Python limericks (was Re: Text-to-speech)

[Bengt Richter]

On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 15:39:45 +1100, Tim Churches <tchur at optushome.com.au> wrote:

>Steve Holden wrote:
>> Tim Churches wrote:
>>> There once was a language called Python...
>>>
>>> (which is pretty close to having three anapaestic left feet)
>>>
>>> or more promisingly, rhyme-wise, but metrically rather worse :
>>>
>>> There once was a mathematician named van Rossum...
>>>
>>> Tim C
>>>
>> Of course this last suggestion clearly has the wrong meter for a good
>> limerick. 
>
>I did say it was metrically worse...
>
>> Not everyone knows the ingredients of a good limerick, which
>> led to the following (which has been around in various forms since God
>> was a lad):
>> 
>> There was a young man from Japan
>> Who never quite learned how to scan.
>>   He got on quite fine
>>   Until the last line
>> And then somehow he could never quite get the number of syllables
>> right,or make it rhyme.
>
>This page on meta-limericks is worth a look:
>http://www.kith.org/logos/words/lower/l.html
>
>> So, let's accept that the first line should scan correctly, that would
>> make the following first lines acceptable:
>> 
>> A mathematician named Guido ...
>> The inventor of Python, called Guido ...
>> A mathematician (van Rossum) ...
>> Van Rossum, inventor of Python ...
>> 
>> Hopefully that will begin to get the idea across.
>
>The Wikipaedia page on limericks is also worth reading:
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limericks
>
>> Since it's PyCon week, I will offer a prize of $100 to the best (in my
>> opinion) limerick about Python posted to this list (with a Cc: to
>> pycon at python.org) before midday on Friday. The prize money will be my
>> own, so there are no other rules. I will post my judgment when the PyCon
>> nonsense has died down a little, but the winner will be read before the
>> entire PyCon audience. Get to it!
>
>My first attempt (which does not scan properly):
>
>A Dutch mathematician most prophetic,
>Did invent a language, name herpetic.
>  With design quite intelligent,
>  And syntax mostly elegant,
>Big ideas could be made non-hypothetic.
>

A fan of Monty and all was Guido,
which inluenced much of what he'd do.
Fun was the name of the game,
or if you need something to blame,
aversions to perl versions,
might be your diversions.
But Guido did concentrate well,
and managed sans line noise to spell.

Suite nothings do our blocks express
which doth our code transparently dress,
delighting the many who view
while confounding a relative few ...
and rightly conferring to Guido much fame,
though Guido van Rossum is only one name.
There's a "this" to import for a hint
why so many contribute a stint.

The beauty, the Zen, the generous ethos attract,
But it's not deniable it's a definite fact
that that really's not explaining it all:
It's a good bet they're having a ball ;-)

Regards,
Bengt Richter