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Lewis Carroll wrote parodies and nonsense verse: ‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: all mimsy were the borogroves, And the mome raths outgrabe. 9
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Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive or be he dead I’ll grind his bones to make my bread. 11
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Then you can call me “Timbertoes”— that’s what the people likes!. . “Old Timbertoes, ” you see, ‘s a creed it’s safe to be quite bold on, There’s nothin in’t the other side can any ways get hold on. 15
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Mark Twain confessed to studying Julia Moore’s poetry to learn the art of writing “funny” poems. He is said to have used Moore as the model for Emmaline Grangerford, who wrote “Ode to Stephen Dowling Bots, Dec’d, ” in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 18
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Theodore Seuss Geisel wrote under the names of Theo Le. Sieg, Rosetta Stone, and Dr. Seuss. When Dr. Seuss was awarded an honorary doctorate at a college graduation, the entire audience stood up and recited Green Eggs and Ham. 20
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ENGAGEMENT AND TRANSCENDENCE Good poetry usually contains much sensual imagery. Poetry is usually about the interaction between a human being and the human being’s senses of smell, taste, touch, sound, and sight. But good poetry is also often transcendent. 25
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Rather grasp how the dark converging lines of the steeple meet at the pinnacle— perceive how its little ornament tries to stop them-- 28
See how it fails! See how the converging lines of the hexagonal spire escape upward— receding, dividing! --sepals that guard and contain the flower! 29
Observe how motionless the eaten moon lies in the protecting lines It is true: in the light colors of morning brown-stone and slate shine orange and dark blue. 30
But observe the oppressive weight of the squat edifice! Observe the jasmine lightness of the moon. 31
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Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost 33
He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep And miles to go before I sleep. 34
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love is more thicker than forget more thinner than recall more seldom than a wave is wet more frequent than to fail it is most mad and moonly and less it shall unbe than all the sea which only is deeper than the sea 36
love is less always than to win less never than alive less bigger than the least begin less littler than forgive it is most sane and sunly and more it cannot die than all the sky which only is higher than the sky 37
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The Best Poetic Trope: Deadpan Humor 40
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“Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss 44
“Would you like to swing on a star? ” 45
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Ditties and Jingles in Advertising 50
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