Sunday, May 12, 2013

Happy birthday, Edward Lear: May 12, 1812 – January 29, 1888

It's been one hundred twenty-five years
Since he left for the heavenly spheres.
We've since stolen, quite outright,
His form quinquepartite
But the credit is all Mr. Lear's.

(Hat-tip to the late Roger Ebert, whose lengthy and acceleratingly naughty tribute to Lear's verse form is here, and to Marilyn, who gave me my copy of Lear's A Book of Nonsense about thirty years ago. And now, go steep yourself in the website of Mad Kane, the Emily Dickenson of limericks.)

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