'Jabberwocky' and more

[bennet_7]

koalathebear was discussing Jabberwocky here, a poem I adore. She reminded me that I had read a parody of the poem...somewhere.

After a bit of searching, I discovered it in The Even More Complete Book of Australian Verse by Australian satirist John Clarke.

The poem is not a parody of Jabberwocky; what it does is use the style of Jabberwocky to satirize Australian politics and politicians, in particular the 'Children Overboard' scandal. Some of the nonsense of words are not nonsense at all: 'ruddock' is a reference to Philip Ruddock who was the immigration minister at the time of the 'Children Overboard' scandal.

As such, the full effect of the poem will be lost on non-Australians but it is brilliantly written.

'The Hunting of the Smirk' by John Clarke

‘Twas ruddock and the blundertrope

All romping through the perjyblade,

Did slither down the sewerscope

To the Frightenhate Parade.

 

Beware the Crockacrap my boy

The doubt that nags, the mud that sticks.

Beware the sumptuous Mediaploy,

And shun Yesmanarchbishoprics.

 

Who said that? Children overboard?

More wilton than the truth it brings

Outreithage in the blitherhoard

And quicklyslip disgracerthings.

 

Observe how the Lowcom-de-Nom tree moves

And endowners the ground with poison fruit.

See how ‘ard and the serpent has hidden his hooves

When addressing potential recruits.

 

You can slay the Triumphalist Smirk my friend

The vorpal sword goes snicker snap.

No defensive position could ever depend

On this particular Brandercrap.

 

‘Twas ruddock and the blundertrope

All romping through the perjyblade,

Did slither down the sewerscope

To the Frigthenhate Parade.

In the same book is a fantastic parody of Gilbert and Sullivan's 'I am the very model of a modern Major-General'. This one can be enjoyed by Aussies and non-Aussies alike ;-)

You can hear the original here. 

'The Pirates of penzance.com' by John Clarke

CEO: I am the very model of a modern chief executive,

Regardless of agenda items random or consecutive,

My salary’s enormous and related to performance.

In determining the role of which I’m always in concordinance;

 

My package isn’t income-based in any technicality,

Appreciating more in line with concepts like reality,

In options and in super and through trusts that list as charities,

I represent a movement in fiduciary disparities.

 

ALL: He represents a movement in fiduciary disparities.

 

CEO: I studied all the history from Adam Smith to Maynard Keynes,

And peppered it with knowledge that relates or even appertains,

To customs law and extradition, warehousing and arbitrage,

Being photographed at hospitals and other forms of camouflage.

 

ALL: To customs law and extradition, warehousing and arbitrage,

Being photographed at hospitals and other forms of camouflage.

 

CEO: I learnt the laws of real estate and how they work for foreigners,

I leveraged consulting fees to lenders and to borrowers,

I parked it in the market, there was never any fraud at all,

And if there was I cleaned it up when I became the auditor.

 

We always act within the law, we’re utterly meticulous,

We put out a prospectus and to say we don’t’s ridiculous,

In strictness of compliance either now or retrospecutive,

I am the very model of a modern chief executive.

 

ALL: In strictness of compliance either now or retrospecutive,

He is the very model of the modern chief executive.

 

CEO: I understood the principles that underlie insurances,

An actuary’s algorithms coupled with endurance is,

A scientific formula for risk in every continent,

And if you lose a billion you can say you were incompetent.

 

ALL: And if you lose a billion you can say you were incompetent.

 

CEO: My wife is unaware that she controls though being the signatory,

A unit trust that constitutes a fiscal death with dignity,

Amounts have disappeared for reinvestment by the million there,

I think I’m right in claiming that our schnauzer’s a hectillionaire.

 

When dividends are slow and normal salaries laborious,

My severance clause in contracts in the Hallelujah chorious,

In short in my objective that a fortune is pre-requitive,

I am the very model of a modern chief executive.

 

ALL: In short in matters decorative and dissolute and wreckutive,

He is the very model of a modern chief executive.

This book is truly excellent. I may post more of the parodied poems later as I love the Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost ones.