Would you like to know what a clerihew is like; who invented this form of verse; who clerihews are about; what the rules for writing clerihews are? Then the following information is for you.
The origin.
There is another type of funny verse with four lines. The author’s name is Edmund
Clerihew Bentley (1875-1956), an English journalist and novelist. These short humorous poems are rather similar to limerick form that generally uses the name of a person for one of its rhymes.
Edmund Clerihew Bentley
Created Philip Trent He
Also defined the norm
For his eponymous poetic form.
His short and funny poems are known as clerihews, named after him. He started writing clerihews at the age of sixteen when he studied at St. Paul’s school in London.
Sitting at a chemistry lesson one fateful day in 1890, an English schoolboy with a bored air and a blank sheet of paper in front of him penned down the verse:
Sir Humphrey Davy/ Abominated Gravy / He lived in the odium/ Of having discovered sodium.
The school’s boy’s name was Edmund Clerihew Bentley, and the form of verse he invented that day is known as clerihew. His first book of clerihews «Biography for Beginners» was published in 1905, another book «More Biography» was published in 1929.
What is a clerihew?
The Poet’s Manual and Rhyming Dictionary defines a clerihew as « a humorous pseudo-biographical» verse. The purpose of a clerihew is to offer a satiric or ridiculous biography of famous person. It’s a sort of comic biography.
The first line names a person.
The second line contains some information about this person and it rhymes with the name of the person.
The third and the fourth lines contain something funny and amusing about this person.
Bentley’s clerihews differ from Lear’s limericks. The first two lines rhyme; and so do the last two.
Some of them were written about the most famous Britons – Sir Chr. Wren, A. Wellington, J. Swift, J. Chaucer, F. Bacon, W. Shakespeare and many others who contributed to the development of British culture in all its forms.
Now let’s read these funny portraits of famous people. Try to guess who they are about. The words the following names rhyme with will help you to find it out.
Ch. Wren, A. Wellington, J. Swift, J. Chaucer, M. Cervantes, F. Bacon.
Sir Christopher _________ Geoffrey ________
Said, «I’m going to dine with some men, Always himself drank of saucer.
If anybody calls He said it made him feel such an ass
Say I’m designing St. Paul’s. To drink out of a glass.
The people of Spain think _______ When his lordship asked_________
Equal to a dozen Dantes; How many bribes he had taken
An opinion resembled most bitterly He had at least the grace
By the people of Italy. To get very red in his face.
Jonathan________ The great Duke
Never went up in a lift ; Reduced himself to a skellington.
Nor did the author of «Robinson Crusoe» He reached seven stone two
Do so. And then – Waterloo!
Clerihewists.
Among clerihew writers we find the names of G.K. Chesterton, an English poet, novelist and essayist, Kel Richards, Michael Curl, R.R. Tolkien.
Edmund Clerihew Bentley Edmund Clerihew Bentley
Wrote of murder – rather gently. Mused while he ought to have studied intently.
But then he gave up mystery It was his muse
And, instead, made fun of history. That inspired clerihews.
Kel Richards Michael Curl
The novels of Jane Austen Why choose clerihews?
Are the ones to lost in. How much sweeter
I wonder if Labby Are things that rhyme
Has read Northanger Abbey. With the usual meter!