A curlicue clerihew?

Clerihew is one of those words you so rarely hear. Few are probably acquainted with it.

From the World English Dictionary:

clerihew (ˈklɛrɪˌhjuː)

—n

a form of comic or satiric verse in the aabb rhyming pattern, consisting of two couplets of metrically irregular lines, containing the name of a well-known person

This type of rhyming poem was named after Edmund Clerihew Bentley, who invented it in 1891 at the ripe old age of 16, apparently while bored out of his mind during a science class lecture. Here is the first clerihew he wrote in said class:

Sir Humphry Davy
Abominated gravy.
He lived in the odium
Of having discovered sodium.

Over the last 120 years, many other writers have embraced this irregular style of verse. Perhaps the most prominent, or at least widely known writer of the modern day, satirist Craig Brown, had made considerable use of the clerihew in his columns for The Daily Telegraph. The former prime minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair, apparently was on the receiving end of many of his skewering clerihews.

Through research, I found myself enamored with this style of rhyming verse. I decided I had to give it a try. Here is my first effort:

U.S. President Barack Obama
Cried “Unfair!” to his momma.
I inherited this bleh economy
Why couldn’t mine Reaganonomy?

Not bad, if I do say so myself, which I just did. Now let’s close this post with a dilly:

Charlie Brown’s sister Sally
For Linus’ love did rally.
Of hair that’s natural curlicue
She is the subject of this clerihew.

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