Boasting Rhymes

Charivarius, 1870-1946Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.1

Word count: 418K words
Chapters: 42

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Ruize-rijmen by CharivariusAuthor: Charivarius, 1870-1946,Language: Dutch, Class: PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures, Release Date: Mar 15, 2018

Editor's review

Ruize-rijmen is a verse work by the Dutch writer Charivarius (the pen name of Gerard Nolst Trenité), known for his wordplay and spelling satire; this collection continues in that vein of light rhyme and verbal ingenuity and belongs among the entertaining curiosities of Dutch verse. Its value lies in the language itself: the rhymes are neat and the rhythm brisk, making it a good way to feel the sounds and colloquial cadence of Dutch, and suitable material for language learners to read aloud. The Project Gutenberg electronic edition is convenient for searching and excerpting, but as a public-domain text it has no modern notes or introduction, so readers need some grounding in Dutch to appreciate the verbal fun. There is no need to read it straight through; pick short pieces by theme or length, read them aloud first to feel the rhythm, then look up unfamiliar expressions; those interested in wordplay can try to reconstruct the rhyme schemes or even imitate the sentence patterns in small exercises. Overall, this is a collection for browsing lightheartedly and savoring verbal wit again and again, rather than a strongly narrative literary work.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Learners with some Dutch reading ability who want to feel the rhythm of verse
Readers interested in wordplay, rhyme technique and verbal wit
Language teachers who need Dutch reading-aloud or pronunciation practice materials
Literature lovers who enjoy short verse for casual browsing

Not a good fit for

Readers with no Dutch at all who hope to read via a translation
Serious literary readers expecting a full plot or profound themes
Beginning learners who need modern notes, an introduction and background explanation

Reading tips

Choose short pieces, read them aloud first to feel the rhyme and rhythm, then go back and look up unfamiliar words and lines.
Read in groups by theme or length, a little at a time, to avoid fatigue from the language barrier.
Try to reconstruct the rhyme scheme of each poem and imitate its sentence patterns in short language exercises.
Use it alongside a Dutch dictionary, collecting recurring expressions into personal notes.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Can I read this book without knowing Dutch?

It is hard to appreciate its core appeal. The book's value lies mainly in Dutch rhyme and wordplay, and without a translation or notes, readers who do not know Dutch will struggle to grasp the rhythm and puns; basic reading ability is recommended first.

What kind of work is this book?

It is a collection of Dutch verse, notable for neat rhyme and verbal ingenuity; it is light verse writing rather than a novel or a systematic poetry anthology, suited to fragmented reading and reading-aloud practice.

Does the electronic edition have notes or an introduction?

As a Project Gutenberg public-domain text, it usually provides only the original text, with no modern notes, introduction or glossary; readers need their own dictionary and, where necessary, reference materials on Dutch phonetics and grammar.

Can it be used to practice Dutch pronunciation?

Yes; the verse has a clear rhythm and is suitable for reading-aloud practice. Note, however, that some spellings and expressions carry period or personal stylistic features, so it is best used alongside standard pronunciation materials for comparison.

Comments

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About the author

Charivarius, 1870-1946 Author

Charivarius (1870–1946) is an author known by a pen name; his real name, nationality and biographical details are not clear in the available materials, and public information is limited. The library holds one work by him, Ruize-rijmen. Judging from the title, it is a work written in verse, and the title has Dutch features; it may belong to the genre of humorous, satirical or occasional rhyming verse. Such works usually pay attention to metre and rhyme, with a light and ingenious language that emphasizes wordplay and humorous effect, often conveying observations and teasing about everyday life through easy rhyming lines. Because biographical material is scarce, it is currently difficult to know the full extent of his writing or his place in literary history; readers can mainly learn about the appearance and appeal of his verse through Ruize-rijmen.