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Biography for Beginners
Paperback
ISBN13: 9781025301792
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 96
Weight: 0.32
Height: 0.20 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
Biography for Beginners is a landmark collection of light verse that introduced the world to the clerihew, a whimsical and satirical form of four-line poetry. Created by Edmund Clerihew Bentley, these verses offer a playful take on the lives of famous historical, literary, and political figures, stripping away the solemnity of traditional biography in favor of sharp wit and rhythmic absurdity. Each poem captures the essence of its subject through a lens of gentle mockery and unexpected observation, making it a cornerstone of English nonsense literature.
The work is celebrated for its distinctive structure-an AABB rhyme scheme and irregular meter-which perfectly complements its humorous intent. Biography for Beginners remains a delightful exploration of the human ego and the quirks of history. It serves as both a masterclass in the art of the short-form poem and a timeless example of early 20th-century wit. Readers will find themselves entertained by Bentley's clever wordplay and his unique ability to summarize a life in just a few lines of clever, unpretentious verse. This collection is an essential read for lovers of satire, poetry, and classic British humor.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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