Mr Wag

Iambic pentameter

We really rather love our Mr Wag.
A bag of music, music in a bag.
Such masterpieces did he once produce.
We listen every day to Mr Wag.

Oh such a man, a wit was Mr Wag.
Oh what a dish of gifts, oh what a bag.
A Ring he made for us to hear, not wear.
The Nibelungen sent by Mr Wag.

So “Rheingold” was the first from Mr Wag.
And then we had “Walküre” in the bag.
The Ring then brought us “Siegfried” as the third.
The fourth one᾽s hard to say, dear Mr Wag.

Could cause some difficulty, Mr Wag,
for “Götterdämmerung” is in this bag
and can be hard, this “Götterdämmerung”.
You see that “o” and “a” there, Mr Wag?

There᾽s also that name here, oh Mr Wag.
We say as “Vahgner”, and it᾽s in the bag.
So “Wag”, you see, is “Wagner”, that OK?
For that word's in the bag now, Mr Wag.


(16 Jul 2023)

Reviews

[Chris Shaw]

An entertaining read about a musical genius, but some of this is lost on me. I think I may have to use Mr Google. Stanzas well penned and the flow is easy on the ear Andrew.

Chris

[Andrew John]

Ah - although you may have found it by now - it's about Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle, and the four operas in it (although some see numbers 2, 3 and 4 as the cycle and 1 as the Introduction). I did once see the Ring in one week - each is a long evening!

[Chris Shaw]

I have just inherited a huge collection of classical vinyl. I need to go through it and see what’s there:)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

it is startling that such a nasty individual who preyed on friends and was so stuck on himself could make such beautiful music...this is one time when we try to separate the person from his work.

Wagner the genius...just ask him.

j.

[Andrew John]

Yes, he did have his bad points. It's always difficult to choose: do you ignore some great music because a person has had some negative points? I suspect there are others whom we know less about. Anyway, thanks for your comment, J.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

no, we don't ignore the beautiful music, but we do wonder how it came from him......

[jacob erin-cilberto]

It is like how did such beautiful poetry come from Arthur Rimbaud...despicable character, beautiful pen.
Strange isn't it?

[Dianne S Penfold]

The rhyming seems to flow very nicely in this poem. Its very rhythmic and has a feel to it, almost like a rap. Very entertaining to read.

[Andrew John]

Thanks for comment, Dianne. It can be hard to like a genius when liking his music, even if he's a nasty person. Difficult. (Have a look at other conversation on this page.)