The Friday Fling Celebrates Presidents’ Day!
Friday Fling #168 February 17th 2012
Next Monday is Presidents’ Day. This is a new version of what used to be a combination of Washington’s birthday (Feb. 22nd) and Lincoln’s birthday (Feb. 12th). At first they were combined and moved to a Monday between them. Now it’s a celebration of all of them. Yes, even him.
In keeping with the CPC’s February 2012 theme of love, we thought it would be fun to challenge you to write about your favorite President, whomever he might be. Or one of your favorites if you have more than one that are neck and neck, so to speak.
Since the Presidents have all been people, or so’s the rumor, we thought the recommended format ought to be one commonly used for writing about people. Among the several which would work, two immediately came to mind: the Clerihew, and the Basterick. According to ShadowPoetry.com,
A Clerihew is a comic verse consisting of two couplets and a specific rhyming scheme,
aabb invented by Edmund Clerihew Bentley (1875-1956) at the age of 16. The poem
is about/deals with a person/character within the first rhyme. In most cases, the first
line names a person, and the second line ends with something that rhymes with the name of the person.
One of the most remembered Clerihew from Bentley’s collection is:
Sir Humphrey Davy
Abominated gravy.
He lived in the odium
Of having discovered sodium.
A Basterick is a Bastard Limerick, without the requirement for the first two lines to rhyme, and without the fairly strict syllable count of a proper Limerick. Basterick rules are only that you start with a line that has the person it is about doing something or going somewhere, preferably with an internal rhyme. Remember “Victor Hugo drove his Yugo?” Yeah, like that. But he or she does not have to be driving anything, just as long as some sort of action or feeling is involved.
Other than that, a Basterick rhymes the second and last lines and the third and Fourth lines, so the rhyme scheme is ABCCB. And the third and Fourth lines are usually shorter than the rest.
Here’s one I wrote for a Friday Fling challenge in early 2009 in which we featured this format:
Cheryl Holtz suffers no dolts
on the Pals’ Corral.
When she sees fools,
her heels she cools,
her caution aids Pals’ morale.
Copyright January 2009 RGD
This week the Friday Fling fetes America’s Chief Executive in Cherihews and Bastericks!
Be sure to save time to read and comment respectfully on your fellow Pals’ Presidential tributes. Then go enjoy the long weekend we have because of them!
Fickle Finger of Fate Award for February 10th
Congratulations Ted!
Good evening everyone! Welcome to the Friday Fling.. Bob told me he might be a little late but will be here sometime. 🙂
LOL.. this is the best I could do with a Clerihew! Hahahahaha….sorry (((Bob))) 😳 😆 :entertained: :love:
This is by my friend, Sonnet Diva! 🙂
Another contribution by Sonnet Diva!
Some adored Gerald Ford
When Nixon was impeached
He served a short term
A position held firm
In beliefs he preached
Off the cuff basteric.. heehee
Jackie was
Jacks of all trades
She was
Mother wife
And legend in she time
Written By: Bettie Davis ————————————— (February 16 , 2o12
Love the blog Bob and Michelle……will check back later…… :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love:
I have an early day tomorrow and have to say goodnight for now. I’ll be back tomorrow when I get home from work and keep on posting and have fun at the fling. Nighty night! :love:
Bob should be here sometime later tonight or tomorrow!
The above I messed up on should have been (her) instead of (she) yet I tried please delete …. Here is another sum what better one I hope !!!!
BROTHERS
Two brothers
Fought
Side by side
Differences they saw
Yet won the
Battles
Written By: Better Davis —————————————— © February 16 , 2o12
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Ah, to be President…
Royalty that’s a breeze
Life and death decisions
When “we the people” sad omission
Brings you to your knees….
cherie c2012
Wonderful blog and theme and challenge. Congratulations to Ted! And Happy Friday and Happy Presidents’ Day!
Happy Friday to you, Barbara and Happy President’s day that gives me a three day weekend! Yippeeeee!!!! 🙂
All the presidents during my lifetime:
Eisenhower
Kennedy
Johnson
Nixon
Ford
Carter
Reagan
Bush
Clinton
Bush
Obama
Wow!!! that makes 11 and also makes me OLD! 😯
Here is a better list of all the presidents!
hug’s been at doctors again.. today almost all day so sorry if I did not write something HUG’s :love: :love:
Came back to check out who the faves were…and was pleasantly surprised to see Kennedy dominating! He is someone that I have read much about and would definitely fit into my fave were I a citizen! So I was inspired to do what I thought was a series of the clerihew…but…it is what it is! 🙂 :love:
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