Tag Archives: Shakespeare authorship question

Day 23 — Marlowe MashUp + History

In the past week I’ve read the same poem in three different anthologies. It’s unusual for me to have read so many anthologies during NaPoWriMo (normally it might only be one or even none, I tend to prefer volumes by a single poet) but I’ve felt a stronger desire for variety this month — & anthologies definitely give you that. Except in regards to this poem. I took it as a sign. 

Today’s poem is a tweak on the Shakespeare focus I usually have on this day. It is a reworked version of Marlowe’s, The Passionate Shepherd to His Love. 

*****

The Passionate Capitalist to His Doom

Come frack with me and be my doom, 
And we will all the world’s riches groom, 
Those Valleys, groves, hills, and fields, 
Woods, or steepy mountain yields. 

And we will tear up every rock, 
Strip the Shepherd from his flock, 
Pump our waste into River waters 
& so Create infertility in our daughters.

Poison aquifers, ramp up your ire, 
Enable tap water to be lit on fire: 
And if these pursuits fill you not with gloom, 
Come frack with me, and cause our doom. 

Capitalist Bastards shall rip and plunder 
Turn the world utterly asunder: 
If these delights in thy mind do bloom, 
Then frack with me, and cause our doom.

*****

Day 23 – TIL  some things about Christopher Marlowe

Marlowe: A Potted History 

Marlowe’s nickname was Kit
& like a more modern KITT
was a Knight Rider who served 
as one of the Virgin Queen’s spies ;
a shadowy flight into the dangerous 
world of a man who did not exist.

Was once arrested for counterfeiting 
coins in Holland ; a crime punishable 
by death, but … nothing happened.

Some say : he should’ve been
executed for his terrible
translations of ancient verse
particularly Ovid’s book 
of love pomes , Amores.

Symbolically killed in 1593
cos Bill Shaxpere no longer 
had time to be both him
                                         & himself 

Day 23 — a sonnet, sort of + big birthday cakes

Today’s poem is a homage to Bill by way of Henry VIII. It’s a Golden Shovel of “Orpheus with his lute” a 12 line poem/song in Henry VIII. Many/Mosyt scholars believe this play was a collaborative effort between Bill & John Fletcher, & I’m inclined to agree with them because it’s never felt like “Shakespeare” to me.

I’ve chosen it because: well Orpheus … & I have Golden Shoveled the last words of each line, juggled them & turned it into a sonnet. Not a great sonnet, mind you, but one with a passing resemblance to a snout. Unlike the ones from the 19th which were all AI generated That was the big guessing game thing that all two of you played haha). It had been my intention to reinterpret one of those to try & punch it into shape but I just found it too hard/the lines too banal. This definitely needs more work, but time being what it is means you get what you see …

*****

Luteless, Orpheus
(with Golden Shovelment to William Shakespeare/John Fletcher)


Forlorn Orpheus longed once more to see 
for himself; the unbelievable greenness of trees,
Rather than be buried neckdeep in melancholy
surrounded by deep dirt, soul ready to freeze

He had long since forgotten how to sing
had no desire to take up lute & play,
Forgotten there was a thing called spring.
had no desire to complete his latest lay.

He longed for the cheerful sway of flowers
wished somehow to re-kickstart his sad heart
Longed for the gentlest summer showers
wished sadly to care once more about petty art:

If only he hadn’t glimpsed her in his corner eye
Then neither of them would have needed to re-die.

*****

Day 23 — TIL about Bill’s birthday

old man Bill

If Bill
were alive today 
he’d be 459
which although 
pretty rootin’ tootin’ 
ancient — is still
less than half
as long as Noah 
or Adam.

However, 
he splashes all 
the post-flood crew
out of the water
— over double 
Abraham & Isaac;
almost quadruple 
poor young Moses.

Which is easier to believe:
Methuselah made it to 969
— or the Stratford man
wrote the damn plays!


Day 23 — some sort of sonnet (actually not)

The theme behind today’s (belated posted, but written yesterday) poem is my lifelong love of Shakespeare. The original concept was to write a sonnet (ie the form he used to create some of the most famous love poems in the language); but that quickly slipped into something else. As preparation I reread (though I really don’t need much of an excuse) Bill Bryson’s slim but wonderful little volume on Shakespeare. If you haven’t read it, I suggest you do. It might also help you get a couple of the, well let’s call them jokes, within the poem. Hahahaha.

little love song

not knowing why : bought a book : Christmas 84 : Campbell’s newsagency : Elizabeth Shopping Centre : remainders table : cheap large format : paperback : paper so cheap : can’t stress : how how cheap : navy blue cover : with a terrible reproduction : of the terrible Droeshout engraving : every play laid out : in tiny font : four columns wide : the sonnets : & long poems : across the bottom quarter : of every page : bland introduction : courtesy : Dennis Allen : M.A. (Oxon) : B.A. (Lond)

read every play : that summer : though the poems : (ironically) : didn’t : do much : probably wouldn’t : couldn’t : today : even with : binocular assistance : oh for the eyes : of youth : loved the wild plots : the stories : the eccentric characters : the humour : loved the language : both the archaic nature : & the richness : so much colour : how he could do : so much : with so few : no doubt didn’t : understand everything : no footnotes in Allen’s : tome : but got enough : to form a lifelong : love

today : love the fact : he annoys so many : conspiracy theorist : nutjobs : Looney : Battey : silly men : who can’t cope : with the idea : (theirs) : of a provincial : country bumpkin : being so talented : profound : influential : the so-called : Shakespeare authorship question : twists : certain men’s knickers : into such knots : they resort to : anagrams : cryptograms : & candidates who died : even as : new plays were : being performed : (solution : they pre-wrote : a wad of plays : prior to death) : was never a question : in his day : nor for : 200 years : the reality : most scholars : laugh : at the ludicrous claims : as : they : should