A line-o'-verse or two

Taylor, Bert Leston, 1866-1921Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 77K words
Chapters: 8

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.A line-o'-verse or two by Bert Leston TaylorAuthor: Taylor, Bert Leston, 1866-1921,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Sep 20, 2009

Editor's review

This poetry collection comes from the American journalist and humor columnist Bert Leston Taylor and belongs squarely to the light verse tradition: short, witty, neatly rhymed, often drawing on everyday observations, newspaper anecdotes, and city life, with a irreverent playfulness and gentle satire. Its value lies not in depth of thought but in the rhythm of its language and its improvisational wit; it reads easily and suits dipping into for a few pages at odd moments. As a public-domain ebook, it also offers a usable textual sample for studying early twentieth-century American newspaper literature and the development of light verse. Note that much of the humor depends on the news background and slang of the time and may not land immediately with today's readers, and a few expressions carry the limitations of their era. Overall, this is a collection suited to leisure reading and as an introduction to English poetry, rather than a classic requiring systematic study.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers looking for light English poetry to dip into
Those interested in early twentieth-century American newspaper literature and humor traditions
Learners hoping to practice reading aloud and build a feel for English with short poems
Literature enthusiasts needing light verse samples for research or writing reference

Not a good fit for

Serious poetry readers expecting profound ideas or grand themes
Beginners with weak English who would struggle with puns and period references
Novel readers who prefer full narratives or long works

Reading tips

No need to read cover to cover; pick three to five poems a day and read them aloud to feel the rhyme and rhythm.
Skip unfamiliar allusions or slang at first, then return after finishing the poem to infer meaning from context.
Use the English text for reading-aloud practice, copying out favorite short poems to savor repeatedly.
If using it for research, learn about early twentieth-century American newspaper column writing beforehand.

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

Is this book suitable for English beginners?

Not really for complete beginners. The poems contain much period slang, punning, and newspaper allusions that can leave beginners baffled. Readers with some English reading ability who are willing to look up words and accept not understanding everything can use it as light practice for language feel.

Why is it called light verse?

Light verse is typically short, metrically regular, and humorous in tone, valuing wit and entertainment over deep lyricism or philosophy. The author worked for years in newspapers, and these poems mostly draw on daily life and news anecdotes, reading briskly—exactly the basic features of light verse.

Is this a complete collection or a selection?

This is the Project Gutenberg public-domain ebook edition, collecting the author's poems under the title A line-o'-verse or two. The specific contents should be checked against the actual ebook; readers should consult the table of contents rather than assume it covers all of the author's poetry.

Do I need to know the author's life to read this book?

Not necessarily. Knowing the author was a newspaper humor columnist helps in understanding the playful, improvisational tone, but most short poems can be enjoyed on their own. For pieces involving specific people or events, looking up background later is fine and does not hinder overall reading.

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About the author

Taylor, Bert Leston, 1866-1921 Author

Bert Leston Taylor (1866–1921) was an American writer and journalist active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, known for light, humorous verse and essays. Two of his works are included here: A line-o'-verse or two and The So-called Human Race. The first, as its title suggests, consists of short, brisk rhymed lines in the manner of newspaper-column banter; the second turns to observations and commentary on the so-called human race, with gentle satire and the flavor of familiar essays. Together they show a writer skilled at capturing everyday detail in brief pieces and expressing his views in a humorous tone. Because public information is limited, no speculation is offered here about his detailed life, education, or career; the works themselves indicate a popular, lively style suited to newspaper readers.