LIGHT

VERSE

LIGHT VERSE• Characterised by humour

• Includes a number of forms:•Limerick•Epigram•Double dactyl•Nonsense verse

LIMERICKA macho young swimmer named

Dwyer,Really liked playing with fire.

One night in the darkHe swam with a shark,

And his voice is now two octaves higher.

EPIGRA

M

• John DonneJohn Donne• Robert HerrickRobert Herrick• Ben JonsonBen Jonson• Alexander PopeAlexander Pope• Samuel Taylor ColeridgeSamuel Taylor Coleridge• Oscar WildeOscar Wilde• Ezra PoundEzra Pound• Dorothy ParkerDorothy Parker• Ogden NashOgden Nash

EpigramEpigram

Succinct No more than four lines (usually)

pithy, witty, satirical

Most often to be found in the form of a rhymed couplet

EpigramEpigram

What is an Epigram? A What is an Epigram? A dwarfish whole,dwarfish whole,

Its body brevity, and wit Its body brevity, and wit its soul. its soul.

‘‘What is an Epigram?’ What is an Epigram?’ (Coleridge)(Coleridge)

CandyCandyIs dandy,Is dandy,But liquorBut liquorIs quickerIs quicker

‘‘Ice-Breaking’ (Nash)Ice-Breaking’ (Nash)

• ‘‘I can resist everything I can resist everything except temptation’ (Wilde)except temptation’ (Wilde)

• ‘‘We are all in the gutter, We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking but some of us are looking at stars’ (Wilde)at stars’ (Wilde)

• ‘‘I am too f***ing busy, and I am too f***ing busy, and vice versa’ (Parker)vice versa’ (Parker)

Non-poetic Non-poetic epigramepigram

DOUBLE

DACTYL

{{ {{Dactyl Three syllable foot

stressed + unstressed + unstressed

Double dactyl words OctogenarianOctogenarian OCT o OCT o gen/ AR i angen/ AR i an

UnsatisfactoryUnsatisfactory UN UN sat is/ FAC to rysat is/ FAC to ry

GastrointestinalGastrointestinal GAS tro in/ TES ti GAS tro in/ TES ti nalnal

MephistophelianMephistophelian ME ME phis to/ PHEL li anphis to/ PHEL li an

First line of 1First line of 1stst quatrain MUST quatrain MUST be nonsense in the form of a be nonsense in the form of a double dactyldouble dactyl very often it’s ‘higgledy-very often it’s ‘higgledy-piggledy’piggledy’

Second line of 1Second line of 1stst quatrain MUST quatrain MUST refer to a person or placerefer to a person or place

Composing a double Composing a double dactyldactyl

There MUST be one line of poem There MUST be one line of poem that consists of a double dactyl that consists of a double dactyl wordword this is in addition to line 1, this is in addition to line 1, quatrain 1quatrain 1

The last lines of each quatrain The last lines of each quatrain are in are in spondeespondee NOT double dactyl NOT double dactyl the spondees will rhymethe spondees will rhyme do not need to rhyme elsewheredo not need to rhyme elsewhere

Composing a double Composing a double dactyldactyl

Higgledy-piggledy Higgledy-piggledy Emily Dickinson Emily Dickinson Amherst had nothing more Amherst had nothing more Noble than she. Noble than she.

’Sconced in her house with the ’Sconced in her house with the

Curtains pulled back just so: Curtains pulled back just so: Monochromatically Monochromatically Serving up tea.Serving up tea.

‘‘Emily Dickinson’ (R Emily Dickinson’ (R McHenry)McHenry)

nonsense word AND double dactyl

(proper) name

double dactyl word

spondee (rhyming)

spondee (rhyming)

Hankety pankety Hankety pankety Boy in a blanket, he’s Boy in a blanket, he’s Off on a goose-chase to Off on a goose-chase to Look for a star Look for a star

IncontrovertiblyIncontrovertiblyJourneys through Faërie Journeys through Faërie Strip off the blanket to Strip off the blanket to See who you areSee who you are

Stardust Stardust (Neil Gaiman)(Neil Gaiman)nonsense AND double dactyl

person

double dactyl word

spondee

spondee

NONSEN

SE

VERSE

Lewis CarrollLewis Carroll Edward LearEdward Lear Ogden NashOgden Nash Roald DahlRoald Dahl Spike MilliganSpike Milligan Shel SilversteinShel Silverstein

Nonsense VerseNonsense Verse

Frequently characterised by use Frequently characterised by use of nonsense words (i.e., made of nonsense words (i.e., made up words)up words)

May or may not make semantic May or may not make semantic sensesense

They will rhyme, by rhyme They will rhyme, by rhyme scheme varies from poet to poetscheme varies from poet to poet ABAB and ABCB are common ABAB and ABCB are common

Nonsense Verse

‘I will call you by Whisper-ma-Phone,for the secrets I tell you are for your ears alone.’ SLUPP!Down slupps the Whisper-ma-Phone to your earand the old Once-ler's whispers are not very clear,since they have to come downthrough a snergelly hose,and he soundsas if he had smallish bees up his nose.‘Now I'll tell you,’ he says, with his teeth sounding grey,‘how the Lorax got lifted and taken away...’

The Lorax (Dr Seuss)

Hypochondriacs Hypochondriacs Spend the winter at the bottom of Florida and Spend the winter at the bottom of Florida and the summer on top of the summer on top of the the Adirondriacs. [Adirondacks]. [Adirondacks]You go to Paris and live on champagne wine and You go to Paris and live on champagne wine and cognac cognac If you're If you're dipsomognac. [dipsomaniac]. [dipsomaniac]If you're a manic-depressive If you're a manic-depressive You don't go anywhere where you won't be You don't go anywhere where you won't be cheered up, and people say cheered up, and people say "There, there!" if your bills are excessive. "There, there!" if your bills are excessive. But you stick around and work day and night and But you stick around and work day and night and night and day with your nose to the sawmill. night and day with your nose to the sawmill. If you're If you're nawmill. [normal]. [normal]

‘Oh To Be Odd!’ (Nash)

A was once a little A was once a little ant,ant,AntsyAntsyFantsyFantsyMantsyMantsyAntsy,Antsy,

Fantsy anty,Fantsy anty,Little ant!Little ant!

‘Alphabet Poems’ (Lear)X was once a little X was once a little

x-man,x-man,Mexman,Mexman,Nexman,Nexman,Pexman,Pexman,Mexman ,Mexman ,

X-man has big claws,X-man has big claws,Little x-man!Little x-man!

CHALLENGE:Write somenonsense