Parody

Today I'm sharing a parody entitled "The Passionate Stallion to His Mare." This is a parody of Christopher Marlowe's 16th Century poem, "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love." Parodies can be a lot of fun to write!

A parody is defined as: 

a piece of writing, music, etc., that imitates the style of someone or something else in an amusing way.

~ Merriam-Webster online dictionary.


Here is the parody:

The Passionate Stallion to his Mare

Come live with me and be my mare
And we will every pleasure share.
I’ll save my treats and give you all
The apples when they start to fall.

And we will graze in glorious grass
And I’ll not let a moment pass
When I am not as close to you
As I can be through chomp and chew.

We’ll share the stable past Duck’s pond
And there we’ll strengthen our deep bond.
I’ll give you first dibs on the hay
And I will never say thee neigh.

So if this life seems good to you,
Then bid your former life adieu.
And if you smell love in the air,
Come live with me and be my mare.


(c) B.J. Lee 2012 All Rights Reserved
first published on David L. Harrison's blog on August 24, 2012 (link below)

And here is the poem I'm parodying:


The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
By Christopher Marlowe

Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove,
That Valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods, or steepy mountain yields.

And we will sit upon the Rocks,
Seeing the Shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow Rivers to whose falls
Melodious birds sing Madrigals.

And I will make thee beds of Roses
And a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
Embroidered all with leaves of Myrtle;

A gown made of the finest wool
Which from our pretty Lambs we pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold,
With buckles of the purest gold;

A belt of straw and Ivy buds,
With Coral clasps and Amber studs:
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Come live with me, and be my love.

The Shepherds’ Swains shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May-morning:
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me, and be my love.

If you want to see a parade of parodies by current poets, you'll find them at David L. Harrison's blog, where J. Patrick Lewis suggested an exercise of writing "parroties" and many poets complied. It's great fun reading through the many "parroties" by poets such as David L. Harrison, Jane Yolen, J. Patrick Lewis, and Joyce Sidman, to name but a few.


Jen has the Poetry Friday round-up today. I'll see you back at the corral!