Subscribe: by Email | in Reader

Waste Land Limericks -- Wendy Cope

       
(Poem #859) Waste Land Limericks
 I

 In April one seldom feels cheerful;
 Dry stones, sun and dust make me fearful;
 Clairvoyantes distress me,
 Commuters depress me--
 Met Stetson and gave him an earful.

 II

 She sat on a mighty fine chair,
 Sparks flew as she tidied her hair;
 She asks many questions,
 I make few suggestions--
 Bad as Albert and Lil--what a pair!

 III

 The Thames runs, bones rattle, rats creep;
 Tiresias fancies a peep--
 A typist is laid,
 A record is played--
 Wei la la. After this it gets deep.

 IV

 A Phoenician named Phlebas forgot
 About birds and his business--the lot,
 Which is no surprise,
 Since he'd met his demise
 And been left in the ocean to rot.

 V

 No water. Dry rocks and dry throats,
 Then thunder, a shower of quotes
 From the Sanskrit and Dante.
 Da. Damyata. Shantih.
 I hope you'll make sense of the notes.
-- Wendy Cope
Reams of critical analysis are all very well, but sometimes I think the best
thing to have come out of "The Waste Land" is Wendy Cope's inspired summary
of the poem. Her stripped down version of Eliot's rather impenetrable
masterpiece is (as we've come to expect from Cope) excruciatingly funny, but
it's also amazingly faithful to the original - she seems to capture the
essence of each (long and complex) section in just a few short lines. And in
the pithiest of language, too: phrases such as "After this it gets deep"
invariably set me laughing out loud.

thomas.

[Links etc]

Wendy Cope rules. Check out
Poem #587, Strugnell's Rubaiyat
Poem #693, Strugnell's Haiku
on the Minstrels website.

T. S. Eliot rules too, but in a more, well, rarefied way. See
Poem #9, La Figlia Che Piange (The Weeping Girl)
Poem #107, Preludes
Poem #193, The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock
Poem #248, Sweeney Among the Nightingales
Poem #258, Macavity: The Mystery Cat
Poem #291, The Journey of the Magi
Poem #466, Rhapsody on a Windy Night
Poem #532, Little Gidding
Poem #574, Growltiger's Last Stand
Poem #630, To Walter de la Mare
Poem #846, The Hippopotamus

and especially
Poem #354, The Waste Land (Part IV)
Poem #858, The Waste Land (Part V)

The entire text of this poem, quite possibly the most influential of the
20th century, can be found at http://www.bartleby.com/201/1.html

"The Waste Land" has a (not completely unwarranted) reputation for being
rather hard to parse. I recommend Hugh Kenner's essay "The Invisible Poet",
and "The Waste Land: A Critique of the Myth" by Cleanth Brooks for perceptive
(if somewhat dated) readings of the poem, and descriptions of Eliot's
then-revolutionary poetic technique. My enjoyment of Cope's limericks was
enhanced immeasurably by my reading of these two scholarly articles (and
others; John Wain's Waste Land Casebook is a good compendium, if you really
want to go into depth).

23 comments: ( or Leave a comment )

markabel garcia said...

awesome limerick. I'm researching the waste land and broke thru some of the symbols.Put some images together. your limerick caused me to laugh and think. thanks.
(f**king eliot!)
mark-

Costa Rica Cheap Land for Sale said...

Hello I want to congratulate to them by its site of the Web of the excellent looks like entertained and very good very to me it elaborated. I invite them to that they explore a little on my Web site.

louis said...

Hello I want to congratulate to them by its site of the Web of the excellent looks like entertained and very good very to me it elaborated. I invite them to that they explore a little on my Web site.

فيس بوك said...

this is a very sensitive poem i really like part III its wonderful
thanks

Penis Enlargement Pills said...

The author has written an excellent article. You have made your point and there is not much to argue about. It is like the following universal truth that you can not argue with: No truth is universal, everything has its exception. Thanks for the info

Gabriel said...

I'm surprised I found this poem. Cope is against having her poems published without her permission (and compensation...)

Unknown said...

http://wonderingminstrels.blogspot.com/2001/08/frustration-dorothy-parker.html

Anonymous said...

Every weekend i used to visit this web page, as i wish for enjoyment, as this this web page conations truly fastidious funny
material too.
Feel free to visit my web page www.dzlol.com

Anonymous said...

Woгryіng abоut losing weight and get immediately seateԁ for ԁinneг and a low carb green сoffee bean extraсt гeviews mаy even speed
up youг weight. Ι maу trу to fill
out my meal planner likeDinnerbеatwill helр you lose
weight. Μаіnly гecommended foοd groups out of
your food habits іs not merelу
reflect heaνіer chilԁren Greеn Сoffee Beаn Extraсt Rеviews.
Don't be tempted to look at what cost?

Feel free to surf to my webpage ... Http://Www.Speedfitnetwork.Com/
Also see my web page: pure green coffee extract

Anonymous said...

In fact, ԁіeteгѕ bесome
healthіer and lose ωeіght, and the amino acіd ѕupplement.
If you lose fat. 4 billіon peοple, or Mаqui berry.
Рοst apρroѵal, as theу do lοve sωeets nоω that he's still her special-occasion chef, my doctors, experienced nutritionist and speaker. When Jobs' appаrent Raspbеrry Кеtones ωhich aгe
highly рrocesseԁ fоods, pгeρared fοods and аlcohol.


Rеνіеw my wеb sitе; where can i buy Raspberry ketones

Anonymous said...

Ӏ wаs spending оver diet pіlls.
Вeloω are some bodyωeіght workoutѕ
I do аbdοminal еxerсiseѕ like walking more oftеn yοu bгush уοuг teеth аnd rinsе.
Іf уou are off to the calories that yоu would
if you аrе buying quick way tо гasρberгy κetones are its heаlth benefіts of haѵing desѕеrt аfteг lunch,
аnԁ see your weight loѕs. Somе dоctorѕ fеel liquiԁs oг fluіds.
Pondering аhead maу be time to inhаling
anԁ exhаling, or bу catalytic hуdrοgenаtіon, such
as bгown rісe and nutѕ.


Μy weblog - http://ketoneraspberrytips.com/

Anonymous said...

Sο it is mаinly due to thе glitz of fashion
neon sunglasses, look for Pips, who lack
quality and thesе glaѕѕes at reаsonable prices.

Anonymous said...

The infrared receiver which is required to use the ZV1 must be purchased separately for about $20 USD.
The keyboard is especially designed for ease of use for that users.
If you can find it, remove it from the list so we can try to re-add.


Feel free to surf to my homepage: chuot khong day

Anonymous said...

Tаking grееn coffеe diet foг wеight losѕ.
Sevеral people wish to loѕе weіght, but if you reԁucе
the іntake of caloгiе сοunt gгаdually.

Then yοu hаve to bе mindful uѕing thіs.


Viѕit my web рage ... pure green coffee extract

Anonymous said...

Rеmember, puгe green coffеe extract cannot be
used by a popular number of individuals.

my blog pοst: care-sheet.com

Anonymous said...

It's going to be finish of mine day, however before finish I am
reading this fantastic article to improve my knowledge.



Here is my web site ... male enhance

Unknown said...

When you are someone who seem to thinks not eating breakfast just might help you lose excess fat, you're not by yourself. I perceive this out of my clients often; many think skipping morning meal is very best way to cut fat laden calories and shed extra pounds quicker. www.breakfast4health.org

Unknown said...

The poem, though not outstanding, but very impressive, I really like. I like poetry and daily use of social networks baixar facebook gratis l baixar whatsapp gratis l whatsapp baixar l baixar whatsapp

starnasa said...

Thank you for the information, it was quite enlightening for me and increased knowledge for reading.

Post a Comment