 Comedy: March 27, 2019 Issue [#9459] |
This week: Start Backwards to Move Forward Pt II Edited by: Lornda  
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This week's Comedy Editor:
Lornda
"Words should wander and meander. They should fly like owls and flicker like bats and slip like cats. They should murmur and scream and dance and sing.". ~David Almond
Smile of the Day: Sometimes I use big words I don't fully understand in an effort to make myself sound more photosynthesis.
In part two of, "Start Backwards to Move Forward" , we will examine a longer poem to show how going backwards can result in an entertaining piece to keep your readers laughing.
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In my last newsletter, "Start Backwards to Move Forward" , we learned how an initial backward approach may help jump start the process of crafting shorter comedic poetry centered around humorous punch lines of a sort. In Part II, we are going to review a different type of comedic poem to demonstrate how longer formats of humorous poetry can also be launched using the same tactic in combination with other methods, such as by dividing an overall idea into sectors.
Once again, I prefer to lean on my WDC buddy, DRSmith  , who authored a particularly entertaining poem entitled: "THE BARDS CONVENTION" , an epic lampoon that offers several examples of how going backwards in concert with a sectional approach and effective use of various techniques can help your effort evolve into a masterpiece.
Consistent with a primary step covered in Part I, let's begin by learning how his inspiration for the poem began; an interesting story and likely no different than how your own ideas can take root when least expected.
In DRSmith's case, he had entered a serious, romantically themed poem in response to a contest ad offering cash awards for poetry. His entry generated an immediate reply that it was selected as a finalist for the $25,000 grand prize, but with promotional strings attached. Among other teasers, for only $600 he could present his poem at the annual awards convention. Dubious, he submitted a second entry compiled of graffiti and random gibberish found scribbled on outhouse walls and elsewhere. Same response that triggered a vision for a humorous parody of “Win Big Cash” poetry contests where entries from aspiring hopefuls willing to pony up for publication are critiqued by classic odists of yore. Hence, “The Bards Convention” was born.
I have cited several excerpts to demonstrate how DRSmith first partitioned his work into sectors (intro and development of plot, theme, characters, etc.). Take note of the effective impact of various formats, its fluid rhyme and metered schemes, skillful and precise use of wording, plus other literary tools and techniques that meld for a complete comedic form of poetry. Each sector was shaped by going backwards in combination with various methods alluded to above that may help WDC'ers achieve similar objectives.
Given its length and type, DRSmith first step was to draft a rough outline of how he envisioned the overall structure and plot should flow. Thence by arranging the piece into different segments, he massaged independent ideas into shape that eventually defined overall style with varied poetic formats for developing plot, narrative, theme, and clever use of dialog for enhanced humorous effect by imitating famous poets in their own respective styles of poetry. Let’s take a jovial jaunt through the “THE BARDS CONVENTION". You may wish to pull up the work to enjoy the following examples in proper context.
"THE BARDS CONVENTION" by DRSmith
A poetry prom held once a year
beckons to bards from far and near.
The carrot is cash put up for contention;
same tempting old tease, each Bards Convention.
“Plus trophies and plaques,” to quote The Quill.
Just pay for your prize, enjoy the thrill.
 The opening quatrain and effective switch to a couplet not only sets the tone consistent with the intended theme (“just pay for your prize, enjoy the thrill”), where “the Quill” is a subtle allusion to the sponsor, and, the catchy wording makes excellent use of alliteration and tempo, also seen in several other stanzas that helps maintain style, pace, and humorous impact.
*** "hush, hush; be quiet we must." ***
The deliberate break above is poetically designed to enable a smooth transition to a bouncy new rhyme and metered format while keeping with a logical plot sequence.
Emcees for The Quill bode all to be still
as poets prepared to engage.
It is a condition each give a rendition
of verse for rehearsing on stage.
But as lights dimmed low and afterglow
went floating across the room.
Not a mystical mist, but a whimsical wisp
I tailed to a catacomb tomb.
This entire next sector introduces the ghostly festivities and a group of classic poets in attendance; each stanza researched and carefully selected for an inventive, humorous effect (one such sample below).
Sir Ferguson, Tennyson, Dickenson, Rowe
with Munday ‘tween Sunday and Friday’s Defoe.
MacKay, Magee, McKee, McCrae—
Hilton and Milton, and China’s Wang Wei.
Aside from a gentle slip into yet another format, all the while maintaining an unforced and upbeat rhyme and meter when crafting a superb example of reversing alliteration and assonance (Mackay, Magee, McKee, McRae). It’s also interesting to note how ingenious the phrasing using their names to indicate their physical position with an internal pun alluding to days. For example, Friday, one of two enduring characters in Poet Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, is artfully placed as standing between Poets, Munday and Sunday.
Next example:
Off to the left of 'nonsensical' Lear,
Longfellow's in stride retelling Revere.
"One if by land, and two if by sea!"
squeal a bevy of bards; like children they be.
These last two lines were the result of Starting Backwards to Move Forward—inspiring the entire stanza, and made more effective by introducing an “action” sequence, ie; “Longfellow’s in stride (just like Paul Revere) when reciting two famous lines of “Paul Revere’s Ride”; nicely delivered by using one line as dialog, the other a descriptive action scene involving an excited ghostly audience, ie: “One if by land, and two if by sea; like children they be” (from Longfellow’s opening lines of: “Listen my children, and you shall hear… Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere”).
Following the introductory section of ghostly characters, DR then develops another sector describing the festive scene. Following it, he uses a creative technique of rhyming assonance that introduces an immortal in literature; the head of their own Bards Convention, to wit:
In front of the forum in charge of a quorum,
the maven from Avon arose.
“All here?” asked ‘Speare, “let’s stifle the cheer,”
said the master of sonnets and prose.
“Who’s first to speak and proffer critique?”
inquired of Will while panning the room.
“I’ll give it a go,” said the raven-haired Poe,
the cynical savant of gloom.
An additional skillful, yet subtle reference to Poe’s renowned classic, “The Raven” using clever alliteration in reference to Poe’s demeanor and style (cynical savant of gloom). The entire pun-filled interaction between Poe and Coleridge that follows is a superb example of an entertaining break in format where the author makes great use of rewrites of Poe’s, The Raven and Samuel Coleridge’s classic epic, Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, followed by other classic works that furthers the action.
This entire plot segment evolved as a direct result of selective research and starting internal sectors backwards; drafted independently from the main body of the poem and inserted in the perfect spots of opening debate. Further internal treatment neatly alludes to Poe’s “rapping” vs a more modern “rap music” whose lyrics are often offensive. Poe’s comments are nicely balanced against a similar allusion to a minor variation of Coleridge’s famous line of: “water, water everywhere, with nary a drop to drink,” where Coleridge concedes an apology to Poe for casually dismissing Poe's distaste and annoyance of the Moor's verbiage by admitting being tipsy from "having many a drop to drink." Their imaginative interaction exemplified below:
“Once upon a midnight session, while I squandered my profession
marking many a quaint, but spurious ode of ludicrous lore.
When perusing, nearly snoozing, suddenly I heard rehearsing,
an obscenely shameless cursing, cursing 'yond my classroom door.
‘What vulgarity!’ I shuddered. Cursing, by some smutty Moor,
mocking me, but nevermore!”
“Oh, thass absurd,” ol’ Coleridge slurred.
“Moors don’t buy your brand of rapping……
……Unlike thine Ancient Mariner, I’ve ‘ad many a drop to drink.”
The author continues to deploy similar techniques with other classic Poets, each contributing to the debate using their own respective style of noted works; such as Van Dyke’s “America for Me”; “Auld Lang Syne” by Robert Burns; or Whitman’s “O Captain! My Captain!” A particularly innovative segment involves the contrarian poet, E.E. Cummings triggered by a witty play on words when Hammond and Bacon get into brief but delightful verbal duel.
“He’s right!” shouts Hammond.
“He’s wrong!” spouts Bacon—
the duo divided but closely related in gist.
Their exchange moves the plot smoothly along in point and counterpoint debate, using selective poets for fortifying the theme that eventually leads to E. E. Cummings’ style of poetic protest, where D.R. manages to sum matters up with an ingenious embedded twist that justifies the forum as well as their own existence.
“if you think me abstruse i haveno excuse
but do have apitch to propose.
Upstairs is a ruse for vanity rubes
but not up to us to expose
“and surely should mention we’re at this convention
as honorable guests of the quill.
we should treat with respect for the feasts that we get
and they dutifully pay our bill.”
Given the manner of how the debate is progressing, he of all Poet’s converts from his usual controversial and illogical self to conveying a completely logical overview by reminding the spirited crows who they all are, and for what purpose they’re even at the Quill’s convention. The format effectively sets the stage for wrapping up that segment and delivers the reader to a fun-filled climax that also provides logical support for the sponsor’s economic agenda—inducing an appropriate observation from Kipling whose “logical spin” (in reference to his famed, “Gunga Din”) endorses their current status vs ghostly alternatives.
“I second the motion,” said minstrel bard Burns,
who’s quoted each year for Grandfather Tyme.
“Let’s pop a champagne as the jury adjourns;
I’ll lead us in song, a favorite of mine.”
Hence the headmaster bard brought the gavel down hard
and declared, "It's a quarter-past partying time!"
D.R. deliberately changed format and pace that shifts the plot and theme that subliminally invites the reader into joining the revelry with a series of sing-song stanzas; a prelude to a fitting ending. Of particular note, about 75% of the entire original draft was inspired later after first working on this segment while marching in step behind his lawnmower.
In sync with their groovin’, my feet began movin’
like a whirligig dervish entranced.
The beat was contagious, I know it’s outrageous
but burst into song as I danced.
“Cha-ching, cha-ching, Quill registers ring.
Whether genius or rubbish we’ll always get published;
we wanna-be bards just doin’ our thing.
Aside from: "on went the clappin’, carousing, toe-tappin’” by the mortal “twit from upstairs,” the entire section not only advances the theme but draws the reader into a festive mode also in sync with the narrator and newly-found friends until switching formats that effectively sets the stage for closure.
The spirits were rollicking, frolicking free.
All rompin' and prancin',
foot stompin’ and dancin’
as Sappho was jinkin’ and jivin’ with me.
The revelry paled when Whitman hailed above the rousing fun.
“O brethren! my brethren— the Quill's charade is done!
There's nothing left for bards to chase, the prize they sought is won.
It’s back to crypts perusing scripts, our pumpkin hour has come."
Of note here, the last line is one example of using a poetry technique called “metonymy”, defined as substituting the name of a feature for a thing (“pumpkin hour” for Time).
Mild cursing was heard, but all had concurred
that in view of Walt's mention, t'was time for suspension
with a closing salute from Shakespeare.
The above stanza exemplifies superb use of a poetic technique known as “enjambment”, or a fluid continuation from one line of verse into the next line, and in this case while maintaining unforced rhyme and rhythm. The final line below eloquently slows the pace to a standstill, delivered in an archaic style and reference to Shakespeare’s classic, Romeo and Juliet.
“Alas, fellow odists, thou kindred spirits
as hither yon we flitter 'fore the morrow.
Bemoan thee not this affair held dearest;
merely savor the scent of parting's sweet sorrow.
For I bid thee good cheer 'til we gather next year
at this burgeoning Bards Convention.
Here, here!”
A deliberately soft landing designed to leave the reader wholly satisfied, entertained, and perhaps encouraged to additional reads while committing favorite lines to memory.
 A few tips to keep in mind when it comes to writing your own humorous poetry:
Be consistent with your style, intended delivery, and general format (unless deliberately using a mix for effective impact). If electing to use rhyme and rhythm, make sure the cadence and rhyming schemes are maintained as well as flow smoothly with strong word selection that doesn’t seem forced. Your audience will almost always pick up on literary speed bumps such as awkward phraseology and abrupt, non-fitting tempo that will likely detract from the effort.
 What's the Word on the Words
Strive to make good use of several literary techniques often used to format and enhance poetry, comedic or otherwise—such as alliteration and precise choice of words that can be especially effective for delivering a delightful sing-song and mood-setting tone. A single, well-selected word can make a significant difference by delivering a more influential definition, a fluid pace, and visual impact.
Another point to remember is to always remain patient—letting ideas and partial inspirations unfold in segments, by stanzas, or even line by line when the muse is in the mood. Pay attention to detail and consistency of your underlying theme until you’re satisfied and prepared to pull the entire effort together. Then, walk away and approach it later with a fresh eye. It’s only a matter of re-reading and editing until your poem eventually matures into a finely-tuned masterpiece.
In closing, I hope these two newsletters have helped many of you gain the confidence and inspiration for creating comedic poetry; a series of fun reads in imaginative styles that may remain with your audience for a long time.
Thanks to DRSmith for his poetry advice and for offering one of his poems to have a breakdown. 
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 When writing, how important is a stronger word choice, and do you have a favorite format for humorous poetry?
Feedback:
Fivesixer  : "Excellent read! And I agree...like intentionally bad poetry, writing funny poetry is hard!! Unless it's a limerick, it often feels forced or cloying. Thanks for providing a blueprint for it!"
Thanks for the comment! I'm so glad you enjoyed the newsletter. 
eyestar~*  : "Wow! This is awesome helpful information! I write poetry, not so good at comedy. So poets and non poets can benefit from this expert advice. Thanks for sharing."
I expect to read some funny poems now.  Thanks for sending in your comment!
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