The Everyman Book of Nonsense Verse Written and Introduced by Louise Guinness; Illustrated by Mervyn Peake

by Guinness, Louise; Guinness, Louise; Peake, Mervyn

• ISBN13: 9781400044252
• ISBN10: 1400044251
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-05-03
• Publisher: Everyman's Library

Summary

This hilariously readable collection of classic nonsense poetry, delightfully illustrated throughout, is a showcase of comic talent and sheer silliness. The Everyman Book of Nonsense Versefeatures an eclectic spectrum of contributors ranging wildly from Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll to Hilaire Belloc, Ted Hughes, Ogden Nash, and Shakespeare, with illustrations by Mervyn Peake, Quentin Blake, Emma Chichester Clark, Spike Milligan, and the deliciously sinister Edward Gorey. Such old favorites as "The Owl and the Pussycat" are accompanied by "Macavity: The Mystery Cat" and "Jabberwocky," while Ted Hughes's "Wodwo" sits alone by the bank of a stream in a state of innocence and curiosity that mirrors a child's sense of wonder at the universe. Whether sweetly funny or deliciously naughty, these masterpieces of the art of the absurd will charm readers both young and old.

Author Biography

Louise Guinness has written for The Irish Times, The Evening Standard, The Telegraph, and Literary Review, and is the editor of The Vintage Book of Fathers (Vintage UK).

Table of Contents

Preface	14	(1)
Introduction	15	(7)
Anonymous
Dickery, Dickery, Dare	22	(1)
Quentin Blake
Hilaire Belloc
The Frog	23	(1)
Emma Chichester Clark
Anonymous
Be Lenient with Lobsters	24	(1)
Emma Chichester Clark
The Man-Moth
Elizabeth Bishop	25	(2)
Mr Magnolia
Quentin Blake	27	(11)
Quentin Blake
Purple Cow
Gelett Burgess	38	(1)
Emma Chichester Clark
Lewis Carroll
Jabberwocky	39	(2)
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Bat!	41	(1)
Emma Chichester Clark
The Mock Turtle's Song	42	(3)
The Crocodile	45	(1)
Emma Chichester Clark
The Gardener's Song	46	(3)
The Hunting of the Snark	49	(42)
Mervyn Peake
There was a Pig	91	(1)
Emma Chichester Clark
Tweedledum and Tweedledee	92	(1)
John Tenniel
Beautiful Soup	93	(1)
The White Knight's Song	94	(4)
The Walrus and the Carpenter	98	(6)
John Tenniel
Father William	104	(2)
Anonymous
Our Yak	106	(1)
Emma Chichester Clark
G.K. Chesterton
The Oneness of the Philosopher with Nature	107	(12)
G.K. Chesterton
Walter De La Mare
Kiph	119	(2)
Anonymous
The Elephant is a Graceful Bird	121	(1)
Emma Chichester Clark
William Empson
Mother, saying Anne good night	122	(1)
James Fenton
This Octopus Exploits Women	123	(2)
Anonymous
A Farmer Went Trotting	125	(1)
Emma Chichester Clark
Anonymous
The King Said to Salome	126	(2)
Tomi Ungerer
Edward Gorey
The Utter Zoo Alphabet	128	(13)
Edward Gorey
The Osbick Bird	141	(8)
Edward Gorey
The Untitled Book	149	(9)
Edward Gorey
Harry Graham
Patience	158	(2)
The Fond Father	160	(1)
The Perils of Obesity	161	(1)
Grandpapa	162	(1)
Anonymous
High Diddle Diddle	163	(1)
Ted Hughes
Wodwo	164	(1)
Anonymous
I Had a Little Husband	165	(1)
Quentin Blake
Samuel Johnson
I Put My Hat upon My Head	166	(1)
If the Man Who Turneps Cries	166	(1)
Edward Lear
The Owl and the Pussy-cat	167	(2)
Emma Chichester Clark
The Pobble Who Has No Toes	169	(2)
The Jumblies	171	(3)
The Akond of Swat	174	(3)
Incidents in the Life of My Uncle Arly	177	(3)
Calico Pie	180	(4)
Emma Chichester Clark
The Quangle Wangle's Hat	184	(4)
Emma Chichester Clark
There was an Old Man With a Beard	188	(1)
Emma Chichester Clark
The Dong with a Luminous Nose	189	(4)
Roger McGough
Uncle Bram	193	(1)
Kung Fu Lee	193	(1)
Cousin Fosbury	194	(1)
Roger McGough
Elmer Hoover	195	(1)
Roger McGough
Eno	196	(1)
Roger McGough
Wild Bill Sitting Bull	197	(1)
Anonymous
Little Blue Ben	198	(2)
Quentin Blake
Spike Milligan
A Thousand Hairy Savages	200	(2)
Spike Milligan
Hipporhinostricow	202	(1)
Spike Milligan
Can a Parrot	203	(1)
Spike Milligan
On the Ning Nang Nong	204	(3)
Spike Milligan
The Land of the Bumbley Boo	207	(1)
Spike Milligan
Maveric	208	(2)
Spike Milligan
The Twit	210	(1)
Spike Milligan
The Bongaloo	211	(1)
Spike Milligan
A.A. Milne
Cottleston Pie	212	(1)
Anonymous
The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck	213	(2)
Tomi Ungerer
Ogden Nash
The Wombat	215	(1)
Quentin Blake
Mustard	216	(1)
Quentin Blake
The Panda	217	(1)
Quentin Blake
The Ostrich	218	(1)
Quentin Blake
The Hippopotamus	219	(1)
Quentin Blake
The Grackle	220	(1)
Mervyn Peake
O'er Seas That Have No Beaches	221	(2)
Mervyn Peake
Crown Me with Hairpins	223	(1)
Mervyn Peake
Of Pygmies, Palms and Pirates	224	(2)
Mervyn Peake
I Cannot Give the Reasons	226	(2)
Mervyn Peake
Come, Break the News to Me, Sweet Horse	228	(2)
Mervyn Peake
Theodore Roethke
Mips and Ma	230	(1)
William Shakespeare
Feste's Song	231	(1)
Anonymous
Oh, Mother, I Shall Be Married	232	(2)
Quentin Blake
Stevie Smith
My Hat	234	(2)
Stevie Smith
Wallace Stevens
The Emperor of Ice-cream	236	(1)
Anonymous
What a Wonderful Bird	237	(1)
Emma Chichester Clark
Matthew Sweeney
The Flying Spring Onion	238	(1)
The Money Tree	239	(2)
American Folk Rhyme
Big Rock Candy Mountains	241	(2)
Anonymous
The Common Cormorant	243	(1)
Emma Chichester Clark
Jonathan Swift
I Walk Before No Man	244	(1)
Anonymous
'Tis Midnight	245	(1)
Acknowledgements	246	(3)
Index of Poems and First Lines	249	(5)
List of Illustrations	254