Poetry: Robert Reese
May. 27th, 2010 10:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
curuchamionAnother poetry post... I think I might do this once a week. There's so much lovely poetry in the world to share, both the miles of it already inside my head and the bunches I still need to learn.
Whence, this poem. ;-)
An Overworked Elocutionist
by Carolyn Bailey Wells
Once there was a little boy whose name was Robert Reese,
And every Friday afternoon he had to speak a piece.
So many poems thus he learned that soon he had a score
Of recitations in his head, and still kept learning more.
Now this is what happened: he was called upon one week
And totally forgot the piece he was about to speak.
His brain he cudgelled; not a word remained within his head!
And so he spoke at random, and this is what he said.
"My beautiful, my beautiful, that standest proudly by,
It was the schooner Hesperus! the breaking waves dashed high!
Why is this forum crowded? What means this stir in Rome?
Under a spreading chestnut tree, there is no place like home!
"When freedom from her mountain height cried 'Twinkle, little star',
Shoot if you must this old gray head, King Henry of Navarre!
Roll on, thou deep and dark blue castled crag of Drachenfels;
My name is Norval - on the Grampian heights, ring out, wild bells!
"If you're waking, call me early, to be or not to be,
Curfew must not ring tonight! O woodman, spare that tree!
Charge, Chester, charge! On, Stanley, on! and let who will be clever,
The boy stood on the burning deck, but I go on for ever!"
His elocution was superb, his voice and gestures fine;
His schoolmates all applauded as he finished the last line.
"I see it doesn't matter," Robert thought, "what words I say,
So long as I declaim with oratorical display."
(Better yet, I found a web page that hyperlinks each quotation here to the poem it originally came from! *squee*)
Whence, this poem. ;-)
An Overworked Elocutionist
by Carolyn Bailey Wells
Once there was a little boy whose name was Robert Reese,
And every Friday afternoon he had to speak a piece.
So many poems thus he learned that soon he had a score
Of recitations in his head, and still kept learning more.
Now this is what happened: he was called upon one week
And totally forgot the piece he was about to speak.
His brain he cudgelled; not a word remained within his head!
And so he spoke at random, and this is what he said.
"My beautiful, my beautiful, that standest proudly by,
It was the schooner Hesperus! the breaking waves dashed high!
Why is this forum crowded? What means this stir in Rome?
Under a spreading chestnut tree, there is no place like home!
"When freedom from her mountain height cried 'Twinkle, little star',
Shoot if you must this old gray head, King Henry of Navarre!
Roll on, thou deep and dark blue castled crag of Drachenfels;
My name is Norval - on the Grampian heights, ring out, wild bells!
"If you're waking, call me early, to be or not to be,
Curfew must not ring tonight! O woodman, spare that tree!
Charge, Chester, charge! On, Stanley, on! and let who will be clever,
The boy stood on the burning deck, but I go on for ever!"
His elocution was superb, his voice and gestures fine;
His schoolmates all applauded as he finished the last line.
"I see it doesn't matter," Robert thought, "what words I say,
So long as I declaim with oratorical display."
(Better yet, I found a web page that hyperlinks each quotation here to the poem it originally came from! *squee*)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-05-27 03:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-27 04:42 pm (UTC)The boy stood on the burning deck,
Melting with the heat,
His big blue eyes were full of tears,
And his shoes were full of feet.
X-D
I recommend his "Punctured Poems" btw - you would love it. Probably out of print, but maybe you could find a used copy. Actually, I recommend ALL of his history books too!
no subject
Date: 2010-05-28 05:33 am (UTC)