R. S. Gwynn: IAGO TO HIS TORTURERS

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Three Poems by
R. S. Gwynn

IAGO TO HIS TORTURERS

Horatio's Philosophy

Shakespearean Sonnet
(With a first line taken from the tv listings)

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R. S. Gwynn

IAGO TO HIS TORTURERS

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The time, the place, the torture: O, enforce it!

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Tighter, me boys! One half-twist on that screw
And the wee piggy'll pop like a green bean.
Tighter, I said. And if the bloody shoe
Won't fit, ah, make it fit. My foot, I mean.
Let me my tendons plink, boys, lovely boys.
Tune up the rack. I love it, every minute.
Enjoy me whilst you can, like kids with toys.
Remember, I won't have to face the Senate.

And when the Maiden's fired, while hoists and cranks
Pinwheel me like a flea-bit dog-day dog,
Maybe you'll get it, how I did it so
We'd come to this, who like my pleasure slow.
Say Emilia wasn't handy with the flog.
It's all in the wrist. For this relief, much thanks.

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print version

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R. S. Gwynn

Horatio's Philosophy

..

Absented from felicity a year
In the back room let by his maiden aunts,
He let his hair grow long and pierced one ear,
Staring at cards Reynaldo mailed from France.

The scenes which they depicted gave him pause.
Stranger than Pliny (he had flunked the course),
In violation of all natural laws
A lady copulated with a horse.

If such as that could be, how stale and flat
Would seem the stupid tale he'd sworn to write:
The spider nesting in the old king's hat,
The late appearance of the northern lights,

Simple adultery and the rancid stew
Which he'd passed on but cost the crown its life,
His fat friend's garter tangling with his shoe,
Pitching him forward on his letter-knife,

And worse, that senile windbag and his daughter,
The former shafted with a curtain rod,
The latter diving into six-inch water.
This was the stuff of tragedy? Dear God.

The memo came from Osric, now the Chief
Of Royal Information: Get to work!
Keep the thing scandalous, and keep it brief.
Action and jokes. Make everyone a jerk

Except, of course, King Fortinbras. Let him
(Deus ex machina) arrive in time
To get lard-ass's blessing. You can trim
Most of the facts. Put in some crime

To make us look legitimate. And need
I mention that you've missed your deadline--twice?
Next week. At latest. Then, as we agreed,
You'd best get out of town. Take my advice.

And so he sat there hours, thinking hard.
Paris? Why not? But he was tired and broke
And known by face to every border guard.
The truth was bad enough. This was a joke.

His skills, such as they were, lay in debating
Questions of ethics, and his style of prose
Would never keep the groundlings salivating
With prurient puns. He'd seen Lord Osric's shows.

But what was truth? Wasn't it, all things said,
Whatever the authorities deemed right?
The rest was silence, for the dead were dead.
Feeling much better, he began to write.

The first draft took two days. He hired a ghost,
Dictating while he packed and paced the floor.
By Friday he had made it to the coast,
Sunday, stood knocking at Reynaldo's door.

.

.print version

..

R. S. Gwynn

Shakespearean Sonnet

(With a first line taken from the tv listings)

..

A man is haunted by his father's ghost.
A boy and girl love while their families fight.
A Scottish king is murdered by his host.
Two couples get lost on a summer night.
A hunchback murders all who block his way.
A ruler's rivals plot against his life.
A fat man and a prince make rebels pay.
A noble Moor has doubts about his wife.
An English king decides to conquer France.
A duke learns that his best friend is a she.
A forest sets the scene for this romance.
An old man and his daughters disagree.
A Roman leader makes a big mistake.
A sexy queen is bitten by a snake.

.

print version

....

R. S. Gwynn
with the author's permission from: R. S. Gwynn. The Drive-In. University of Missouri Press, 1986

other poems by R. S. Gwynn on this site:
"Horatio's Philosophy" from: R. S. Gwynn. No Word of Farewell: Selected Poems 1970-2000. Story Line Press, 2001 (Story Line Press [http://www.storylinepress.com/])
"Shakespearean Sonnet (With a first line taken from the tv listings)"

on other sites:
Thermopylae Ezine e-text of three more poems (The Great Fear / Untitled / The Simplification) [http://www.gloria-brame.com/glory/ezine3.htm#sam.htm]

on R. S. Gwynn: [http://www.ablemuse.com/v3/rsgwynn.htm]

..
print version

Shakespeare in Europe
University of Basel, Switzerland
for suggestions, additions, dead links etc. contact
webmaster
last changes: August 2001

.	Three Poems by R. S. Gwynn IAGO TO HIS TORTURERS Horatio's Philosophy Shakespearean Sonnet (With a first line taken from the tv listings)
.	R. S. Gwynn IAGO TO HIS TORTURERS
.	The time, the place, the torture: O, enforce it!
..	Tighter, me boys! One half-twist on that screw And the wee piggy'll pop like a green bean. Tighter, I said. And if the bloody shoe Won't fit, ah, make it fit. My foot, I mean. Let me my tendons plink, boys, lovely boys. Tune up the rack. I love it, every minute. Enjoy me whilst you can, like kids with toys. Remember, I won't have to face the Senate. And when the Maiden's fired, while hoists and cranks Pinwheel me like a flea-bit dog-day dog, Maybe you'll get it, how I did it so We'd come to this, who like my pleasure slow. Say Emilia wasn't handy with the flog. It's all in the wrist. For this relief, much thanks.
.	. print version
..	R. S. Gwynn Horatio's Philosophy
..	Absented from felicity a year In the back room let by his maiden aunts, He let his hair grow long and pierced one ear, Staring at cards Reynaldo mailed from France. The scenes which they depicted gave him pause. Stranger than Pliny (he had flunked the course), In violation of all natural laws A lady copulated with a horse. If such as that could be, how stale and flat Would seem the stupid tale he'd sworn to write: The spider nesting in the old king's hat, The late appearance of the northern lights, Simple adultery and the rancid stew Which he'd passed on but cost the crown its life, His fat friend's garter tangling with his shoe, Pitching him forward on his letter-knife, And worse, that senile windbag and his daughter, The former shafted with a curtain rod, The latter diving into six-inch water. This was the stuff of tragedy? Dear God. The memo came from Osric, now the Chief Of Royal Information: Get to work! Keep the thing scandalous, and keep it brief. Action and jokes. Make everyone a jerk Except, of course, King Fortinbras. Let him (Deus ex machina) arrive in time To get lard-ass's blessing. You can trim Most of the facts. Put in some crime To make us look legitimate. And need I mention that you've missed your deadline--twice? Next week. At latest. Then, as we agreed, You'd best get out of town. Take my advice. And so he sat there hours, thinking hard. Paris? Why not? But he was tired and broke And known by face to every border guard. The truth was bad enough. This was a joke. His skills, such as they were, lay in debating Questions of ethics, and his style of prose Would never keep the groundlings salivating With prurient puns. He'd seen Lord Osric's shows. But what was truth? Wasn't it, all things said, Whatever the authorities deemed right? The rest was silence, for the dead were dead. Feeling much better, he began to write. The first draft took two days. He hired a ghost, Dictating while he packed and paced the floor. By Friday he had made it to the coast, Sunday, stood knocking at Reynaldo's door.
.	.print version
..	R. S. Gwynn Shakespearean Sonnet (With a first line taken from the tv listings)
..	A man is haunted by his father's ghost. A boy and girl love while their families fight. A Scottish king is murdered by his host. Two couples get lost on a summer night. A hunchback murders all who block his way. A ruler's rivals plot against his life. A fat man and a prince make rebels pay. A noble Moor has doubts about his wife. An English king decides to conquer France. A duke learns that his best friend is a she. A forest sets the scene for this romance. An old man and his daughters disagree. A Roman leader makes a big mistake. A sexy queen is bitten by a snake.
.	print version
....	R. S. Gwynn with the author's permission from: R. S. Gwynn. The Drive-In. University of Missouri Press, 1986 other poems by R. S. Gwynn on this site: "Horatio's Philosophy" from: R. S. Gwynn. No Word of Farewell: Selected Poems 1970-2000. Story Line Press, 2001 (Story Line Press [http://www.storylinepress.com/]) "Shakespearean Sonnet (With a first line taken from the tv listings)" on other sites: Thermopylae Ezine e-text of three more poems (The Great Fear / Untitled / The Simplification) [http://www.gloria-brame.com/glory/ezine3.htm#sam.htm] on R. S. Gwynn: [http://www.ablemuse.com/v3/rsgwynn.htm]
..	print version Shakespeare in Europe University of Basel, Switzerland for suggestions, additions, dead links etc. contact webmaster last changes: August 2001