Edward Lear
Edward Lear
Edward Learwas an English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet, and is known now mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limericks, a form he popularised. His principal areas of work as an artist were threefold: as a draughtsman employed to illustrate birds and animals; making coloured drawings during his journeys, which he reworked later, sometimes as plates for his travel books; as aillustrator of Alfred Tennyson's poems. As an author, he is known principally...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth12 May 1812
When awful darkness and silence reign Over the great Gromboolian plain, Through the long, long wintry nights;
Who, or why, or which, or what, Is the Akhond of Swat?
There was an Old Man of Messina, Whose daughter was named Opsibeena; She wore a small wig, and rode out on a pig, To the perfect delight of Messina.
There was an Old Person of Bray, Who sang through the whole of the day To his ducks and his pigs, whom he fed upon figs, That valuable Person of Bray.
There was an Old Man of Columbia, Who was thirsty, and called out for some beer; But they brought it quite hot, in a small copper pot, Which disgusted that Man of Columbia.
There was an Old Person of Brussels, Who lived upon Brandy and Mussels; When he rushed through the town, he knocked most people down, Which distressed all the people of Brussels.
There was an old man of Orleans, Who was given to eating of beans; Till once out of sport, he swallowed a quart, That dyspeptic old man of Orleans.
I was much distressed by next door people who had twin babies and played the violin; but one of the twins died, and the other has eaten the fiddle, so all is peace.
The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea/ In a beautiful pea-green boat,/ They took some honey, and plenty of money,/ Wrapped up in a five-pound note.