Name: Literary Lapses — Half-Hours with the Poets
Author: Stephen Leacock

Quotes from Literary Lapses — Half-Hours with the Poets (Stephen Leacock)

Stephen Leacock, Literary Lapses — Half-Hours with the Poets (1910)

“ The poet stayed doggedly on. In the chill of the morning twilight he broke the ice in his water-basin and cursed the girl. But he felt that he had broken the ice and he stayed.
On the whole, life at the cottage, though rugged, was not cheerless. In the long winter evenings they would gather around a smoking fire of peat, while Tennyson read aloud the Idylls of the King to the rude old cottager. Not to show his rudeness, the old man kept awake by sitting on a tin-tack. This also kept his mind on the right tack. The two found that they had much in common, especially the old cottager. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Leacock, Literary Lapses — Half-Hours with the Poets (1910)

“ II. How Tennyson Killed the May Queen "If you're waking call me early, call me early, mother dear." Part I As soon as the child's malady had declared itself the afflicted parents of the May Queen telegraphed to Tennyson, "Our child gone crazy on subject of early rising, could you come and write some poetry about her?"
Alfred, always prompt to fill orders in writing from the country, came down on the evening train. The old cottager greeted the poet warmly, and began at once to speak of the state of his unfortunate daughter. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Leacock, Literary Lapses — Half-Hours with the Poets (1910)

“ We have been at a loss to understand the cause of his death. We fear that the dazzling glare of the newly fallen snow, acting upon a restless brain, may have led him to a fatal attempt to emulate my own feats upon the ice. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Leacock, Literary Lapses — Half-Hours with the Poets (1910)

“ And, oh, sir," the child went on, "speak gently of poor Jane. You may rub it into John all you like; we always let him slide."
"Very well," said the bard, "and allow me, in conclusion, one rather delicate question: Do you ever take your little porringer?" ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Leacock, Literary Lapses — Half-Hours with the Poets (1910)

“ Longfellow, the skipper, and the skipper's daughter.
The skipper was much attached to the child, owing to the singular whiteness of her skin and the exceptionally limpid blue of her eyes; she had hitherto remained on shore to fill lucrative engagements as albino lady in a circus.
This time, however, her father had taken her with him for company. The girl was an endless source of amusement to the skipper and the crew. She constantly got up games of puss-in-the-corner, forfeits, and Dumb Crambo with her father and Mr. Longfellow, and made Scripture puzzles and geographical acrostics for the men. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Leacock, Literary Lapses — Half-Hours with the Poets (1910)

“ She defended herself savagely with her brick, but was overpowered.
The negro seated himself upon her chest, while the clergyman hastily read a few verses about the comfort of early rising at the last day.
As he concluded, the poet drove his pen into her eye.
"Last call!" cried the negro porter triumphantly.
III. Old Mr. Longfellow on Board the Hesperus "It was the schooner Hesperus that sailed the wintry sea, And the skipper had taken his little daughter to bear him company." There were but three people in the cabin party of the Hesperus: old Mr. ”

Stephen Leacock

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Quotes from Literary Lapses — Half-Hours with the Poets (Stephen Leacock)

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Stephen Leacock

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Quotes from Literary Lapses — Half-Hours with the Poets (Stephen Leacock)

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Get perspective with Kwize: daily news enlightened by great literature