Every Man His Own Poet; Or, The Inspired Singer's Recipe BookMallock, W. H. (William Hurrell)
History
Every Man His Own Poet; Or, The Inspired Singer's Recipe Book
Mallock, W. H. (William Hurrell)
English wit and humor; Poetry -- History and criticism
Take one blaspheming patriot, who has been hung or buried for some time,
together with the oppressed country belonging to him. Soak these in a
quantity of rotten sentiment, till they are completely sodden; and in
the mean while get ready an indefinite number of Christian kings and
priests. Kick these till they are nearly dead; add copiously broken
fragments of the Catholic church, and mix all together thoroughly. Place
them in a heap upon the oppressed country; season plentifully with very
coarse expressions; and on the top carefully arrange your patriot,
garnished with laurel or with parsley; surround with artificial hopes
for the future, which are never meant to be tasted. This kind of poem is
cooked in verbiage, flavoured with Liberty, the taste of which is much
heightened by the introduction of a few high gods, and the game of
Fortune. The amount of verbiage which Liberty is capable of flavouring,
is practically infinite.
CONCLUSION.
We regret to have to offer this work to the public in its present
incomplete state, the whole of that part treating of the most recent
section of modern poetry, _viz._, the blasphemous and the obscene, being
entirely wanting. It was found necessary to issue this from an eminent
publishing firm in Holywell street, Strand, where by an unforeseen
casualty, the whole of the first edition was seized by the police, and
is at present in the hands of the Society for the Suppression of Vice.
We incline however to trust that this loss will have but little effect;
as indecency and profanity are things in which, even to the dullest,
external instruction is a luxury, rather than a necessity. Those of our
readers, who, either from sense, self-respect, or other circumstances,
are in need of a special training in these subjects, will find excellent
professors of them in any public-house, during the late hours of the
evening; where the whole sum and substance of the fieriest school of
modern poetry is delivered nightly; needing only a little dressing and
flavouring with artificial English to turn it into very excellent
verse.
End of Project Gutenberg's Every Man His Own Poet, by Newdigate Prizeman
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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