There was a young man called Telemachus
who was bullied and in a dilemma 'cause
he missed his lost dad
and his mom made him mad
and he almost got killed by Eurymachus.
who was bullied and in a dilemma 'cause
he missed his lost dad
and his mom made him mad
and he almost got killed by Eurymachus.
A majestical goddess, Athena,
swooped down from the sky -- you'd have seen her
as some kind of bird ¬–
when she gave the word,
men's yearning for fighting got keener.
swooped down from the sky -- you'd have seen her
as some kind of bird ¬–
when she gave the word,
men's yearning for fighting got keener.
A man who lived all on his own-some
was invaded by someone called no-one,
who gave him some wine
and then made him blind
so he called to his father, Poseidon.
was invaded by someone called no-one,
who gave him some wine
and then made him blind
so he called to his father, Poseidon.
Elpenor, poor idiot, got drunk,
and was sleeping up high in a bunk;
he fell out of bed,
went smack on his head,
and his hopes to get home went kerplunk.
and was sleeping up high in a bunk;
he fell out of bed,
went smack on his head,
and his hopes to get home went kerplunk.
The men were fed up with their boss,
the rich guy, who'd gone for a doss.
They ate up the cattle,
which shortly proved fatal,
and all of their short lives were lost.
the rich guy, who'd gone for a doss.
They ate up the cattle,
which shortly proved fatal,
and all of their short lives were lost.
Melantho was smart and outspoken;
though enslaved, she was lively and vocal.
Eurymachus banged her;
Telemachus hanged her.
If slave girls aren't tamed, they'll be broken.
though enslaved, she was lively and vocal.
Eurymachus banged her;
Telemachus hanged her.
If slave girls aren't tamed, they'll be broken.
There once was a dog who was prized
for hunting, who held his head high.
But for twenty long years
his man disappeared.
When he showed up again, the dog died.
for hunting, who held his head high.
But for twenty long years
his man disappeared.
When he showed up again, the dog died.
I did these because I was nervous about travel and needed a comforting distraction, which rhyme and form provide. I hope they invite critical reading of Homer. Also I hope the first one helps people remember where to put stress in the name Telemachus.
By David Foreman, current friend, currently not on Twitter:
Much less of it happens at sea
Than book jackets might make you believe.
It’s mostly on land
With a lot in the sand
And the sex scene occurs in a tree.
Much less of it happens at sea
Than book jackets might make you believe.
It’s mostly on land
With a lot in the sand
And the sex scene occurs in a tree.
David F. on the subtext of Book 6:
He washed up on shore in the nude.
His excitement revealed he's a dude.
The laundry stayed dirty
'Cause the dude was too flirty
And the princess not much of a prude.
He washed up on shore in the nude.
His excitement revealed he's a dude.
The laundry stayed dirty
'Cause the dude was too flirty
And the princess not much of a prude.
I love it when literary forms acknowledge their heritage but also kick against them. Edward Lear's limericks are wonderfully weird. I want Homer-limericks to be technically artful & fun, & also challenge modern stereotypes about about Homer, & about gender too.
