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Re: A Verne clerihew

From: Rick Walter <rick1walter~at~comcast.net>
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2011 11:47:15 -0700
To: "Jules Verne Forum" <jvf~at~gilead.org.il>

Or how about:

Monsieur Jules Verne

had plenty to learn:

he gave Captain Nemo the fictional goal

of sailing his Nautilus to the South Pole.




All the best,

Rick

Frederick Paul Walter
Albuquerque, New Mexico


  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Alex Kirstukas
  To: Jules Verne Forum
  Sent: Monday, March 07, 2011 9:48 AM
  Subject: A Verne clerihew


        Hi all,

        Is anyone on the Forum fond of the clerihew? It's an unmetered four-line verse form, invented by E. C. Bentley, in which a well-known figure is treated biographically and irreverently. Two of Bentley's best are:

          Sir Christopher Wren
          Went to dine with some men.
          He said, "If anyone calls,
          Say I'm designing Saint Paul's."
        And:

          George the Third
          Ought never to have occurred.
          One can only wonder
          At so grotesque a blunder.
        So far, so good - but when I was browsing a collection of Bentley's first clerihews, I came upon the following:

          M. Jules Verne

          Ne demeura jamais à Nairn.

          Il ne parle pas du Salon

          Dans Cinq Semaines en Ballon.

        Here, I admit, I'm stumped. While it's no doubt true that Verne "never resided in Nairn," what does that rather ordinary Scottish town have to do with the Salon - or with anything, for that matter? Am I missing an obvious joke? Or is this simply one of Bentley's least inspired clerihews?

        While we're on the subject, of course, it's tempting to come up with further Vernian verses. Those familiar with his education, for example, might write:

          Jules Verne

          Had law as an early concern;

          Hence the lack of heroic attorneys

          In the Extraordinary Journeys.

        Cheers,

        Alex
       
Received on Mon 07 Mar 2011 - 20:47:33 IST

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