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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 2:48 pm
by saparris
THE MODERN AGE

As sweet-faced Progress briskly wields her wand,
And conjures new Ideas from realms beyond,
I oft consider how the changes wrought
Will serve our Ilk for Good or Ill or Aught.
Efficient finance, and increasing speed,
Beget not Happiness but gloating Greed,
And surgeons now perform a heart repair
With probes inserted through the derriere.
The teeming Masses, having learned to write,
Spew electronic Piffle day and night.
The Mother Tongue, as far as I can tell,
Is strewn with useless garbage (LOL).
Our Schools, by bald Statistics now assess'd,
Disparage Wisdom, and exalt the Test.
Those who pass learn Competence and Skill
The losers join the army and are Killed,
Which proves the truth of Natural Selection
(A concept still beset by wide rejection).
What cursed rage for conquest, pale Ramon,
Compels us toward perfection’s distant throne?
Your Marxist Tyrant murders for a Cause
And basks in Western Radicals' applause,
While Nations like our own will pay no Heed
When Criminals like these have what we Need.
The Cinematograph and Discotheque
Bring Frenzy, Arrogance and social Wreck,
And all the Internet seems to produce
Are pornographic Films with bad Tattoos.
Composers shun the glorious Baroque;
Eschewing Harmony, they strive for Shock.
Our literature is digital. The “Book”
Has been replaced by Kindles and the Nook.

Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 6:36 am
by Audiendus
THE MODERN AGE

As sweet-faced Progress briskly wields her wand,
And conjures new Ideas from realms beyond,
I oft consider how the changes wrought
Will serve our Ilk for Good or Ill or Aught.
Efficient finance, and increasing speed,
Beget not Happiness but gloating Greed,
And surgeons now perform a heart repair
With probes inserted through the derriere.
The teeming Masses, having learned to write,
Spew electronic Piffle day and night.
The Mother Tongue, as far as I can tell,
Is strewn with useless garbage (LOL).
Our Schools, by bald Statistics now assess'd,
Disparage Wisdom, and exalt the Test.
Those who pass learn Competence and Skill
The losers join the army and are Killed,
Which proves the truth of Natural Selection
(A concept still beset by wide rejection).
What cursed rage for conquest, pale Ramon,
Compels us toward perfection’s distant throne?
Your Marxist Tyrant murders for a Cause
And basks in Western Radicals' applause,
While Nations like our own will pay no Heed
When Criminals like these have what we Need.
The Cinematograph and Discotheque
Bring Frenzy, Arrogance and social Wreck,
And all the Internet seems to produce
Are pornographic Films with bad Tattoos.
Composers shun the glorious Baroque;
Eschewing Harmony, they strive for Shock.
Our literature is digital. The “Book”
Has been replaced by Kindles and the Nook.
While millions die from Hunger, Plague and Toil,
The Rich complain about the price of Oil,

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2011 12:03 am
by saparris
THE MODERN AGE

As sweet-faced Progress briskly wields her wand,
And conjures new Ideas from realms beyond,
I oft consider how the changes wrought
Will serve our Ilk for Good or Ill or Aught.
Efficient finance, and increasing speed,
Beget not Happiness but gloating Greed,
And surgeons now perform a heart repair
With probes inserted through the derriere.
The teeming Masses, having learned to write,
Spew electronic Piffle day and night.
The Mother Tongue, as far as I can tell,
Is strewn with useless garbage (LOL).
Our Schools, by bald Statistics now assess'd,
Disparage Wisdom, and exalt the Test.
Those who pass learn Competence and Skill
The losers join the army and are Killed,
Which proves the truth of Natural Selection
(A concept still beset by wide rejection).
What cursed rage for conquest, pale Ramon,
Compels us toward perfection’s distant throne?
Your Marxist Tyrant murders for a Cause
And basks in Western Radicals' applause,
While Nations like our own will pay no Heed
When Criminals like these have what we Need.
The Cinematograph and Discotheque
Bring Frenzy, Arrogance and social Wreck,
And all the Internet seems to produce
Are pornographic Films with bad Tattoos.
Composers shun the glorious Baroque;
Eschewing Harmony, they strive for Shock.
Our literature is digital. The “Book”
Has been replaced by Kindles and the Nook.
While millions die from Hunger, Plague and Toil,
The Rich complain about the price of Oil.
Is this, our modern age, the widening gyre?
Has that rough beast begun to leave it lair?

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2011 7:02 am
by Audiendus
That's 36 lines so far. I originally had a 40-line total in mind, but I'd like to extend it to 44 – enough to allow an upbeat conclusion.

THE MODERN AGE

As sweet-faced Progress briskly wields her wand,
And conjures new Ideas from realms beyond,
I oft consider how the changes wrought
Will serve our Ilk for Good or Ill or Aught.
Efficient finance, and increasing speed,
Beget not Happiness but gloating Greed,
And surgeons now perform a heart repair
With probes inserted through the derriere.
The teeming Masses, having learned to write,
Spew electronic Piffle day and night.
The Mother Tongue, as far as I can tell,
Is strewn with useless garbage (LOL).
Our Schools, by bald Statistics now assess'd,
Disparage Wisdom, and exalt the Test.
Those who pass learn Competence and Skill
The losers join the army and are Killed,
Which proves the truth of Natural Selection
(A concept still beset by wide rejection).
What cursed rage for conquest, pale Ramon,
Compels us toward perfection’s distant throne?
Your Marxist Tyrant murders for a Cause
And basks in Western Radicals' applause,
While Nations like our own will pay no Heed
When Criminals like these have what we Need.
The Cinematograph and Discotheque
Bring Frenzy, Arrogance and social Wreck,
And all the Internet seems to produce
Are pornographic Films with bad Tattoos.
Composers shun the glorious Baroque;
Eschewing Harmony, they strive for Shock.
Our literature is digital. The “Book”
Has been replaced by Kindles and the Nook.
While millions die from Hunger, Plague and Toil,
The Rich complain about the price of Oil.
Is this, our modern age, the widening gyre?
Has that rough beast begun to leave its lair?
Ah! let it not be said that I ignore
The Diminution of the Ills of yore;

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2011 1:47 pm
by saparris
THE MODERN AGE

As sweet-faced Progress briskly wields her wand,
And conjures new Ideas from realms beyond,
I oft consider how the changes wrought
Will serve our Ilk for Good or Ill or Aught.
Efficient finance, and increasing speed,
Beget not Happiness but gloating Greed,
And surgeons now perform a heart repair
With probes inserted through the derriere.
The teeming Masses, having learned to write,
Spew electronic Piffle day and night.
The Mother Tongue, as far as I can tell,
Is strewn with useless garbage (LOL).
Our Schools, by bald Statistics now assess'd,
Disparage Wisdom, and exalt the Test.
Those who pass learn Competence and Skill
The losers join the army and are Killed,
Which proves the truth of Natural Selection
(A concept still beset by wide rejection).
What cursed rage for conquest, pale Ramon,
Compels us toward perfection’s distant throne?
Your Marxist Tyrant murders for a Cause
And basks in Western Radicals' applause,
While Nations like our own will pay no Heed
When Criminals like these have what we Need.
The Cinematograph and Discotheque
Bring Frenzy, Arrogance and social Wreck,
And all the Internet seems to produce
Are pornographic Films with bad Tattoos.
Composers shun the glorious Baroque;
Eschewing Harmony, they strive for Shock.
Our literature is digital. The “Book”
Has been replaced by Kindles and the Nook.
While millions die from Hunger, Plague and Toil,
The Rich complain about the price of Oil.
Is this, our modern age, the widening gyre?
Has that rough beast begun to leave its lair?
Ah! let it not be said that I ignore
The Diminution of the Ills of yore.
All ages have Ignominy and Good.
In Caesar’s time, Christ perished on the Rood.

Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 8:46 am
by Audiendus
THE MODERN AGE

As sweet-faced Progress briskly wields her wand,
And conjures new Ideas from realms beyond,
I oft consider how the changes wrought
Will serve our Ilk for Good or Ill or Aught.
Efficient finance, and increasing speed,
Beget not Happiness but gloating Greed,
And surgeons now perform a heart repair
With probes inserted through the derriere.
The teeming Masses, having learned to write,
Spew electronic Piffle day and night.
The Mother Tongue, as far as I can tell,
Is strewn with useless garbage (LOL).
Our Schools, by bald Statistics now assess'd,
Disparage Wisdom, and exalt the Test.
Those who pass learn Competence and Skill
The losers join the army and are Killed,
Which proves the truth of Natural Selection
(A concept still beset by wide rejection).
What cursed rage for conquest, pale Ramon,
Compels us toward perfection’s distant throne?
Your Marxist Tyrant murders for a Cause
And basks in Western Radicals' applause,
While Nations like our own will pay no Heed
When Criminals like these have what we Need.
The Cinematograph and Discotheque
Bring Frenzy, Arrogance and social Wreck,
And all the Internet seems to produce
Are pornographic Films with bad Tattoos.
Composers shun the glorious Baroque;
Eschewing Harmony, they strive for Shock.
Our literature is digital. The “Book”
Has been replaced by Kindles and the Nook.
While millions die from Hunger, Plague and Toil,
The Rich complain about the price of Oil.
Is this, our modern age, the widening gyre?
Has that rough beast begun to leave its lair?
Ah! let it not be said that I ignore
The Diminution of the Ills of yore.
All ages have Ignominy and Good.
In Caesar’s time, Christ perished on the Rood.
Renaissance Popes were venal, ruthless Knaves,
Witches were burned, and Gentlemen owned Slaves,

Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 1:07 pm
by saparris
THE MODERN AGE

As sweet-faced Progress briskly wields her wand,
And conjures new Ideas from realms beyond,
I oft consider how the changes wrought
Will serve our Ilk for Good or Ill or Aught.
Efficient finance, and increasing speed,
Beget not Happiness but gloating Greed,
And surgeons now perform a heart repair
With probes inserted through the derriere.
The teeming Masses, having learned to write,
Spew electronic Piffle day and night.
The Mother Tongue, as far as I can tell,
Is strewn with useless garbage (LOL).
Our Schools, by bald Statistics now assess'd,
Disparage Wisdom, and exalt the Test.
Those who pass learn Competence and Skill
The losers join the army and are Killed,
Which proves the truth of Natural Selection
(A concept still beset by wide rejection).
What cursed rage for conquest, pale Ramon,
Compels us toward perfection’s distant throne?
Your Marxist Tyrant murders for a Cause
And basks in Western Radicals' applause,
While Nations like our own will pay no Heed
When Criminals like these have what we Need.
The Cinematograph and Discotheque
Bring Frenzy, Arrogance and social Wreck,
And all the Internet seems to produce
Are pornographic Films with bad Tattoos.
Composers shun the glorious Baroque;
Eschewing Harmony, they strive for Shock.
Our literature is digital. The “Book”
Has been replaced by Kindles and the Nook.
While millions die from Hunger, Plague and Toil,
The Rich complain about the price of Oil.
Is this, our modern age, the widening gyre?
Has that rough beast begun to leave its lair?
Ah! let it not be said that I ignore
The Diminution of the Ills of yore.
All ages have Ignominy and Good.
In Caesar’s time, Christ perished on the Rood.
Renaissance Popes were venal, ruthless Knaves,
Witches were burned, and Gentlemen owned Slaves.
Our World, in truth, is but a paltry Stage
Upon which we await the coming Age.

Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 5:18 pm
by Audiendus
I have taken the liberty of changing one word in line 15 to improve the scansion. :wink:
So the final version is as follows:


THE MODERN AGE

As sweet-faced Progress briskly wields her wand,
And conjures new Ideas from realms beyond,
I oft consider how the changes wrought
Will serve our Ilk for Good or Ill or Aught.
Efficient finance, and increasing speed,
Beget not Happiness but gloating Greed,
And surgeons now perform a heart repair
With probes inserted through the derriere.
The teeming Masses, having learned to write,
Spew electronic Piffle day and night.
The Mother Tongue, as far as I can tell,
Is strewn with useless garbage (LOL).
Our Schools, by bald Statistics now assess'd,
Disparage Wisdom, and exalt the Test.
Those who succeed learn Competence and Skill
The losers join the army and are Killed,
Which proves the truth of Natural Selection
(A concept still beset by wide rejection).
What cursed rage for conquest, pale Ramon,
Compels us toward perfection’s distant throne?
Your Marxist Tyrant murders for a Cause
And basks in Western Radicals' applause,
While Nations like our own will pay no Heed
When Criminals like these have what we Need.
The Cinematograph and Discotheque
Bring Frenzy, Arrogance and social Wreck,
And all the Internet seems to produce
Are pornographic Films with bad Tattoos.
Composers shun the glorious Baroque;
Eschewing Harmony, they strive for Shock.
Our literature is digital. The “Book”
Has been replaced by Kindles and the Nook.
While millions die from Hunger, Plague and Toil,
The Rich complain about the price of Oil.
Is this, our modern age, the widening gyre?
Has that rough beast begun to leave its lair?
Ah! let it not be said that I ignore
The Diminution of the Ills of yore.
All ages have Ignominy and Good.
In Caesar’s time, Christ perished on the Rood.
Renaissance Popes were venal, ruthless Knaves,
Witches were burned, and Gentlemen owned Slaves.
Our World, in truth, is but a paltry Stage
Upon which we await the coming Age.

A highly satisfactory Georgian pastiche (I am referring to the kings, not the state or the country). See you all :?: in due course for Group Poem IX.

Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2011 5:40 pm
by saparris
I like the change in line 15. Enjoyed the challenge and look forward to the next one. Let's start soon. I'll start noodling.

Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 7:37 pm
by Slava
Thank you Audiendus and saparris, I enjoy these poetic constructions. Would that I had a poetic bone in my body so that I could take part myself. Keep up the good work!

Thank you once again.