Biography for Beginners

by Edmund Clerihew Bentley, G. K. Chesterton (Illustrator)

Overview

The Art of Biography
Is different from Geography.
Geography is about Maps,
But Biography is about Chaps.
With these rhyming lines, English novelist and humorist Edmund Clerihew Bentley introduces this book and an unusual form of verse of his own invention. Bentley's four-line poems, known as "clerihews," offer satirical views of historical figures, from Edward the Confessor and Odo of Bayeux to Sir Walter Raleigh, Jane Austen, Karl Marx, Theodore Roosevelt, and many others. The witty verses are accompanied by the book's outstanding feature: whimsical full-page illustrations by G. K. Chesterton.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780486791685
Publisher:	Dover Publications
Publication date:	01/23/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	96
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

English novelist and humorist Edmund Clerihew Bentley (1875–1956) invented clerihews, four-line biographical poems that cast an absurdist light on famous figures. He is the author of the Dover detective novel Trent's Last Case, which is widely regarded as the first modern mystery.
Widely known as the "Prince of Paradox," G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) ranks among the most influential English writers and thinkers of the 20th century. Chesterton's prodigious talents embraced a wide range of subjects, from philosophy and religion to detective fiction, fantasy, and whimsical illustration.

Read an Excerpt

BIOGRAPHY for BEGINNERS

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By Edmund Clerihew Bentley, G. K. CHESTERTON

DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC

Copyright © 2014 Dover Publications. Inc.
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-486-79168-5

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CHAPTER 1

SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN

Sir Christopher Wren Said, "I am going to dine with some men. "If anybody calls "Say I am designing St. Paul's."

MIGUEL DE CERVANTES

The people of Spain think Cervantes Equal to half-a-dozen Dantes: An opinion resented most bitterly By the people of Italy.

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

Mr. Bernard Shaw Was just setting out for the war, When he heard it was a dangerous trade And demonstrably underpaid.

SIR HUMPHREY DAVY

Sir Humphrey Davy Abominated gravy. He lived in the odium Of having discovered Sodium.

J. S. MILL

John Stuart Mill, By a mighty effort of will, Overcame his natural bonhomie And wrote "Principles of Political Economy.'

FRANCOIS LISZT

The Abbe Liszt Hit the piano with his fist. That was the way He used to play.

LORD CLIVE

What I like about Clive Is that he is no longer alive. There is a great deal to be said For being dead.

KING EDWARD THE CONFESSOR

Edward the Confessor Slept under the dresser. When that began to pall, He slept in the hall.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from BIOGRAPHY for BEGINNERS by Edmund Clerihew Bentley, G. K. CHESTERTON. Copyright © 2014 Dover Publications. Inc.. Excerpted by permission of DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

The Art of Biography
Is different from Geography.
Geography is about Maps,
But Biography is about Chaps.
With these rhyming lines, English novelist and humorist Edmund Clerihew Bentley introduces this book and an unusual form of verse of his own invention. Bentley's four-line poems, known as "clerihews," offer satirical views of historical figures, from Edward the Confessor and Odo of Bayeux to Sir Walter Raleigh, Jane Austen, Karl Marx, Theodore Roosevelt, and many others. The witty verses are accompanied by the book's outstanding feature: whimsical full-page illustrations by G. K. Chesterton.
Dover (2014) republication of the edition originally published by T. Werner Laurie, London, 1925.
See every Dover book in print at
www.doverpublications.com