their material critical outlook to break in with literal, verbal explanations of (the
Light Verse) something that is symbolic and allegorical'.
What is
light verse? The term first appeared in a book title in 1902, (1) with Anthony C.
I had been thinking of submitting this to the Enigma, but it does not lend itself well to being clued in
light verse, so I would be pleased to have it noted in Colloquy."
The rhymes of these poems, and their rhythms--common to
light verse, satire, and some balladry--would be cloying were they running under sentimentalities, received notions, automatic feelings, or other notional comforts.
Jana Prikryl's nuanced and lovely The After Party copes with the big questions in something more akin to
light verse. Like an intellectual Dorothy Parker, the poet resolutely, humorously, ironically, reveals life as an inescapably social commission--our pale wits webbing some larger, shared design "that looms up unannounced, always a surprise."
Enjoying Gilbert's lyrics on the page (and trying not to hear the music that comes to mind with the most famous songs), it seems to me that Gilbert's lyrics can be considered with the best
light verse in English.
The topics include al-Ghazali's concept of philosophy, his teleology and the Galenic tradition: reading The Wisdom of God's Creations (al-Hikma fi makhluqat), the conundrum of his body-soul dualism, Fakhr al-Din al-Razi's use of al-Ghazali's Mishkat in his commentary on the
Light Verse (Q 24:35), and al-Ghazali's demarcation of science as a commonplace apology in the Muslin reception of modern science and its limitations.
Exegetical treatments are provided of the "throne verse" (Q 2:255) in summary form and of the "
light verse" (Q 24:35) in fuller form with texts from Avicenna, al-Ghazali, al-Tabrisi, and Mawdudi, followed by statements related to the principles of exegesis from 'Abd al-Jabbar, Ibn al-Jawzi, al-Suyuti, and Khu'i.
"The Monster Under My Web" uses humor,
light verse, and reverse identification to teach children some bits of helpful tactics for dealing with fearful experiences.
Along the course of his distinguished teaching career, Brown has turned his legally learned brain to several volumes of
light verse which provide the reader with many a satiric throaty chuckle.
But his fondness for
light verse shouldn't obscure the fact that he is serious about poetry - he is president of The Poetry Society, which promotes British poetry at home and abroad and encourages the reading and writing of poems in schools.