Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, A BALLAD IN THE MANNER OF R-DY-RD K-PL-NG, by GUY WETMORE CARRYL


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A BALLAD IN THE MANNER OF R-DY-RD K-PL-NG, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: As I was walkin' the jungle round, a-killin' of tigers and time
Last Line: "e's crowdin' us out! -- ""er majesty's poet -- soldier an' sailor too!"
Subject(s): Kipling, Rudyard (1865-1936)


As I was walkin' the jungle round, a-killin' of tigers an' time;
I seed a kind of an author man a-writin' a rousin' rhyme;
"E was writin' a mile a minute an' more, an' I sez to 'im, " "Oo are you?"
Sez 'e, "I'm a poet -- 'er majesty's poet -- soldier an' sailor, too!"
An' 'is poem began in Ispahan an' ended in Kalamazoo,
It 'ad army in it, an' navy in it, an' jungle sprinkled through,
For 'e was a poet -- 'er majesty's poet -- soldier an' sailor, too!
An' after, I met 'im all over the world, a doin' of things a host;
'E 'ad one foot planted in Burmah, an' one on the Gloucester coast;
"E's "alf a sailor an' "alf a whaler, "e's captain, cook, and crew,
But most a poet -- 'er majesty's poet -- soldier an' sailor too!
"E's often Scot an' 'e's often not, but 'is work is never through
For 'e laughs at blame, an' 'e writes for fame, an' a bit for revenoo, --
Bein' a poet -- 'er majesty's poet -- soldier an' sailor too!
"E'll take you up to the Ar'tic zone, "e'll take you down to the Nile,
"E'll give you a barrack ballad in the Tommy Atkins style,
Or "e'll sing you a Dipsy Chantey, as the bloomin' bo'suns do,
For "e is a poet -- 'er majesty's poet -- soldier an' sailor too.
An' there isn't no room for others, an' there's nothin' left to do;
"E "as sailed the main from the "Orn to Spain, 'e 'as tramped the jungle throug
An' written up all there is to write -- soldier an' sailor, too!
There are manners an' manners of writin', but "is is the proper way,
An' it ain't so hard to be a bard if you'll imitate Rudyard K.;
But sea an' shore an' peace an' war, an' everything else in view --
"E "as gobbled the lot! -- 'er majesty's poet -- soldier an' sailor, too.
"E's not content with 'is Indian 'ome, 'e's looking for regions new,
In another year "e'll 'ave swept 'em clear, an' what'll the rest of us do?
"E's crowdin' us out! -- "er majesty's poet -- soldier an' sailor too!







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