or 'boss' in Italian, frequently used in connection with the Cosa Nostra (Mafia)

 

Readers who desire more of this tomfoolery might proceed to our collection  "American satire: cabinet confirmation" by clicking HERE.

GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR WEB-EXPLORERS: 

To resume your review of the sequence of daily titillations on our related blog "Daily Illustrated Nonsense", click HERE. Once you arrive, you can select your time frame of interest from the calendar-based listings at the bottom of the page, and check the daily offerings for any month from the start of 2020 through the summer of 2026. 

As of March, 2026, there are 2,000 unique entries available on the daily blog, displaying individual poems (often illustrated) and wordplay, but also with some photo-collages and parody song-lyrics. 

Most of these key elements of our work are assembled here on "Edifying Nonsense" in topic-based collections.

The "Daily" format, a formidable mix of genres has the advantage of including song-lyrics, videos and other material that are not shown here on this topic-based blog.

) SEP 25 (2024) singable satire: 'ICELAND' -- Gershwin show-tunes

 

  

ORIGINAL SONG: The melody for the spiritual ballad "Summertime" from the George Gershwin opera "Porgy and Bess".

PARODY COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio (registered pseudonym) and Dr. GH, August 2018. 

EVOLUTION of the LYRICS: The song-lyrics originated as limerick verses composed by Giorgio Coniglio 2017, and compiled in January 2017. The details of the lyrics were based on GC's family trip to Iceland in June 2015. Most of the verses also appear, mildly modified, in the online limerick dictionary OEDILF.com. They were subsequently   posted on GC's blog, at that time known as "Ukable Parodies", adapted as a parody-song collage. 

SONGLINK:  Our whole series of songs can be found in a friendly format for ukulele (and guitar)-players on our blog  "SILLY SONGS and SATIRE". Click HERE to proceed and view how to accompany the song-medley "ICELAND" on your favorite instrument.

While visiting there, you might also be on the lookout for a calypso-style song derived from the same visit to Iceland in June 2015 under the title "Nordic Journal: Island in the Sun".                                   

CONTENTS: 

1. Iceland / Ísland  
2. Geysir: OEDILF 
3. Eyjafjallajökull / E15 
4. Second-Hand Geyser
5. Stopover in Reykjavik 

ICELANDIC SAGA

(to the tune of "Summertime") 

1. In the far North Atlantic there’s dry land:
Friendly Iceland – it’s my kind of island.
You’ll be welcomed in Ísland *; cool and damp but at-peace land; 
Summer-sun-all-day-but-you-won’t-fry land.

2. Tourists learn the Norse thermal god plays here;
The Icelandic locale known as ‘Geysir’.
From hot pools steam erupts - belching after he sups.
Then they head for the sign (that says),“Tour Bus Stays Here.”

3. E15, Iceland stratovolcano,
Spews out fog that can clog up your plane, Oh
If explain it I must - it’s just ashes and dust;  
Can’t they flush it away with some Drano?

4. A cheap gift: though Björn thought he’d surprise her,
Björg rejected his second-hand geyser,                                              
“What I’d prize is a freezer. Your poor wife, why displease her?
It just proves you’re a nasty old miser.”

5. If you’re planning an Iceland stopover:
There's no Northern Lights, but come in June or July.  
Reykjavik stays bright, bars stay open 'til morning.  

TourAdvisor warns book early; prices are high.

* pronounced as EES-lahndt.

TARGETED PALINDROMES A to D (a showcase for our 'palindrome-pals') [4]

 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR WEB-EXPLORERS: 

To resume your review of the sequence of daily titillations on our related blog "Daily Illustrated Nonsense", click HERE. Once you arrive, you can select your time frame of interest from the calendar-based listings at the bottom of the page, and check the daily offerings for any month from the start of 2020 through the summer of 2026. 

As of March, 2026, there are 2,000 unique entries available on the daily blog, displaying individual poems (often illustrated) and wordplay, but also with some photo-collages and parody song-lyrics. 

Most of these key elements of our work are assembled here on "Edifying Nonsense" in topic-based collections.

The "Daily" format, a formidable mix of genres has the advantage of including song-lyrics, videos and other material that are not shown here on this topic-based blog.

SEP 15, 2024: Progress in Poetry -- HOMOPHONOUS REVELRIES (Timelessly Rhymeless) [7]

This blogpost will give you more understanding and helpful examples related to a type of creative limerick variation indulged in by the authors. To see the whole spectrum of our efforts, you might want to take the time to review "A Corner of the Poet's World: LIMERICK VARIATIONS".

In some circumstances, identity rhymes, e.g. perverse / reverse, are regarded by critics as "not even rhymes". Our opinion differs. 

CURRENT CONTENTS
Bypassed "glitches"
Corrective
Deserving
Hippo's hip replacement
Identity rhymes
Self-indulgence
Toast to French homophones

Authors' Note: Of course, the concept that bribes would be of benefit to authors submitting to the collaborative website OEDILF (Omnificent English Dictionary In Limerick Format) is patently nonsensical. There are a certain number of identity rhymes that appear in the database of edited verses there. The prosaic explanation, however, is that these bypassed initial "glitches", being rather subtle in comparison with other flaws, are often under-observed and overlooked. You might join us in finding that, in a few circumstances, such glitches add to the charm of the verses!  

Authors' Note: 

syl: jargon used in the doggerel trade; a short form of syllable

Although the adjective deserving has come euphemistically to be applied to the needy, it classically was applied to people or things that were commendable or admirable.

Author's Note: Hip replacement has become a surgical procedure that is frequently performed in humans, and is making inroads into veterinary practice in dogs and cats. Its role in jungle creatures and zoo inhabitants remains to be developed, parenthetically.

Authors' Note: Instead of the usual A1,A2,B1,B2,A3 pattern. the above verse has lines ending in identity rhymes: A1,A1,B1,B1,A1. Some critics would say that such end-of-line parallel words, e.g. perVERSEely / conVERSEly are not rhymes at all. But when bunched up they have a definite musicality, and can be entertainingly sung at open-mike at a bar. 

PARODY-SONGLINK: 

If you approved of the above poems indulging in homophonic rhymes, you might also enjoy a medley of songs about homonyms that can also be found on these pages. Start by clicking HERE. 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR WEB-EXPLORERS: 

To resume your review of the sequence of daily titillations on our related blog "Daily Illustrated Nonsense", click HERE. Once you arrive, you can select your time frame of interest from the calendar-based listings at the bottom of the page, and check the daily offerings for any month from the start of 2020 through the summer of 2026. 

As of March, 2026, there are 2,000 unique entries available on the daily blog, displaying individual poems (often illustrated) and wordplay, but also with some photo-collages and parody song-lyrics. 

Most of these key elements of our work are assembled here on "Edifying Nonsense" in topic-based collections.

The "Daily" format, a formidable mix of genres has the advantage of including song-lyrics, videos and other material that are not shown here on this topic-based blog.