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JOSIE'S POEMS

Shadow Poetry -
(Paradody)

By Josie Whitehead

The Pirate Poet - Peter.jpg

SHADOWING POETRY/PARODY

Poetry can be lots and lots of fun and the English language is so musical.  This means that poetry, written with good rhyme and rhythm/metre, can have music added to it and lots of other performance/arts subjects also.  So why not shadow the rhythms and fun that you find in songs and put it into your own poems, rather than just put words on paper in a boring way - as if poetry is little more than prose in fact.

Parody allows you to do this and I've done this many times - just for fun.  In this poem I am shadowing the rhythm, style and subject of a popular song written by Gilbert and Sullivan:

From the Pirates of Penzance

A rollicking band of pirates we,
Who, tired of tossing on the sea,
Are trying their hand at a burglaree,
    With weapons grim and gory.

Illustrated by Peter Hudspith

THE PIRATE POET

By Josie Whitehead

Pirate Poet (The)

A dangerous pirate – yes, that’s me -

Who, finally bored with my life at sea,

Am trying my hand at poetry

     With weapons of pen and paper.

 

I scour the books and the internet

For others’ work I want to get.

Look on me now as the ultimate threat

    With weapons of pen and paper.

 

I’ll boldly take your verse and rhyme,

Then wickedly claim that they are mine.

I’ll snatch your poems, then redesign -

      With weapons of pen and paper.

 

* trying my hand: To “try your hand” at something is to attempt to do something, to make an effort at doing something. It often suggests that this is something of an experiment. Maybe you don’t have a lot of experience doing this thing. Or maybe others have tried doing it and failed before you.

 

PS Note:  Oh no I won't snatch your poems or any else's,  and neither should you!!   Copyright means that you should not do this.   Plagiarism is a serious offence that is easily detected.  Ask your teacher.  Josie

Copyright on all of my poems

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