Tuesday, December 13, 2011

A Birthday Ode

To celebrate Jane Austen's birthday, my clever sister the Anne-girl (author of "Ode to the Key of F-Major") has kindly agreed to write a Birthday Ode for Jane Austen.  

A Birthday Ode
~by the Anne-girl

A birthday! How to celebrate
This most illustrious day?
We'll bring your people forward
And let them have their say.

Lizzy first
we all agree
Should be the one
to wish you glee

No, no!
"Glee" is not the word
For that with tears
your Fanny heard

Joy then,
On this your special day
We present you with:
A fond bouquet

Not hothouse flowers
Perish that!
Wild-picked these are
We saw to that.

For Marianne
Would not condone
A bunch that was
Picked at the home

Instead we must
Beside the road
Gather roses
And compose an ode.

Our fondest wishes
We do extend.
With Mr. Woodhouse
We intend,

To give to you
A gift so good
A bowl of gruel
To be your food

Our sweet Caroline
sends her regards
And Mr. Hurst
Will deal your cards

Dear Anne Elliot,
Wishes you much pleasure.
Her sister would,
But she's under the weather.

A parcel comes
from Henry T.
It's "Horrid Mysteries"
As you see.

We Janeites have
With help from others
Given you gifts
And sent you flowers

Your work we admire
Yourself we adore
And we think Mr. Collins
A total bore.

Happy Birthday and much admiration
Your fans,
The Janeites

6 comments:

Melody said...

Lovely work, Anne-girl! Much applause!

Hayden said...

heehee. Very fun.

"Dear Anne Elliot,
Wishes you much pleasure.
Her sister would,
But she's under the weather."

I have a sore throat, and all day I've been thinking of Mary
"My sore throats are always worse than anyone's!" :)

Miss Laurie of Old-Fashioned Charm said...

Anne-girl, this is all together perfectly delightful! I especially like this bit:
"A parcel comes
from Henry T.
It's "Horrid Mysteries"
As you see." :)

This ode made me smile so much! Thank you for sharing and celebrating Miss Austen! :D

Jujube said...

Fantastic poem, Anne-girl! You are such a wonderful poet!

Miss Dashwood said...

Melody,
Personally, I am exceedingly proud of my sisters' abilities, and if it weren't for fear of sounding like Miss Bates, I would brag on them more often.

Hayden,
Ha! I had a sore throat last week and was thinking the same thing! Isn't it great how Jane Austen has permeated our lives? :)

Miss Laurie,
She wouldn't let me see it until she was nearly done, but when I read that I laughed out loud. :)

Jemimah,
I want to get her to write a sonnet in praise of gruel (from Mr. Woodhouse's perspective). Maybe sometime soon...

Ella said...

Wonderful poem:)