July 13, 2008
On Shakespeare
O wonderful Muse, drama’s progenitor
Exploring the world ‘tween pretense and truth
Through beautiful verse in iambic pentameter
The wisdom of age, the exuberance of youth
Imagine the days it all began
The Mermaid Tavern, the London fog
Will and Ben making jokes off-hand
Saw comedy born over pints of grog
With Chamberlain’s Men Will got his start
For fifteen years he did reside
With Ben and John he played his part
Success to come in stride
The Globe was built in ninety-nine
Will’s greatest plays upon the gyre
A Court appointment was condign
For King James they did inspire
A force within the Renaissance
The history, comedy, tragedy
Has garnered scholars consonance
And the unenlightened, accidie
What became of the great Thespian?
The reward of his work sublime
The words of Ben, quotidian…
“…not of an age, but for all time”
Copyright © 1999 by Jake Olden Shy
