Thursday
This is to alert you to a delightful Chaucer parody account entitled Chaucer Doth Tweet. In addition to its wit, I love how it’s very much in the spirit of Chaucer, one of England’s great humorists. It takes me back to the day when I would have my students read, and sometimes recite, the opening lines of Canterbury Tales in the original.
It also serves the serious purpose to reminding us that the English literature of the Middle Ages is worth reading and returning to. In fact, it introduces itself to us with a mission statement along these lines:
Studyinge the literatures of the past ys not antiquarian distractioun, nor ys it implicit praise of what ys studied; ynstead, critical studye of past literatures ys vital for seekinge more just, equitable, capacious, and hopeful futures. The presente ys just one part of progress.
Now for the fun stuff. Since Halloween is coming up, this tweet has been circulating:
Thei did the Mash! Thei did the Monstere Mash.
The Monstere Mash: beholde, sepulchral smasshe!
Thei did the Mash, and it kaughte on moost fast –
Hark, heare the Mash! Forsooth, the Monstere Mash!
Many kids will be dressed up as this superhero:
Spydere Man, Spydere Man
Doth al things a spydere kan
Sondry webbes he kan weaven
Thieves lyke flyes he kan cacchen
Lo! anon cometh Spydere Man
And then there’s this tweet in praise of Friday:
Ich thynke but litel of a Mondaye bleake
Tuesdaye grey and
Wednesdaye eke
Thursdaye Ich care nat for thee
Yet Fridaye Ich am yn love
Mondaye thou mayst fall awaye
Tuesdaye, Wednesdaye,
myne herte breake
No mirthe ys founde upon Thursdaye
Yet Fridaye Ich am yn love
There’s a wonderful summation of Homeric epics:
What thei do nat telle yow about Homeric epic ys that lyke thirtye to fortye percent of the texte ys just about various people makinge grilled meat dishes and setting out appetizers.
I conclude with the account’s parody of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides, Now”:
Rowes and flowes of seraph hair
And sugarid castles yn the ayre
And feathir valleyes everichwher
Ich thoughte on cloudes that waye
Yet now thei do but block the sonne
Thei rayne and snowe on everichon
So manye things Ich wolde have done
But cloudes did block the waye
Chyk it oute. Thou wilte thanke mae.