Oxford Book of Comic Verses

From Publishers Weekly
In his introduction, Gross, also the editor of The Oxford Book of Essays, defines comic verse as primarily meant to amuse. From this bland definition he derives his principles of inclusion: funny poems that do not exceed the boundaries of good taste. No bawdy lyrics, no skewering satire here. Within these limits, he surveys the field from Chaucer to Glyn Maxwell (1962-), comforting readers with such old chestnuts as Tom Brown's "Dr. Fell," the anonymous "Elinor Glyn" and Gellett Burgess's "The Purple Cow," and delighting them with new suprises like Burgess's sequel, "Cinq Ans Apres," Richard Wilbur's "Prisoner of Zenda," C.S. Calverley's "Flight," Virginia Graham's "Ein Complaint" and a host of others. Arguments could be made over the relative lack of American and, especially, female voices-where, for example, are Gertrude Stein, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Marianne Moore?-and over the inclusion of popular song lyrics, poems in French, or Burma shave ads. But this is, overall, an entertaining collection that updates and complements W.H. Auden's Oxford Book of Light Verse (1939, reprinted 1979) without in the least challenging Auden's more serious purposes. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Even hardened poetry loathers enjoy comic verse now and then. Unfortunately, if said grumblers go only for filthy limericks, they'll hate this book, too; editor Gross acknowledges the appeal of the risibly risqu{‚}e but excludes it. Yet if those verse haters still enjoy nonfilthy limericks or Burma-Shave signs, maybe they'll at least read the examples of both herein and then let their eyes stray and discover plenty to raise a smile and brighten a day. It'll help during the first third of the book, which presents the pleasantries of bards from Chaucer through Tennyson, if they're literarily or historically informed, but thereafter nearly any good reader should find lots to enjoy: patter songs by W. S. Gilbert, parodies of serious poems and parodies of the loopy English language (see "The Harbour of Fowey" by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch), music hall recitations and Tin Pan Alley lyrics, the inimitable reflections on mundane madness of Ogden Nash, silly alphabets (including one from Barry Humphries' altered ego, Dame Edna Everage), and much by poets whose reputations are for heavier stuff. Ray Olson


Buy from Amazon     Compare Prices

A marvelous collection of the finest light poetry in English literature, ranging from Chaucer to John Updike, Shakespeare to Byron. Gross has combed the annals of literature to gather poems that provoke laughter, smiles, and even amusing reflections on the human condition.


Buy from Barnes & Noble     Compare Prices