Utterly random poetry post

[curuchamion]

... Alfred Noyes was awesome. I'm not so fond of "The Highwayman" because I read it with illustrations in ghastly pale green, but "Forty Singing Seamen" is fun, and "The Admiral's Ghost" is one of my favorite poems ever. (I don't have it memorized, unfortunately. Yet.) And The Secret of Pooduck Island is right up there with The Lord of the Rings on the very short list of books I'd pay retail for.

Anyway, here is one of his shorter poems. Because I am bored and do not feel like writing about my least favorite episode of Bonanza. (I might skip that question.)

St George and the Dragon
by Alfred Noyes

St George he slew the dragon,
But he didn't shout hurray.
He dumped it in the wagon
Just to clear the mess away.

But the wagoner he sold it
To a showman at the Fair,
And when St George was told it
He was almost in despair.

For the people crowded round it
To admire its teeth and claws,
But St George he was an Englishman
And did not like applause.

"The creechah weighed a ton at most,"
He muttered through his vizahd.
"I do not feel inclined to boast
About that puny lizahd."

Comments

[thisbluespirit]

Random poetry is always good!

I remember my school teacher reading us The Highwayman, which has always stayed with me, even though I know very littles of Noyes's other poems. It was illustrated in picture book format in 1981 by Charles Keeping, one of the most distinctive children's book illustrators of this century and won the Kate Greenaway medal that year, something I've had close ties to in my professional life (well until this year's fun and games). Not that you probably wanted to know that, but little known facts make the world go round, don't they?

I see your mood says sick - hope you feel better soon!

[curuchamion.livejournal.com]

'little known facts make the world go round, don't they?'

Indeed. Thanks for the linky!

'hope you feel better soon!'

Thanks... I will, eventually. It's "that time of the month" - I get it pretty bad. :-(

[primsong.livejournal.com]

This cheered my entire morning - yay for Noyes!

[curuchamion.livejournal.com]

:D

[lolmac]

I know two of his poems as songs -- The Highwayman (again), and Song of Sherwood. Phil Ochs did the former, and edited it down a bit to make it work better as an actual ballad.