Saturday Rave: Psycholophon by Gelett Burgess

 

Gelett Burgess (1856 - 1951) wrote the poem The Purple Cow, but he lived to regret it (Ah yes! I wrote The Purple Cow/I'm sorry now I wrote it/But I will tell you anyhow/I'll kill you if you quote it).

So, obviously, The Word Den isn't going to feature that poem here.

Instead, here's Psycholophon. 

You won't understand it until you get to the end, but it's quite short and worth reading.

It also manages to be funny (in retrospect) and food for thought.

Psycholophon

Twine then the rays

Round the soft Theban tissues.

All will be as She says,

When the dead Past reissues.

Matters not what or where,

Hark, to the moon's dim cluster!

How was her heavy hair

Lithe as a feather-duster!

Matters not when nor whence;

Flittertigibbet!

Sound make the song, not sense,

Thus I inhibit!

**

Word To Consider Today: psycholophon. The psycho- bit implies something to do with the mind. It comes from the Greek psukhē, which means spirit or breath. The -lophon bit is more puzzling, but then it's probably supposed to be puzzling. The Greek word kolophōn is a finishing stroke.

But, as the man says, it's really the sound that matters.