doggerel

a poem

TRANSLATION

doggerel = triviale, ungelenke, oft komische Verse, die durch einen monotonen Rhythmus gekennzeichnet sind

STATISTICS

IN THE PRESS

"Jeremy Paxman's disparaging comments about Burns are contained in the preface to a new edition of the Chambers Dictionary, in which he dismisses the poet as 'a king of sentimental DOGGEREL'."

James Robinson - The Guardian

Did you
know?

doggerel
noun

- poetry that is silly or badly written

- poetry with an irregular rhyming pattern for comic effect

The Cambridge Dictionary / Chambers DIctionary


WORD ORIGIN

"Doggerel" is derived from the Middle English dogerel, probably a derivative of dog. In English it has been used as an adjective since the 14th century and as a noun since at least 1630.

This word appears in most literatures and societies as a useful form for comedy and satire. It is characteristic of children’s game rhymes from ancient times to the present and of many nursery rhymes.


NATIONAL LIMERICK DAY

Last week, May 12th was "National Limerick Day" to mark the birthday of Edward Lear, the English writer known for his works of nonsensical prose and poetry. It was Edward Lear who was to popularise the limerick in his "A Book of Nonsense", published 1846. His limericks were popular then and still to today this form of nonsense literature has managed to retain its appeal.

There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, “It is just as I feared!—
Two Owls and a Hen, four Larks* and a Wren*,
Have all built their nests in my beard.

An amoeba named Max and his brother
Were sharing a drink with each other;
In the midst of their quaffing*,
They split themselves laughing,
And each of them now is a mother.

Lark = Lerche, Wren = Zaunkönig, to quaff = trinken


SYNONYMS

- a piece of poetry or verse:

ballad, balladry, blank verse, chant, composition, DOGGEREL, elegy, epic, epic poem, free verse, haiku, jingle, limerick, lyric, lyrics, metrical composition, nursery rhyme, ode, poem, poetry, posy, quatrain, rhyme, rhythmical composition, sonnet, verse


SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:

"Hey Jim, let me try and explain a wonderful piece of German DOGGEREL to you:
Da war einst ein Koch namens Vasco
Der brauchte des Öftern Tabasco.
Weit über Bedarf
Verwürzte er scharf
So war dann der Stew ein Fiasko'."


HERZLICHEN DANK to all readers helping me keep OWAD alive with single or monthly donations at:

https://donorbox.org/please-become-a-friend-of-owad-3

and,

Paul Smith, IBAN: DE75 7316 0000 0002 5477 40

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