Poets, Love 'Em or Hate 'Em

This coming Friday, August 18th, is once again

NATIONAL BAD POETRY DAY

Let the versification begin!

Okay, that's enough bad poetry!

I must include at least ONE good poem!

It's National Bad Poetry Day Today!

We all know that poets and poetry

get virtually no respect these days,

either in life . . . 

. . . or in death.

But today on National Bad Poetry Day,

they get even less respect than usual!

So to mark this auspicious occasion,

here are some famous poems turned into bad poetry

simply by being rewritten as limericks,

that lowest of all poetical forms

(courtesy of The Poetry Collection blog) --

The Raven

There once was a girl named Lenore

And a bird and a bust and a door

And a guy with depression

And a whole lot of questions

And the bird always says “Nevermore.”

Footprints in the Sand

There was a man who, at low tide
Would walk with the Lord by his side
Jesus said “Now look back;
You’ll see one set of tracks.
That’s when you got a piggy-back ride.”

Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening

There once was a horse-riding chap
Who took a trip in a cold snap
He stopped in the snow
But he soon had to go:
He was miles away from a nap.

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

There was an old father of Dylan
Who was seriously, mortally illin’
“I want,” Dylan said
“You to bitch till you’re dead.
“I’ll be pissed if you kick it while chillin’.”

I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud

There once was a poet named Will
Who tramped his way over a hill
And was speechless for hours
Over some stupid flowers
This was years before TV, but still.

And what's this?

A mathematical limerick?

Despite everything that's been said in this post

to commemorate National Bad Poetry Day,

let's end on a positive note and

recognize the true value of poets and poetry!

Huzzah, It's Here!

Yes, August 18th, National Bad Poetry Day, is upon us once more! "O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!" And to celebrate, I've collected a few choice gems for your perusal and consideration . . . .

Bad Poets, like all poets, yearn to write the Great Eternal Truths of Love.

But Bad Poets also write movingly and eloquently about Life's Many Trials and Tribulations.

Nor are Bad Poets limited to our own human species. All kindred beings can pour out their innermost hearts using the Sweet Language of The Divine Emollient.

Thank you for celebrating National Bad Poetry Day with She Who Seeks blog!

National Bad Poetry Day

EVERYONE needs to celebrate National Bad Poetry Day today.

"Forsooth, why?" asketh thou, in your best Shakespearean manner.

Because for every good poem in the world, there's a million bad ones. Even among great poets, their lifetime's work will consist of a few good poems and a lotta crap. If they're lucky, they'll hit the jackpot and write maybe one or two poems of true genius which will live forever, never becoming archaic or outdated.

And then, of course, there's the rest of us poor Joe Average schlubs who put poetic pen to paper and write nothing BUT bad poetry.

So in honour of National Bad Poetry Day, here is my contribution to the Canon of Crap. I have posted this before but it is sufficiently redolent to justify a repeat posting. Pardon me while I clear my throat prior to declaiming my deathless masterpiece (*ahem*) --

bad poet's dilemma

can i use this word
without irony

"bootylicious"

hmm, no

© Debra She Who Seeks 2008