Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Faber and Faber
Pages
159
Description
This anthology of 101 humorous poems includes work by Lewis Carroll, W.S. Gilbert, Gavin Ewart, Kit Wright and Sophie Hannah.
Description
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Money RICHARD ARMOUR 3
Fatigue HILAIRE BELLOC 4
Strike among the Poets ANONYMOUS 5
Poetical Economy HARRYGRAHAM 7
A Ballad of Abbreviations G. K. CHESTERTON 9
Liquor and Longevity ANONYMOUS I I
Ballade of Soporific Absorption j.c . SQUIRE 12
Life on Earth IAN MCMILLAN 14
Portrait of the Artist as a Prematurely Old Man
OGDEN NASH 15
The Village Burglar ANONYMOUS 17
The Sergeant's Song w. s. GILBERT 18
The Ruined Maid THOMAS HARDY 19
If People Disapprove of You SOPHIE HANNAH 20
To a Lady with 'The Temple of Fame'
ALEXANDER POPE 2 2
A Joke Versified THOMAS MOORE 23
Autumn STEVIE SMITH 24
The Best of Husbands JOHNG.SAXE 25
Sonnet EDNA ST VINCENT MILLAY 27
Mrs Hobson's Choice ALMA DENNY 28
from Shorts w. H. AUDEN 29
Love Song DOROTHY PARKER 30
One-Track Mind SOPHIE HANNAH 31
Dewpond and Black Drainpipes SELIMAHILL 32
Siren Song MARGARET ATWOOD 33
The Lover Writes a One-Word Poem GAVINEWART 35On Going To Meet a Zen Master in the Kyushu Mountains
and Not Finding Him DON PATERSON 36
Strugnell's Haiku WENDY COPE 37
There Was a Young Bard of Japan ANONYMOUS 38
A Tale of Two Metres TOM DISCH 39
Once TIMOTHY STEELE 40
Poeta Fit, Non Nascitur LEWIS CARROLL 41
To The Author of a Sonnet GEORGE GORDON,
LORD BYRON 45
Ancient Music EZRA POUND 46
How I Brought the Good News from Aix to Ghent (or Vice
Versa) R. J. YEATMAN AND W. C. SELLAR 47
The Bards WALTER DE LA MARE 49
Changed c. s. CALVERLEY 50
Peekaboo, I Almost See You OGDEN NASH 52
Scintillate ROGER MCGOUGH 53
King David and King Solomon J.B.NAYLOR 54
Margin Prayer from an Ancient Psalter IANDUHIG 55
Desk Duty HUGO WILLIAMS 57
Mr and Mrs R and the Christmas Card List
CONNIE BENSLEY 59
OntheCircuit w. H. AUDEN 60
VindalooinMerthyrTydfil LESMURRAY 63
Extra Helpings DOUGLAS DUNN 64
Through the Teeth ANONYMOUS 67
Epicurean Reminiscences of a Sentimentalist
THOMAS HOOD 68
The Virtues of Carnation Milk ANONYMOUS 71
How The Wild South East Was Lost KIT WRIGHT 72
The Song of Mr Toad KENNETH GRAHAME 73
Very Simply Topping Up the Brake Fluid
SIMON ARMITAGE 74
Men Talk LIZLOCHHEAD 75Ode on a Goal SIMON RAE 77
Etiquette w. s. GILBERT 78
from Paradise Illustrated: 1, vi, xx n D. J. ENRIGHT 82
On First-Name Terms JOHNAGARD 86
No Peas for the Wicked ROGER MCGOUGH 87
Deep Sorriness Atonement Song GLYNMAXWELL 88
Things FLEURADCOCK 90
TheSkip JAMES FENTON 91
Family Court OGDEN NASH 94
Discipline HARRY GRAHAM 95
A Parental Ode to My Son THOMAS HOOD 96
Hamlet STANLEY J. SHARPLESS 98
Ballade of Suicide G. K. CHESTERTON 99
TheOrbisonConsolations KITWRIGHT IO I
Resume DOROTHY PARKER 103
The Pessimist BENJAMIN FRANKLIN KING 104
The Dead Alive PIERRE JEAN DE BERANGER 105
TheMummy EDWIN MORGAN 107
Doubt ANONYMOUS IIO
TheFrog ANONYMOUS H I
0 Have You Caught the Tiger? A. E. HOUSMAN 112
Rat, ORat... CHRISTOPHER LOGUE 114
The British Journalist HUMBERTWOLFE 115
Publishers JOHN WHITWORTH 116
To an American Publisher STEVIESMITH 117
1 Had a Duck-Billed Platypus PATRICKBARRINGTON 118
Impromptu on Charles II JOHN WILMOT, EARL OF
ROCHESTER 12 0
On His Own Career CLEMENT ATTLEE 121
On a General Election HILAIRE BELLOC 122
Managing the Common Herd JULIE O'CALLAGHAN 123
The Meeting GAVIN EWART 125
Advice to Copywriters ANONYMOUS 128Executive JOHN BETJEMAN 129
Going to the Dogs ANONYMOUS 130
I Was Fair Beat ROBERT GARIOCH 131
The James Bond Movie MAY SWENSON 132
We Don't Need To Leave Yet, Do We? or, Yes We Do
OGDEN NASH I3 3
How To Treat the House-Plants KITWRIGHT 135
Bunthorne'sSong w. s. GILBERT 137
Raymond of the Rooftops PAUL DURCAN 139
Celtic GAVIN EWART I4 I
This Englishwoman STEVIE SMITH 142
Outof Africa GRACE NICHOLS 143
Welsh Incident ROBERT GRAVES 144
Three Riddled Riddles MARTYNWILEY and
IAN MCMILLAN I4 6
By the By CHRISTOPHER REID 148
The Mad Gardener's Song LEWIS CARROLL 149
Acknowledgements 151
Index of Poets 155
Index of First Lines 15
Introduction
Money RICHARD ARMOUR 3
Fatigue HILAIRE BELLOC 4
Strike among the Poets ANONYMOUS 5
Poetical Economy HARRYGRAHAM 7
A Ballad of Abbreviations G. K. CHESTERTON 9
Liquor and Longevity ANONYMOUS I I
Ballade of Soporific Absorption j.c . SQUIRE 12
Life on Earth IAN MCMILLAN 14
Portrait of the Artist as a Prematurely Old Man
OGDEN NASH 15
The Village Burglar ANONYMOUS 17
The Sergeant's Song w. s. GILBERT 18
The Ruined Maid THOMAS HARDY 19
If People Disapprove of You SOPHIE HANNAH 20
To a Lady with 'The Temple of Fame'
ALEXANDER POPE 2 2
A Joke Versified THOMAS MOORE 23
Autumn STEVIE SMITH 24
The Best of Husbands JOHNG.SAXE 25
Sonnet EDNA ST VINCENT MILLAY 27
Mrs Hobson's Choice ALMA DENNY 28
from Shorts w. H. AUDEN 29
Love Song DOROTHY PARKER 30
One-Track Mind SOPHIE HANNAH 31
Dewpond and Black Drainpipes SELIMAHILL 32
Siren Song MARGARET ATWOOD 33
The Lover Writes a One-Word Poem GAVINEWART 35On Going To Meet a Zen Master in the Kyushu Mountains
and Not Finding Him DON PATERSON 36
Strugnell's Haiku WENDY COPE 37
There Was a Young Bard of Japan ANONYMOUS 38
A Tale of Two Metres TOM DISCH 39
Once TIMOTHY STEELE 40
Poeta Fit, Non Nascitur LEWIS CARROLL 41
To The Author of a Sonnet GEORGE GORDON,
LORD BYRON 45
Ancient Music EZRA POUND 46
How I Brought the Good News from Aix to Ghent (or Vice
Versa) R. J. YEATMAN AND W. C. SELLAR 47
The Bards WALTER DE LA MARE 49
Changed c. s. CALVERLEY 50
Peekaboo, I Almost See You OGDEN NASH 52
Scintillate ROGER MCGOUGH 53
King David and King Solomon J.B.NAYLOR 54
Margin Prayer from an Ancient Psalter IANDUHIG 55
Desk Duty HUGO WILLIAMS 57
Mr and Mrs R and the Christmas Card List
CONNIE BENSLEY 59
OntheCircuit w. H. AUDEN 60
VindalooinMerthyrTydfil LESMURRAY 63
Extra Helpings DOUGLAS DUNN 64
Through the Teeth ANONYMOUS 67
Epicurean Reminiscences of a Sentimentalist
THOMAS HOOD 68
The Virtues of Carnation Milk ANONYMOUS 71
How The Wild South East Was Lost KIT WRIGHT 72
The Song of Mr Toad KENNETH GRAHAME 73
Very Simply Topping Up the Brake Fluid
SIMON ARMITAGE 74
Men Talk LIZLOCHHEAD 75Ode on a Goal SIMON RAE 77
Etiquette w. s. GILBERT 78
from Paradise Illustrated: 1, vi, xx n D. J. ENRIGHT 82
On First-Name Terms JOHNAGARD 86
No Peas for the Wicked ROGER MCGOUGH 87
Deep Sorriness Atonement Song GLYNMAXWELL 88
Things FLEURADCOCK 90
TheSkip JAMES FENTON 91
Family Court OGDEN NASH 94
Discipline HARRY GRAHAM 95
A Parental Ode to My Son THOMAS HOOD 96
Hamlet STANLEY J. SHARPLESS 98
Ballade of Suicide G. K. CHESTERTON 99
TheOrbisonConsolations KITWRIGHT IO I
Resume DOROTHY PARKER 103
The Pessimist BENJAMIN FRANKLIN KING 104
The Dead Alive PIERRE JEAN DE BERANGER 105
TheMummy EDWIN MORGAN 107
Doubt ANONYMOUS IIO
TheFrog ANONYMOUS H I
0 Have You Caught the Tiger? A. E. HOUSMAN 112
Rat, ORat... CHRISTOPHER LOGUE 114
The British Journalist HUMBERTWOLFE 115
Publishers JOHN WHITWORTH 116
To an American Publisher STEVIESMITH 117
1 Had a Duck-Billed Platypus PATRICKBARRINGTON 118
Impromptu on Charles II JOHN WILMOT, EARL OF
ROCHESTER 12 0
On His Own Career CLEMENT ATTLEE 121
On a General Election HILAIRE BELLOC 122
Managing the Common Herd JULIE O'CALLAGHAN 123
The Meeting GAVIN EWART 125
Advice to Copywriters ANONYMOUS 128Executive JOHN BETJEMAN 129
Going to the Dogs ANONYMOUS 130
I Was Fair Beat ROBERT GARIOCH 131
The James Bond Movie MAY SWENSON 132
We Don't Need To Leave Yet, Do We? or, Yes We Do
OGDEN NASH I3 3
How To Treat the House-Plants KITWRIGHT 135
Bunthorne'sSong w. s. GILBERT 137
Raymond of the Rooftops PAUL DURCAN 139
Celtic GAVIN EWART I4 I
This Englishwoman STEVIE SMITH 142
Outof Africa GRACE NICHOLS 143
Welsh Incident ROBERT GRAVES 144
Three Riddled Riddles MARTYNWILEY and
IAN MCMILLAN I4 6
By the By CHRISTOPHER REID 148
The Mad Gardener's Song LEWIS CARROLL 149
Acknowledgements 151
Index of Poets 155
Index of First Lines 15
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1998
Physical description
159 p.; 7.75 inches
ISBN
0571196519 / 9780571196517
User reviews
LibraryThing member BoPeep
Humorous verse - mostly aimed at adults, but a few good bellylaughs for children too.
LibraryThing member Sashura
Veniamin Kaverin, one of the best loved Soviet novelists, once proclaimed that the two best Russian writers were R L Stevenson and ETA Hoffman of the Nutcracker fame. Much later, in 1965, a wise and respectable Kaverin published his book of memoirs 'Hello, Brother, It's So Hard to Write', which
He mentions an obscure poetic school of the time called "ничевоки" - 'noughtters' (nothingers, nadaists) who espoused minimalism in verse. Their poems often were a chain of a few nouns in nominative, and that was that.
'Here was the poet Truvor Kanunnikov', writes Kaverin. 'He never wrote anything. Not because he couldn't, but as a matter of principle. He was one of the noughtters, an extreme one. He proclaimed that the supreme level of poetry was the blank white page'.
I have always thought that Kaverin's story was a joke. Amazingly it isn't. The other day I was reading a brilliantly compiled book of humorous poems of British and American authors The Funny Side: 101 Humorous Poems (Faber poetry) (edited by Wendy Cope) and found several poems straight from the book of the noughtters.
Here is one:
The Lover Writes a One-Word-Poem
You!
(Gavin Ewart)
And this one is even better:
On Going to Meet a Zen Master in Kyushu Mountains and Not Finding Him
for A.G.
(Don Patterson)
(Note: it's just the title and the dedication, the rest is a blank page).
By the way, any better suggestions as to how to render ничевоки into English?
There is also a Russian version of this review on my blog.
Show More
included a humorous account of an evening in The Pegasus Stable, a Moscow literary cafe popular in the late 1910s - early 1920s.He mentions an obscure poetic school of the time called "ничевоки" - 'noughtters' (nothingers, nadaists) who espoused minimalism in verse. Their poems often were a chain of a few nouns in nominative, and that was that.
'Here was the poet Truvor Kanunnikov', writes Kaverin. 'He never wrote anything. Not because he couldn't, but as a matter of principle. He was one of the noughtters, an extreme one. He proclaimed that the supreme level of poetry was the blank white page'.
I have always thought that Kaverin's story was a joke. Amazingly it isn't. The other day I was reading a brilliantly compiled book of humorous poems of British and American authors The Funny Side: 101 Humorous Poems (Faber poetry) (edited by Wendy Cope) and found several poems straight from the book of the noughtters.
Here is one:
The Lover Writes a One-Word-Poem
You!
(Gavin Ewart)
And this one is even better:
On Going to Meet a Zen Master in Kyushu Mountains and Not Finding Him
for A.G.
(Don Patterson)
(Note: it's just the title and the dedication, the rest is a blank page).
By the way, any better suggestions as to how to render ничевоки into English?
There is also a Russian version of this review on my blog.
Show Less
LibraryThing member PickledOnion42
I read this collection while feeling rather rough with a cold (with the hope of lifting my spirits a little), but to be honest I found most of the poems contained within to be not all that funny – a quite substantial failing in a collection of humerous poems. In the interest of fairness I should
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admit to being fairly new to the world of poetry (I only started to really 'get' poetry about a year or so ago) so the fault may very well lie with the reader here, and of course feeling awful will undoubtably dampen one's sense of humour somewhat also. So with these mitigating factors in mind, I'll simply state that for this virus-infested poetry novice, this book was something of a disappointment. Show Less
Call number
FIC D Cop