Clerihew for You

A Clerihew is a mildly witty, pseudo-biographical verse of

four lines of varying length rhyming, "aabb", example:

Jonathan Swift

Never went up in a lift;

Nor did the author of " Robinson Crusoe"

Do so.

(Named after E.Clerihew Bentley(1875-1956), its English

originator)

Rabindranath Tagore

Is famous forever more,

The "Geetanjali" he wrote

With more than a quote.

Anglo-Indian hero James Skinner

Was always a winner,

When he fought for Chiefs and Maharajas

He entered all "Darwazas".

Calcutta is Kolkata

Every girl is a "pataka",

But, it isn't too late

To get a loyal date.

Henry Derozio

Was not born a Leo,

But his poetry was even greater

As it still survives years later.

The Rickshaw wallah

Is a poor fellah,

Who pulls his rickshaw every day

Over pot-holes and hay.

Charlie Chaplin

Acted without a grin,

Humour out of place

With a straight face.

William Shakespeare

Was always for theatre,

From Macbeth the menace

To Merchant of Venice.

Bruce Lee

Came across the sea,

And stormed Kolkata

With his "kata" and "hu-ha".

William Gardener

Was never a gardener,

His regiment he did bless

And he married a Cambay Princess.

Rudyard Kipling

Was a writer, not a King,

At his writings do look

"Kim" and the "Jungle Book".

Glossary:"Maharajas" means Indian Kings.

"Darwazas" means doors.

"Pataka" means fire-cracker or a fast girl.

"Rickshaw wallah"means the Rickshaw puller.

"Kata" means karate chops in the air.

"Hu-ha" means karate yells.

"Cambay" was the name of a small Moslem state.