Ne Fillip ne a-Larkin’

Ne Fillip ne a-Larkin’

by Leon Wing

If books be the food of Reading
Its residents would Brook ne – Any - tha
nks, especially no taking the Mickey,
Trying to be Cunning, ham-
Ming it all up, Shakin’ a Spear,
They being all serious when their Baker
Has not a Nickel, a son, yes.
If he has – the first one – he canne just
Fillip it a-Larkin, can he?

(How many famous writers and poets can you spot in these lines?)

5 comments:

  1. Adam C says

    hmm.. I can pick out Cunningham Hemmingway and Shakespeare... Not sure who Nicholas and Baker refers to... Not very good with famous writers.. But I do like the rhyme, it's quite archaic like something you'd find in an old English book. At first I was a bit distracted trying to find the names, but then I read it again just for the meaning of the words, and even that flows quite well, so good job!


    Leon Wing says

    Hi Adam. You got one right: Shakepeare. And 2 others half-way right. Certain words are sort of archaic, aren't they - trying to point towards Shakespeare, and perhaps some English dialect; and also I didn't want to use 'no' so roundly spoken, so I use an approximation of 'no' when spoken indistinctly.

    I'll give the answers in time.


    Chet says

    I see Anita Brookner in line 2, and Philip Larkin in the last line.


    Leon Wing says

    Hi Chet, good to see you playing this game as well. You got those 2 right! And you already know from Adam C, there is Shakespeare.

    2 more still in there somewhere.


    Leon Wing says

    The remaining two writers: Michael Cunningham and Nicholson Baker.


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