The combination of a good epigram and good verse is one I can seldom resist, and while today’s poem is hardly earthshattering in its originality, the delightful way in which it is worded more than makes up for it. It doesn’t really have a ‘punchline’ in the way “On the Vanity of Earthly Greatness” ([Poem #24], and yes, Guiterman was way overdue to show up again <g>) does - but it doesn’t suffer for the lack. I’m reminded of bits of Piet Hein, and, to a lesser extent, Stephen Crane. This definitely goes on my list of poems that are both memorable and quotable.

— Martin

Links

Thanks to H. Paul Lillebo, whose wonderful poetry site provided not just today’s poem, but a long-sought online biography of Guiterman:

http://www.newtrix.com/poems/poetbio_e-l.htm#Guiterman

  Someday, this shall be a complete collection of epigrams on Minstrels :)
    [broken link] http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/collections/35.html

— Martin