Thursday, October 31, 2024

Serious Concerns by Wendy Cope

I needed a poetry collection to fulfill one of my Pop Sugar Reading Challenge prompts for the year. I heard that Serious Concerns by Wendy Cope was a humorous collection, so I dug around and ordered a copy from the interlibrary loan system at the university library (sadly, this book only came from UW-Madison, so it's not like it travelled far). This book was published in 1992, but it was so yellowed and stained that I sort of assumed it had been published far before then, but then I did the math and realized it was more than thirty years old. *sigh* Time is passing by, isn't it?

This was fun! I had fun! Look at some funny poems. 

I think that "The Orange" is maybe Cope's most famous poem, but what do I know? It makes me laugh every time I read it, particularly the first stanza.


But, somehow I laughed even harder at "An Argument with Wordsworth." Why not pick an argument with a guy who's been dead for a 150-years?


But it's not all fun and games, you know? There were occasional heartfelt poems in there. Consider "Names." 


Anyway, if you're looking for a quick poetry collection that will give you an occasional chuckle, this one might be it! 4.5/5 stars 

No hats, friends. No hats. 

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Has anyone else read Wendy Cope? Do you have a favorite humorous poet?

26 comments:

  1. The only one of her poems I've read is The Orange, as it's in a Julie Andrews poetry anthology. But that Names one. Oof. Beautiful. Reminded me a bit of the book The Swimmers.

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    1. It does have a Swimmers sort of vibe. "Names" is sort of an outlier in this book.

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  2. I really enjoy Wendy Cope too! She really captures a lot of how I feel about the every normal day of existence. She has poem I love called "Being Boring".
    https://apoemaday.tumblr.com/post/666662706720505856/being-boring
    an excerpt:

    There was drama enough in my turbulent past:
    Tears and passion - I've used up a tankful.
    No news is good news, and long may it last.
    If nothing much happens, I'm thankful.
    A happier cabbage you never did see,
    My vegetable spirits are soaring.
    If you're after excitement, steer well clear of me.
    I want to go on being boring.

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    1. We joke about how a boring life is a good life at our house! What a fun poem. I love it.

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  3. Well, now I'm sad (Names!) But overall this sounds like a fun collection.

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    1. I liked it. I need to read more poetry. It makes me feel like I'm one of the cool kids.

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  4. Oh, my. That last poem. So poignant.
    I love Shel Silverstein for fun/funny poems. "Where the Sidewalk Ends" is so much fun when you read it to kids, but it's still fun read on its own as a grownup, too.
    One of the funniest bunch of poems I ever read was the collection of "Them" poems by Mason Williams. They're all hilarious.

    *Hey, I hope you're feeling lots better!

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    1. Maybe humorous poetry will become my new thing. Thanks for the Williams recommendation. I'll check it out!

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  5. Never heard of her but loved the pages/poems that you shared here.

    Thank you!

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    1. Thanks for visiting! Maybe you'll become a Wendy Copes fan, too!

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  6. I have never heard of her but it looks like an entertaining read. I dont think I have ever read a poetry book...

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    1. Poetry isn't my main genre, either, but it is nice once in a while. It makes me feel smart.

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  7. I've not read a book of poetry, since Where the Sidewalk Ends as a kid. We loved that one. These poem are so clever. No hat mentions. Imagine? I love the Nanna one.

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    1. Every child had a Shel Silverstein phase, didn't they?!

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  8. That last one hits hard.

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    1. It really does. The circle of life told through names.

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  9. Wendy Cope! The Wordsworth poem reminded me of her A.E. Housman one:
    Another Unfortunate Choice

    I think I am in love with A.E. Houseman,
    Which puts me in a worse-than-usual fix.
    No woman ever stood a chance with Houseman
    And he's been dead since 1936.

    And also the one about Emily Dickinson:
    Higgledy-piggledy
    Emily Dickinson
    Liked to use dashes
    Instead of full stops.
    Nowadays, faced with such
    Idiosyncrasy,
    Critics and editors
    Send for the cops.

    Dorothy Parker has many similar literature-themed funnies starting with "A Pig's Eye View of Literature" (all the famous names here Rossetti, Tennyson, Dickens, etc. have some tongue-in-cheek reference: https://www.poemist.com/dorothy-parker/poems ). Thanks for the chance to remember, Engie!

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    1. I knew you would appreciate this, Maya, if no one else did!

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    2. SORRY I'M A NERD!

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    3. No apologies needed! I was so excited to hear what you would think of the fact that I read a poetry book when I published this. It was basically JUST FOR YOU.

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  10. I hadn't heart of Dorothy Parker, but this sounds like just my kind of poetry!

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    1. Maya is always teaching us something, isn't she?

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    2. I hope not in an insufferable kind of way :/ I just get excited about things.

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    3. NO! In a perfect way. I would never read these wonderful poems without your guidance.

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    4. All the <3s, Engie!

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