Editorial
On thys present Broad-Sheete of THE FLEA
Your Humble Editor is exceedingly pleas’d with this Xth publickation of THE FLEA broadsheets, in that it encompasseth divers excellent Verses by Bards previously exhibited herein, & well-known to the Readers hereof, as Mistresse Catherine Chandler, Mistresse Janet Kenny, Mr John Whitworth Esq; & Sir R. Nemo Hill, Bart, lately return’d from voyages to the Indies of Spice; yet we may also descrye Lines penn’d by Poets entirely new to FLEA-Holme’s Helicon, as Mr Alec Snoddie of the grimme Trans-Tynean wastes of Caledonia, whose burr’d lines are so richly redolent of the Heather, the Peat-Smoak, the Malt, & Vytal Waters of that salvage Countrie. Moreover, THE FLEA hath lately discover’d a fine Garlande of fragrante lyrickal Effusions from the freshly-sharpen’d quill of Mistress Hannah Carle, who daintily danceth (with the grace of a new & Radiant Muse) into the varied ranks of those collected within these Ætherial Pages. Another Poet new to these FLEA-ish Realmes, & of melodious musickal Perswasion, Mr Thomas Campion, soundeth upon the Celestiall Lyre (or rather, the Lute) of our Poetick Realme.
That svbtle Doctor of Philospophy, Aaron Poochigian, learned in the Classicks of Antiquity, hath recently translated the Lyrics of Sappho of Lesbos from the Grecian tongue; & in his delicate Englishing of her passionately amorous Numbers, lo! he hath render’d her sublime voice seemingly to sing againe in this our Age. So accompish’d are his Trans-Textualizations of the Lesbian Poetess, that they have recently been imprinted at the Press of Penguin Classics under the Title of Stung With Love; consult Doctor Poochigian’s page further within thys FLEA-ish pamphlett for more details concerning purchase of this Book &c. THE FLEA thanketh Lord Penguin of The Strand, & his excellent Warden of Permissions, Mistress Mary Fox, for so graciously granting leave to republish.
On the Push-Carte Prize
THE FLEA hath late receiv’d a missive from the Editor of the Push-Carte Anthologie, requesting nominations for the 2010 Push-Carte Prize; & after som cudgelling of the Editorial Brayne-pan, & energetick Resort to contemplative Pype-bowle Puffings of the Pestilent American Sotte-Weede, Yr Humble Editor hath chosen the following Poems for THE FLEA’S Nominations; namely:
‘Liminal’ by Angela France https://the-flea.com/Issue6/Liminal.html
‘Binary’ by Amit Majmudar https://the-flea.com/Issue6/Binary.html
‘And The Men Kept Coming’ by Nicola Daly https://the-flea.com/Issue7/AndTheMenKeptComing.html
‘Shakespeare in Love’ by Ann Drysdale https://the-flea.com/Issue7/ShakespeareinLove.html
‘Triduum’ by Rick Mullin https://the-flea.com/Issue7/Triduum.html
‘The Pismire Oration’ by Margaret Griffiths https://the-flea.com/Issue8/EpigraphPismire.html
THE FLEA wisheth these meritorious Authores all good Fortune in their contention for that rare Prize.
On the Disputacious & Vexatious Sects of Poets, &c
Of late there hath been much Cyber-Thrusting & Counter-Thrusting, with vasty & fowle-smelling Waves of vainglorious Braggadoccio & Bowsey Bullie-Blustering, & a great Rhodomontade of Rattling-Mumpers & Slubber-degullionly Back-Byters amongst the manie & varied Sects & Tribes of Poets, Poetasters, Versifiers, Critics, Pundits, Bombasters, & Tatter-de-mallionish Boarde-Beating Denizens who frequent the ætherically engender’d Inter-Nette; until indeed the sober Citizens of Mount Parnassus have been sore a-mazed and discomfitted by thys Roaring-Ranting Hub-Bubbe, & the Consternation thereby provok’d.
Your Humble Editor will (as befits one of his sweet, saintly & diplomatickally dignify’d Disposition), circumspectly avoid sordid Involvement in suche vulgar Clashes of Controversy; but must instede content himself merely with an apt Quotation borrow’d from a Pamphlett indited by the good & wise late Lady Margaret Griffiths, peerless She-Poet, & formerly Mistresse of The Grasshopper Inne, Poole; perpend:
Frankly, I don't care about an author's politics, and don't see how politics should affect the style of poetry we write and/or admire... let’s keep the discussion centred on good and bad poetry, and not about any political allegiances. In the current literary climate, where formal poetry is often undervalued, it seems obvious to me that anyone who cares about formal verse is an ally, and it is more sensible to concentrate on that, rather than squabbling about things that are peripheral. The real enemies are elsewhere.
This earnest Sentiment puts Your Humble &c in mind of a salutary Anecdote recounted by one Emo Philips, Esq, concerning a Gentleman whom he encounter’d on a very high Bridge; which Gentleman (being sorely afflicted by a sodaine & piercinge Fytte of Existentiall Malaise) was on the very Verge of precipitating himselfe suicidally therefrom; the tale may be found here—
The Moste Excellent Cautionary Tale of a Desperate Gentleman on a Very High Bridge
Concerning the Re-Opening of the Greate Flea-Holme Submission Portal
The Gigantic Bronze Doors of THE FLEA’s Portal (meetly inscrib’d with the Legend SVBMITTE) will creak ponderously open on the 22nd day of December, 2010, that being exactly a Yeare & a Day since they last swung clos’d. The Portal Perilous shall remain open for but a brief Tyme, (as it mighte be, a Monthe), & when Yr Humble Editor hath deem’d sufficient worthy Verses to have accru’d as would supply several FLEA-ish Broad-Sheetes during Anno Domini 2011, agen that Massy Portal of Submission will crash clos’d.
~§~
