Monday, May 12, 2014

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

It's been one hundred twenty-six 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.

And the metrically astute among you will realize I'm going to have a problem with getting the right number of beats in the first line next year. I've got a year to come up with a plan. Suggestions are welcome.

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