From 1797, A Burlesque Translation of Homer. Two volumes, 360 and 432 pages respectively, of bawdy humor. No more dactylic hexameter, this one is in the far friendlier iambic tetrameter. It’s like I have a twin.
It’s beautiful, it’s hilarious, and what wonderful illustrations!
Cuttlecap tip to Jennifer Ouellette on twitter.
This must be your evil twin – when have you ever been so desperate as to (attempt to) rhyme “uncivil” and “the devil”?
In 1797, I’d have rhymed those in a heartbeat. Check the full thing out for some even more amusing stunt rhymes.
“Stunt rhymes” for the language-bending fun of it, or by vowel-drift?
I hadn’t realized they issued poets 00_ licenses to kill so soon after the Revolution.
Both, I suspect–some of the rhymes are very clearly the author having a grand old time. Others may be that, or may be an accident of time.
Revolution? Whose? It was published in London…
What’s wrong with rhyming “uncivil” and “the devil”? Sound a bit New Zealanderish, but it works for me.
Hah. There’s a burlesque of Paradise Lost. Must have!