The Special Category

Anagrammy Awards > Voting Page - Special Category


An optional explanation about the anagram in green, the subject is in black, the anagram is in red.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

901

Song of The Fall of Gil-galad (Tolkien)

Gil-galad was an Elven-king.
Of him the harpers sadly sing:
the last whose realm was fair and free
between the Mountains and the Sea.

His sword was long, his lance was keen,
his shining helm afar was seen;
the countless stars of heaven's field
were mirrored in his silver shield.

But long ago he rode away,
and where he dwelleth none can say;
for into darkness fell his star
in Mordor where the shadows are.

Lament of The Fall of Blair (nr)

Tony was no strident liege,
He ran a kingdom under siege.
As an earnest slave he had his war,
A lawless clash on a foreign shore.

We said "See, this is the final straw,
You grinning fool! Resign! Withdraw!"
He grinned, he smiled, all that was fake,
And holy words? - for heavens sake!

Once his fragile stronghold fell,
The asshole snarled "OK, farewell".
The spent warmonger was dismissed,
Eh... we have a hunch he won't be missed.


[an error occurred while processing this directive]

902

[The first poem below laments, in a somewhat Shakespearean style, a lover's betrayal; the second is about a country under the thrall of an unjust ruler. Besides being anagrams of each other, the poems have another unusual feature, which is revealed below. ]

Peruse this writing here, and thou shalt know
Where life hath no more interest but to breathe.
Ay, thou shalt find us ready for thee still,
So safely ordered that there is no soul.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more:
Lo, she is one of this confederacy!

Ay, and much more; but I was born so high,
To be disgraced by an inkhorn mate.
Where didst thou see her? O unhappy girl!
In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed?
I think he be transform'd into a beast,
To slander music any more than once.

Why, 'tis no matter, man: if they did hear,
What if I stray'd no farther, but chose here?
Salute thee for her king. Till then, fair boy,
The Gordian knot of it he will unloose,
And nobleness impose. At least, thus much:
To bring this matter to the wished end.

My lords, at once: the care you have of us,
And lay those honours on your high desert.
Thou liv'st; report me and my cause aright
Or, at the least, in hers sepulchre thine.
There is another comfort than this world;
Come, then, for with a wound I must be cur'd.

I will not choose what many men desire,
I am far better born than is the King.
How many hours brings about the day
Too terrible for the ear? The time has been,
An honest country lord, as I am, beaten -
The other lords like lions wanting food.

Father, 'tis thus: yourself and all the world
Will rouse the proudest panther in the chase.
Why should a friend be treacherous? If that
This news, I think, hath turn'd your weapon's edge.
My heart is not confederate with my hand;
O, had it been a stranger, not my child!

He holds your temper in a high respect;
You are so noble. To your Highness' hand,
If then the King your father will restore,
Cast thousand beams upon me, like the sun!
And let us two devise to bring him thither,
Which reformation must be sudden too.

So, under Him that great supremacy,
And of the loyal service of his son,
You that are thus so tender o'er his follies,
Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth,
Under the cool shade of a sycamore,
Take on with me, and ne'er be satisfied!

[Answer: every line in both poems is an unaltered line from one of Shakespeare's plays. The origin of each line is shown in the right column below. All lines were taken from the same edition of Shakespeare, the one that's online at Project Gutenberg here.]

Peruse this writing here, and thou shalt know

Richard II, Act 5, Sc. 3

Where life hath no more interest but to breathe.

Titus Andronicus, Act 3, Sc. 1

Ay, thou shalt find us ready for thee still,

Henry VI Part I, Act 2, Sc. 4

So safely ordered that there is no soul.

The Tempest, Act 1, Sc. 2

God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more:

Henry V, Act 4, Sc. 3

Lo, she is one of this confederacy!

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 3, Sc. 2

  

Ay, and much more; but I was born so high,

Richard III, Act 1, Sc. 3

To be disgraced by an inkhorn mate.

Henry VI Part I, Act 3, Sc. 1

Where didst thou see her? O unhappy girl!

Othello, Act 1, Sc. 1

In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed?

Hamlet, Act 3, Sc. 4

I think he be transform'd into a beast,

As You Like It, Act 2, Sc. 7

To slander music any more than once.

Much Ado About Nothing, Act 2, Sc. 3

  

Why, 'tis no matter, man: if they did hear,

Titus Andronicus, Act 3, Sc. 1

What if I stray'd no farther, but chose here?

The Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Sc. 7

Salute thee for her king. Till then, fair boy,

King John, Act 2, Sc. 1

The Gordian knot of it he will unloose,

Henry V, Act 1, Sc. 1<

And nobleness impose. At least, thus much:

The Winter's Tale, Act 2, Sc. 3

To bring this matter to the wished end.

Henry VI Part I, Act 3, Sc. 3

 

 

My lords, at once: the care you have of us,

Henry VI, Part II, Act 3, Sc. 1

And lay those honours on your high desert.

Richard III, Act 1, Sc. 3

Thou liv'st; report me and my cause aright

Hamlet, Act 5, Sc. 2

Or, at the least, in hers sepulchre thine.

Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act 4, Sc. 2

There is another comfort than this world;

Measure for Measure, Act 5, Sc. 1

Come, then, for with a wound I must be cur'd.

Antony and Cleopatra, Act 4, Sc. 11

=

I will not choose what many men desire,

The Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Sc. 9

I am far better born than is the King.

Henry VI Part II, Act 5, Sc. 1

How many hours brings about the day

Henry VI Part III, Act 2, Sc. 5

Too terrible for the ear? The time has been,

Macbeth, Act 1, Sc. 4

An honest country lord, as I am, beaten -

Henry VIII, Act 1, Sc. 3

The other lords like lions wanting food.

Henry VI Part I, Act 1, Sc. 2

  

Father, 'tis thus: yourself and all the world

Taming of the Shrew, Act 2, Sc. 1

Will rouse the proudest panther in the chase.

Titus Andronicus, Act 2, Sc. 2

Why should a friend be treacherous? If that

The Two Noble Kinsmen, Act 5, Sc. 4

This news, I think, hath turn'd your weapon's edge.

Henry VI Part II, Act 2, Sc. 1

My heart is not confederate with my hand;

Richard II, Act 5, Sc. 3

O, had it been a stranger, not my child!

Richard II, Act 1, Sc. 3

  

He holds your temper in a high respect;

Henry IV Part I, Act 3, Sc. 1

You are so noble. To your Highness' hand,

Henry VIII, Act 2, Sc. 2

If then the King your father will restore,

Love's Labours Lost, Act 2, Sc. 2

Cast thousand beams upon me, like the sun!

Henry VIII, Act 4, Sc. 2

And let us two devise to bring him thither,

Merry Wives of Windsor, Act 4, Sc. 4

Which reformation must be sudden too.

Henry VIII, Act 5, Sc. 3

  

So, under Him that great supremacy,

King John, Act 3, Sc. 1

And of the loyal service of his son,

King Lear, Act 4, Sc. 2

You that are thus so tender o'er his follies,

The Winter's Tale, Act 2, Sc. 3

Whom it concerns to hear this matter forth,

Measure for Measure, Act 5, Sc. 1

Under the cool shade of a sycamore,

Love's Labours Lost, Act 5, Sc. 2

Take on with me, and ne'er be satisfied!

Henry VI Part III, Act 2, Sc. 5


[an error occurred while processing this directive]

903

MEMPHIS TENNESSEE
by Chuck Berry

Long distance information, give me Memphis Tennessee
Help me find the party trying to get in touch with me
She could not leave her number, but I know who placed the call
'Cause my uncle took the message and he wrote it on the wall

Help me, information, get in touch with my Marie
She's the only one who'd phone me here from Memphis Tennessee
Her home is on the south side, high up on a ridge
Just a half a mile from the Mississippi Bridge

Help me, information, more than that I cannot add
Only that I miss her and all the fun we had
But we were pulled apart because her mom did not agree
And tore apart our happy home in Memphis Tennessee

Last time I saw Marie she's waving me good-bye
With hurry home drops on her cheek that trickled from her eye
Marie is only six years old, information please
Try to put me through to her in Memphis Tennessee

GET HERE!

Help me Express Plumbers, I've one big emergency,
There's a leak in my home water tank, that's drippin' here on me,
The ceiling's damp and I see water streamin' down the wall,
As I sit here in a puddle by the home-phone in the hall.

Help me I'm in trouble, 'cos the drip's become a flow,
I've told you my dilemma, man, what more d'you need to know?
Pardon me, what's that you say? 'Choose options - one of three,
Then confirm the number with a press of the hash key'?

Help me Mr. Plumber for the drip's become a gush,
Now the ceiling's saggin' and is changin' into mush,
You say my call's important; seems I'm fourteenth in the line,
Thirteen more to go (then press the hash just one more time).

Damn, the ceiling's disappeared, there's nothin' left of it!
Furthermore you're playin' Handel's Water Music shit!
I'm swimmin' like a merman through the house and out the home,
Hey, it's academic now, forget I ever phoned.


[an error occurred while processing this directive]

904

"Sodomy" [from "Hair"]

Sodomy, fellatio, cunnilingus, pederasty.
Father, why do these words sound so nasty?
Masturbation can be fun;
Join the holy orgy Kama Sutra everyone!

Fantasy, unusual, bedtime horrors, shook whites daily.
Larry, why does the stuff sound so gayly?
Transposition can be done;
Join the anagrammy dot com forum everyone!


[an error occurred while processing this directive]

905

[Dante Rossetti was an English poet and painter of the pre-Raphaelite school, who composed poetry to go along with his paintings. His
Venus Verticordia
is one such work.

Ellin Anderson is a modern American poet living in Vermont, who wrote a poem on the same theme,
Verticordia
, which means "heart turner".

My anagram of Rossetti's poem features a couple of additional constraints, one fairly obvious, the other a bit more hidden.]

Venus Verticordia
by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

She hath the apple in her hand for thee,
Yet almost in her heart would hold it back;
She muses, with her eyes upon the track
Of that which in thy spirit they can see.
Haply, 'Behold, he is at peace,' - the dart
That follows its brief sweetness to his heart, -
The wandering of his feet perpetually!'

A little space her glance is still and coy;
But if she give the fruit that works her spell,
Those eyes shall flame as for her Phrygian boy.
Then shall her bird's strained throat the woe foretell,
And her far seas moan as a single shell,
And through her dark grove strike the light of Troy.

Aphrodite as a Heart Changer

Eat this delightsome fiendish fruit that she,
Loath to vallow to leave her breasts, doth hold?
L,o she now sees this treatment harsh for thee,
In that thou shalt with heart forlorn lapse old.
Now fortune's eye hath looked at thee; yet hark!

After her rending lance hath hit its mark
No ecstasies, oh gypsy, shall there be.
Demurely placid she'll thus briefly stay;
Eyes seen serene first, as with Paris, they
Rekindle fervidly ere cypress garb
She'll wear, that wrap which shall pronounce the plight
Of pangs that I receive of this spear's flight,
Nubile, divine if touched by that Greek barb.


[an error occurred while processing this directive]

906

Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned / Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.

Oh, wounded heart can never ask or heal / Full on hot revenge, dear reason it may kill


[an error occurred while processing this directive]

907

RACE CAR YA-YAS
(by Cake)

The land of race car ya-yas.
The land where you can't change lanes.
The land where large, fuzzy dice
Still hang proudly
Like testicles from rear-view mirrors.

YEARLY CHANGES
(H. Flowers)

Electrically, an amazin' screwy tale...
Greet royally a player's grander scale!
The cad has fun here and it ain't work;
Cheer the crazy music of David Bourke!