March Poetic License
Want this button?
It’s time again for Penseive’s Poetic License.
This month’s style is the limerick, which has an unintentionally funny section in the Wikipedia entry about how the only good limericks are the dirty ones:
“…from a folkloric point of view, the form is essentially transgressive; violation of taboo is part of its function.”
The formality of phrasing there made me laugh. I can just imagine a bunch of stuffy academics sitting in a professors lounge, reading dirty limericks, smoking their pipes and nodding thoughtfully like they’re being read Keats or Shelly.
Transgressions of taboo aside, the limerick does have an acceptable form, with five lines and an AABBA rhyme scheme (Not to be confused with the “major worldwide Swedish Edison award and Eurovision winning pop/dance group active between 1972 and 1982“).
In addition to the style, Robin’s challenge for this month is to incorporate one of the following words into the poem: green, irish, leprechaun, shamrock, Easter, Spring, kite, windy.
I had planned to do a couple of these, but woke up this morning with a splitting headache and general malaise, so one (lame limerick) was all I could muster. Here it is, in honor of my headache:
Noise Pollution
Though my head is now split like shamrock,
Most likely from listening to glam rock,
I Can’t seem to say no
Might just catch a show,
It’d be cool to see Bowie in Bangkok.
Popularity: 43% [?]
If you liked this post, subscribe to my RSS feed, or subscribe via Email.
March 7th, 2008 at 7:13 am
First things first–SORRY for the brain ache and I hope that passes soon!
Second…great, Brandon, just GREAT! You gave a more thorough explanation of “limerick” than I did. Do I thank you or throw daggers?
Third, in spite of your malaise and throbbing temples, kudos to YOU! You earned an “A”. Well done :).
Ah ha! A fourth thing–the reason you didn’t tell me in advance the content of your poem was NOT because you were exercising restraint! It’s ’cause you had no idea what you were going to write! Gotcha!!
(Glad you’ve joined PPL…you bring a lot to the game :).)
March 7th, 2008 at 8:04 am
That is awesome! Shamrock and glam rock - just awesome!
Hope your head feels better!
March 7th, 2008 at 8:17 am
I betcha that there is a a degree in limericks at one of those institutions of higher learning… hee hee.
Very nice. (ps. leprechauns smoke pipes, too!!)
March 7th, 2008 at 8:43 am
I like that one. I would’ve been there back in the day. But then came the 80’s and the New Wave/Punk rock explosion and I was hooked.
As for the headache, just put on some New York Dolls (volume level max) and take two aspirin and call me in the morning.
March 7th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Thanks for the kinds words all. My head feels much better and I’m trying to get some work done from home this afternoon.
Robin, First, thanks. Second, throw daggers.
Third, does this class offer A+’s? If so, I can do better. Fourth, you caught me. I had NO clue what to write about even this morning. Closest I came before this was about a green Irish setter named Eugene.
Jana, thanks!
Pamela, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were.
InheritorOfHeaven, nice name for starters! Nothing like Punk Rock to cure a headache.
March 7th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Bangkok and shamrock? I love it! Great job.
March 7th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Bowie in Bangkok! AWESOME .
March 8th, 2008 at 9:01 am
Well, in spite of a headache, you did a really great job… Bowie is indeed a huge figure in the glam-rock world and I love that you put him in Bangkok!
March 8th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Gorsh! You can write better with a headache than I can without one. Hope you are feeling better.
Take two aspirin and call someone in the morning.
March 9th, 2008 at 7:58 am
Sandy, Karmyn, Marsha and Swampy,
Thanks for reading and for leaving a comment. Glad you liked it!