"The Politician and His Dupes" by Gallaway‘Song of the Sophist’ and Other Poems by Susan Jarvis Bryant The Society December 20, 2024 Pantoum, Poetry, Rondeau, Satire 37 Comments . Song of the Sophist a pantoum I tiptoe past all that is true— The facts never matter to me. My aim is to wheedle and woo. I peddle malarkey with glee. The facts never matter to me. I fib as I fox and digress. I peddle malarkey with glee. My bombast is blessed with finesse. I fib as I fox and digress. I flummox and flimflam and spin. My bombast is blessed with finesse. I fuddle and fog with a grin. I flummox and flimflam and spin. What good is an argument lost? I fuddle and fog with a grin. I’ll win and I won’t count the cost. What good is an argument lost? My aim is to wheedle and woo. I’ll win and I won’t count the cost Of tiptoeing past all that’s true. . . Poppycockery A lippy poppycockian As loopy as could be Had poppycockish views upon The poppycockracy. He poppycockified a crowd With shock-the-flock displays. When balderdash is brayed aloud It frays the sanest days. Beware the poppycockian Of skimpy wit and squawky tongue. . . Serpent-Speak a rondeau Her tongue is slick (so quick and sly) She looks her quarry in the eye As silken diction snakes its way To smitten ears till senses sway To screwy tunes that stupefy. Pie in the sky (a lush supply) Is treacle-sweet to mask the lie That trickles through each cooed cliché— __Her tongue is slick. Her utterings (the smoothest sigh) Will butter up each passer by With eloquence until her prey Is licked by all she has to say— The very devil can’t deny __Her tongue is slick. . . Susan Jarvis Bryant is a poet originally from the U.K., now living on the Gulf Coast of Texas. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Trending now: 37 Responses Michael Pietrack December 20, 2024 You have such a mastery over the language. Reading what you write makes it fun to speak. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 Thank you very much for this encouraging comment, Michael. As you know, I love the musicality of language and believe poetry can only be appreciated to its fullest potential when read aloud. I strive to make the reading aloud part fun. Reply Ivy Joew December 20, 2024 Song of the sophist reminded me of an English teacher who’d set us the task of writing bipartite essays, arguing against a thesis with all our intellectual might in the first, then arguing for the same thesis just as logically in the second. I have to say all of us emerged from that course better rhetoricians, but at what cost? The excessive alliteration serves well to expose the ophioglottal sophistry of all three breeds of deceivers. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 Thank you very much for this comment, Ivy. I too had an English Literature professor who impressed me greatly when proving he could argue the point that the works of Charles Dickens were or were not making political statements equally well… which is all fine and dandy when reading nineteenth-century novels… or is it? There is a right and a wrong answer where every question is concerned – even in critiquing literature. Now I’m well beyond my student years, I believe these days every formerly trusted institution has exploited the gray area to the point of ridicule and (even worse) devastation. I also thank you for the deliciously enchanting term: “ophioglottal sophistry” – which I may well slip into a future poem. Reply Joseph S. Salemi December 20, 2024 “Ophioglottal sophistry” is going to be hard to fit into most metrical schemes. If you use its English version (“serpent-tongued”), you’ve got a passable double dactyl: SER pent tongued SOPH is try Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 Joe, I couldn’t resist giving it a go: Give me ophioglottal sophistry With some toffee-nose-twaddle boffinry… See my frothy-ode noddle atrophy. You’re right! I’ll go with the trusty SER pent tongued SOPH is try” – thank you. I did, however, have a lot of fun trying. Ivy Joew December 21, 2024 It would be my pleasure, Susan, the phrase is yours. I was recently working on expanding my garden, and researched many herbs and flowers, so the name was on top in my mind as I wrote you. The second pronunciation listed for the word in the OED would perfectly fit an iambic line, and given how complex and murky Ancient Greek stress patterns are from our vantage point, it might as well have been the more natural one in many dialects. https://www.oed.com/dictionary/ophioglossum_n Russel Winick December 20, 2024 Thanks for the morning mastery Susan. Yes, there’s plenty of poppycockians out there. Your unique use of the language continues to entertain and enthrall.. Thanks so much! Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 And I’ve certainly met a fair few cocky poppycockians, Russel. As ever, thank you for your wonderful words of encouragement! Reply Julian D. Woodruff December 20, 2024 “Poppycockracy” deserves to be enshrined in the English language as much as anything Shakespeare wrote. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 Music to my ears, Julian! Thank you very much indeed! Reply Paul A. Freeman December 20, 2024 I particularly liked ‘Poppycockery’, with its nod to Lewis Carroll’s ‘Jabberwocky’, especially the final couplet. Song of the Sophist and Serpent-Speak brought to mind several politicians, from either side of the aisle, from either side of the Atlantic and beyond. Thanks for the reads, Susan. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 I’m glad you enjoyed these, Paul, and I love your ‘Jabberwocky’ observation – I was thinking of slithy toves and vorpal swords when I wrote that poem. Reply Rohini December 20, 2024 Susan! You are totally brilliant. Each poem is as sharp as a scimitar. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 Rohini, your comment delights me. Thank you very much indeed! Reply Joseph S. Salemi December 20, 2024 These are three great depictions of sophistry and sophistical liars. Such people seem to be everywhere these days, like a plague of locusts. Susan, your imaginative and expert use of language is in a league by itself. You use words brilliantly and honestly — not to deceive and confuse and cheat, the way sophists do. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 Joe, thank you very much for kind and encouraging comment, and you’re spot on when you say: “Such people seem to be everywhere these days, like a plague of locusts.” – especially at the taxpayer-funded “expert” level. Reply Roy Eugene Peterson December 20, 2024 1. “The Song of the Sophists” reminded me of politicians and news organizations these days, since they so often skirt the facts and instead engage in opinionated rhetoric. Sophistry is alive and well centuries after the Greeks perfected it in public discourse. 2. “Poppycockery” was so much fun to read with “when balderdash is brayed aloud” among my favorite lines. 3. In “Serpent-speak” I fixated on using “Her.” I wondered if you had someone in mind. 4. All three poems continue to add to your legend. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 Roy, thank you most kindly for your close reading of my poems and your words of encouragement. Sophistry is most certainly alive, well, and kicking “deplorables” in the teeth daily. As for the inspiration for “Serpent-Speak”, I just decided to keep it fair and go with a “she” after I gave the “he” of “Poppycockery” such a bad rap – my nod to the feminists in the ongoing battle of the sexes. Reply Cheryl A Corey December 20, 2024 “Poppycockery” is an absolutely delightful read. I think you’ve invented some new words there as well. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 Cheryl, thank you very much indeed! I don’t think there are enough words in the dictionary to offer poets exactly what they’re looking for – poetic license is most definitely called for. Reply Mark Stellinga December 20, 2024 I’m betting big you’re not crazy about the vast majority of politicians, Susan. I envy your skills at both penning verse and at mutilating what you find distasteful! Harris and Walz crept into my mind as I read these… bless you for that. Right on the money and fun to read. Nice to see your latest offering. FMY – did my new flash-drive-book make it through the USPS? Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 21, 2024 Mark, thank you for your kind comment and for the flash-drive-book, which has arrived in time for Christmas! Wonderful! You’re spot on when you say I’m not crazy about the vast majority of politicians. When the likes of William Wilberforce shine from the political pulpit, my hope will be restored… till then, I watch aghast at the drama played out daily to detract from the scheming behind the theatrics. Reply Brian A. Yapko December 20, 2024 Susan, these are terrific poems of observation and exposure. “Sophist” and “Serpent” are, for all your trademark alliteration and percussive use of sharp language, poems which are not so much satire as truth and criticism presented artistically using all of the poetic tools of which you are master. They are clever, elegant, sharp, bold, piercing. Poppycockery is funny for its linguistic acrobatics. But the two framing poems, though entertaining, are not funny. They are deadly serious. Sophist is a particularly complex character portrait in which the speaker’s ego appears to be paramount, even at the expense of the truth. You describe a type who we have all known – you do not actually explain this person’s end-game but it is not hard to connect the dots: you describe someone who is so anxious for approbation, fame, prestige, status that they will say or do anything to achieve it, even if he or she is essentially a fraud. Your use of the pantoum form is perfect here as your speaker repeats the same pattern of self-promotion at the expense of others over and over again. This speaker’s “bombast is blessed with finesse” to the point where rottenness is carefully camouflaged and it becomes only too easy to give this type the serious attention that he or she has actually failed to earn. Everyone from politicians to experts to teachers to critics is a suspect here. But there are two identifications to be made: we are not only concerned about who the speaker might be, but who are the gullible fools who can’t see through this person? “Poppycockracy” is a stroke of genius and should be added to the dictionary immediately. “Serpent Slick” is a great rondeau – one of our mutually favorite forms. Every time you present a poem which alludes to Satan, I’m reminded of C.S. Lewis – and that’s a good thing. In this case, you are slightly ambiguous about the “she” who has the slick tongue and looks her quarry in the eye. Is it a demon? Is it merely a destructive human being? Or is it the devil herself? Is there really much difference? But you present temptations: your food references (the treacle, pie and butter) along with smooth sighs and honeyed words which – like a siren song — tempts the subject’s victim to listen to a persuasive eloquence which is downright diabolical. Your poem taps into some archetypes here. Mermaids whose voices are pleasantly seductive yet which draw sailors to their deaths. Similarly, the Lorelei who lived on the Rhine and whose voice tempted sailors to their destruction against the rocks. The damage caused by your subject is not quite so bad – “her prey is licked.” But, depending on how discouraged the object of her meanness becomes, maybe it’s worse. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 21, 2024 Brian, it’s always a privilege to receive a comment from you. Not only do you have a gift for stepping into the heads of characters from history and literature, you also manage to step into mine when describing the heart of my poetry. You are so right to point out the seriousness of the first and last poem. I believe poetry (first and foremost) should engage and entertain the reader, which is why poets are equipped with the tools of their trade and it’s exactly why poetry can be used as a beautiful (and often truthful) medium for conveying a significant message… what better way to call out those using the same skills in the non-fictional arena to bully the beguiled into submission without the victim of such an attack knowing precisely what just happened… after all, a saccharine smattering of sophisticated flattery sounds so darn good: “His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.” ~ Psalm 55:21. Thank you so much for spotting the significance of the chosen forms. Sophists have nothing of any weight to say. It’s the same old guff warmed over and sprinkled with sugar and it’s all about their my-way-or-highway ideology. Claws unsheathe and fangs are bared the minute a meaty query is tossed their way, which is why all blithering bombast usually sends the listener to sleep, killing any question before it takes flight. As you quite rightly point out, sophists are everywhere and, because of their education and eloquence, they seek positions of authority so they can make a difference. And what a difference they make! This is why I love the point you make here: “we are not only concerned about who the speaker might be, but who are the gullible fools who can’t see through this person?” – it’s always those “gullible fools” – those useful tools who are key to their success, which is why long-winded, syrup-tongued, smiley-faced blowhards should be eyed with suspicion. Think of all the “experts” the multitudes trusted during 2020. I hope it’s been a lesson learned. A stand was required in 2020, and my poems are a stand that I hope will make a small difference to at least one person out there. Your literary observations on “Serpent-Speak” are wonderful and the sirens you mention are one of the reasons I chose a slippery seductress with a soupçon of Lady Macbeth. Women, for obvious reasons, are much more inclined to win with a seductive tongue than an iron fist – although, in this day and age, who knows?! I had fun with this rondeau – it’s a beautiful form that gave this poet the opportunity to sing about she who deals in sophistry… we’ve all met her… but do we know who she is? Time will tell. Brian, as ever, thank you very much indeed! Reply Cynthia Erlandson December 20, 2024 You are a marvelous player-with-words! Thank you for both the entertainment, and the accurate portrayals. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 21, 2024 Cynthia, thank you so very much for your lovely comment – I am especially pleased with you enjoyed these portrayals. I will admit to having too much fun writing them, which is why I often question my “poet” status… shouldn’t we poets suffer for our art? Reply Yael December 20, 2024 Beautiful Susan, I’m going to add Poppycockracy to my vocabulary right away. All three of your poems remind me of the public political scene that’s being presented in the media. There is an established narrative poppycockracy working overtime to deceive the whole world right now. Wishing you and Mike a very merry Christmas filled with light and peace. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 21, 2024 Yael, I’m thrilled you like the hilarious “Poppycockracy” – I’m a huge fan of the word poppycock and simply had to honor it in the only way I know how. I am so sick of hearing the word “democracy” to describe anything but. I read somewhere that if one were to replace this parroted word with “bureaucracy”, we would be nearer the true meaning of our current situation. I think poppycockracy is even nearer! A very merry Christmas to you too, Yael, and thank you for your devotion to the site, and your informative, amusing and encouraging comments, from me and Mike xx Reply Warren Bonham December 20, 2024 All 3 were fantastic and displayed a broad range of meter and the one-of-a-kind word mastery we all expect. I was drawn to Serpent-Speak . Like Roy, it seemed that you had someone in particular in mind when you penned this. It brought a few people to mind for me. Someday, it would be very interesting to see if my list has any overlap with yours. The line about eloquence eliminates some obvious recent possibilities but there are a lot of “cooed cliche-ers” out there. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 21, 2024 Thank you so much for your appreciative words and your observations, Warren, especially those homing in on the “she” of ‘Serpent-Speak’ – oh what a slippery sophist she is. I am over the moon it brought a few people to mind. I have had many an encounter with her in my life. She’s appeared in different guises, but always has the same aim… I am pleased to say, wisdom has led me to recognize her modus operandi, and “she” no longer warps my world with her wily words. Reply Gigi Ryan December 20, 2024 Dear Susan, As always, these poems are a delight. You describe the discouraging observations you make, but with beauty and humor, we find we can smile after all. When I get an email that lets me know a new poem is up on this site, I read the first few words of the poem in the email. I can identify your poems in less than one line, your voice is so clear. I haven’t heard the word “malarky” in years. It reminds me, very fondly, of my dad. Merry Christmas! Gigi Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 21, 2024 Gigi, what a beautiful comment. I am thrilled my choice of that quirky word brought back some fond memories of your dad – especially at Christmas time. I am particularly heartened to hear that you recognize my “voice”. I remember listening to my English teacher telling the class to work towards establishing a “unique voice” in our work if we wanted to be recognized as serious writers. I’ve never thought of myself as a serious poet. I always think I have too much fun composing to be serious… yet I do take poetry seriously… very seriously, and your words have made me smile broadly – a Christmas gift I thank you for. A very merry Christmas to you too! Reply James Sale December 21, 2024 Wonderful stuff Susan – very funny and yet one also ‘feels’ your serious and dangerous venom against these types! The line “He poppycockified a crowd” is immortal!! ha ha ha! Love it. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 21, 2024 Thank you, James! It’s always lovely to hear from you and I’m especially thrilled with the line you’ve highlighted. In this wacky world we’re all in danger of being poppycockified. I hope 2025 brings a bit of straight-talking clarity to all, and if not, I hope many will listen to their inner poppycock detector – we all have one. They need to be relied upon more often! Reply David Whippman December 22, 2024 Susan, again you show how masterfully you write in these old forms. Looking forward to reading more of your stuff next year. Season’s greetings to you. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant December 22, 2024 David, thank you very much for your appreciative words of encouragement – a beautiful Christmas gift. A very merry Christmas to you! Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Michael Pietrack December 20, 2024 You have such a mastery over the language. Reading what you write makes it fun to speak. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 Thank you very much for this encouraging comment, Michael. As you know, I love the musicality of language and believe poetry can only be appreciated to its fullest potential when read aloud. I strive to make the reading aloud part fun. Reply
Ivy Joew December 20, 2024 Song of the sophist reminded me of an English teacher who’d set us the task of writing bipartite essays, arguing against a thesis with all our intellectual might in the first, then arguing for the same thesis just as logically in the second. I have to say all of us emerged from that course better rhetoricians, but at what cost? The excessive alliteration serves well to expose the ophioglottal sophistry of all three breeds of deceivers. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 Thank you very much for this comment, Ivy. I too had an English Literature professor who impressed me greatly when proving he could argue the point that the works of Charles Dickens were or were not making political statements equally well… which is all fine and dandy when reading nineteenth-century novels… or is it? There is a right and a wrong answer where every question is concerned – even in critiquing literature. Now I’m well beyond my student years, I believe these days every formerly trusted institution has exploited the gray area to the point of ridicule and (even worse) devastation. I also thank you for the deliciously enchanting term: “ophioglottal sophistry” – which I may well slip into a future poem. Reply
Joseph S. Salemi December 20, 2024 “Ophioglottal sophistry” is going to be hard to fit into most metrical schemes. If you use its English version (“serpent-tongued”), you’ve got a passable double dactyl: SER pent tongued SOPH is try
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 Joe, I couldn’t resist giving it a go: Give me ophioglottal sophistry With some toffee-nose-twaddle boffinry… See my frothy-ode noddle atrophy. You’re right! I’ll go with the trusty SER pent tongued SOPH is try” – thank you. I did, however, have a lot of fun trying.
Ivy Joew December 21, 2024 It would be my pleasure, Susan, the phrase is yours. I was recently working on expanding my garden, and researched many herbs and flowers, so the name was on top in my mind as I wrote you. The second pronunciation listed for the word in the OED would perfectly fit an iambic line, and given how complex and murky Ancient Greek stress patterns are from our vantage point, it might as well have been the more natural one in many dialects. https://www.oed.com/dictionary/ophioglossum_n
Russel Winick December 20, 2024 Thanks for the morning mastery Susan. Yes, there’s plenty of poppycockians out there. Your unique use of the language continues to entertain and enthrall.. Thanks so much! Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 And I’ve certainly met a fair few cocky poppycockians, Russel. As ever, thank you for your wonderful words of encouragement! Reply
Julian D. Woodruff December 20, 2024 “Poppycockracy” deserves to be enshrined in the English language as much as anything Shakespeare wrote. Reply
Paul A. Freeman December 20, 2024 I particularly liked ‘Poppycockery’, with its nod to Lewis Carroll’s ‘Jabberwocky’, especially the final couplet. Song of the Sophist and Serpent-Speak brought to mind several politicians, from either side of the aisle, from either side of the Atlantic and beyond. Thanks for the reads, Susan. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 I’m glad you enjoyed these, Paul, and I love your ‘Jabberwocky’ observation – I was thinking of slithy toves and vorpal swords when I wrote that poem. Reply
Rohini December 20, 2024 Susan! You are totally brilliant. Each poem is as sharp as a scimitar. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 Rohini, your comment delights me. Thank you very much indeed! Reply
Joseph S. Salemi December 20, 2024 These are three great depictions of sophistry and sophistical liars. Such people seem to be everywhere these days, like a plague of locusts. Susan, your imaginative and expert use of language is in a league by itself. You use words brilliantly and honestly — not to deceive and confuse and cheat, the way sophists do. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 Joe, thank you very much for kind and encouraging comment, and you’re spot on when you say: “Such people seem to be everywhere these days, like a plague of locusts.” – especially at the taxpayer-funded “expert” level. Reply
Roy Eugene Peterson December 20, 2024 1. “The Song of the Sophists” reminded me of politicians and news organizations these days, since they so often skirt the facts and instead engage in opinionated rhetoric. Sophistry is alive and well centuries after the Greeks perfected it in public discourse. 2. “Poppycockery” was so much fun to read with “when balderdash is brayed aloud” among my favorite lines. 3. In “Serpent-speak” I fixated on using “Her.” I wondered if you had someone in mind. 4. All three poems continue to add to your legend. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 Roy, thank you most kindly for your close reading of my poems and your words of encouragement. Sophistry is most certainly alive, well, and kicking “deplorables” in the teeth daily. As for the inspiration for “Serpent-Speak”, I just decided to keep it fair and go with a “she” after I gave the “he” of “Poppycockery” such a bad rap – my nod to the feminists in the ongoing battle of the sexes. Reply
Cheryl A Corey December 20, 2024 “Poppycockery” is an absolutely delightful read. I think you’ve invented some new words there as well. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 20, 2024 Cheryl, thank you very much indeed! I don’t think there are enough words in the dictionary to offer poets exactly what they’re looking for – poetic license is most definitely called for. Reply
Mark Stellinga December 20, 2024 I’m betting big you’re not crazy about the vast majority of politicians, Susan. I envy your skills at both penning verse and at mutilating what you find distasteful! Harris and Walz crept into my mind as I read these… bless you for that. Right on the money and fun to read. Nice to see your latest offering. FMY – did my new flash-drive-book make it through the USPS? Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 21, 2024 Mark, thank you for your kind comment and for the flash-drive-book, which has arrived in time for Christmas! Wonderful! You’re spot on when you say I’m not crazy about the vast majority of politicians. When the likes of William Wilberforce shine from the political pulpit, my hope will be restored… till then, I watch aghast at the drama played out daily to detract from the scheming behind the theatrics. Reply
Brian A. Yapko December 20, 2024 Susan, these are terrific poems of observation and exposure. “Sophist” and “Serpent” are, for all your trademark alliteration and percussive use of sharp language, poems which are not so much satire as truth and criticism presented artistically using all of the poetic tools of which you are master. They are clever, elegant, sharp, bold, piercing. Poppycockery is funny for its linguistic acrobatics. But the two framing poems, though entertaining, are not funny. They are deadly serious. Sophist is a particularly complex character portrait in which the speaker’s ego appears to be paramount, even at the expense of the truth. You describe a type who we have all known – you do not actually explain this person’s end-game but it is not hard to connect the dots: you describe someone who is so anxious for approbation, fame, prestige, status that they will say or do anything to achieve it, even if he or she is essentially a fraud. Your use of the pantoum form is perfect here as your speaker repeats the same pattern of self-promotion at the expense of others over and over again. This speaker’s “bombast is blessed with finesse” to the point where rottenness is carefully camouflaged and it becomes only too easy to give this type the serious attention that he or she has actually failed to earn. Everyone from politicians to experts to teachers to critics is a suspect here. But there are two identifications to be made: we are not only concerned about who the speaker might be, but who are the gullible fools who can’t see through this person? “Poppycockracy” is a stroke of genius and should be added to the dictionary immediately. “Serpent Slick” is a great rondeau – one of our mutually favorite forms. Every time you present a poem which alludes to Satan, I’m reminded of C.S. Lewis – and that’s a good thing. In this case, you are slightly ambiguous about the “she” who has the slick tongue and looks her quarry in the eye. Is it a demon? Is it merely a destructive human being? Or is it the devil herself? Is there really much difference? But you present temptations: your food references (the treacle, pie and butter) along with smooth sighs and honeyed words which – like a siren song — tempts the subject’s victim to listen to a persuasive eloquence which is downright diabolical. Your poem taps into some archetypes here. Mermaids whose voices are pleasantly seductive yet which draw sailors to their deaths. Similarly, the Lorelei who lived on the Rhine and whose voice tempted sailors to their destruction against the rocks. The damage caused by your subject is not quite so bad – “her prey is licked.” But, depending on how discouraged the object of her meanness becomes, maybe it’s worse. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 21, 2024 Brian, it’s always a privilege to receive a comment from you. Not only do you have a gift for stepping into the heads of characters from history and literature, you also manage to step into mine when describing the heart of my poetry. You are so right to point out the seriousness of the first and last poem. I believe poetry (first and foremost) should engage and entertain the reader, which is why poets are equipped with the tools of their trade and it’s exactly why poetry can be used as a beautiful (and often truthful) medium for conveying a significant message… what better way to call out those using the same skills in the non-fictional arena to bully the beguiled into submission without the victim of such an attack knowing precisely what just happened… after all, a saccharine smattering of sophisticated flattery sounds so darn good: “His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.” ~ Psalm 55:21. Thank you so much for spotting the significance of the chosen forms. Sophists have nothing of any weight to say. It’s the same old guff warmed over and sprinkled with sugar and it’s all about their my-way-or-highway ideology. Claws unsheathe and fangs are bared the minute a meaty query is tossed their way, which is why all blithering bombast usually sends the listener to sleep, killing any question before it takes flight. As you quite rightly point out, sophists are everywhere and, because of their education and eloquence, they seek positions of authority so they can make a difference. And what a difference they make! This is why I love the point you make here: “we are not only concerned about who the speaker might be, but who are the gullible fools who can’t see through this person?” – it’s always those “gullible fools” – those useful tools who are key to their success, which is why long-winded, syrup-tongued, smiley-faced blowhards should be eyed with suspicion. Think of all the “experts” the multitudes trusted during 2020. I hope it’s been a lesson learned. A stand was required in 2020, and my poems are a stand that I hope will make a small difference to at least one person out there. Your literary observations on “Serpent-Speak” are wonderful and the sirens you mention are one of the reasons I chose a slippery seductress with a soupçon of Lady Macbeth. Women, for obvious reasons, are much more inclined to win with a seductive tongue than an iron fist – although, in this day and age, who knows?! I had fun with this rondeau – it’s a beautiful form that gave this poet the opportunity to sing about she who deals in sophistry… we’ve all met her… but do we know who she is? Time will tell. Brian, as ever, thank you very much indeed! Reply
Cynthia Erlandson December 20, 2024 You are a marvelous player-with-words! Thank you for both the entertainment, and the accurate portrayals. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 21, 2024 Cynthia, thank you so very much for your lovely comment – I am especially pleased with you enjoyed these portrayals. I will admit to having too much fun writing them, which is why I often question my “poet” status… shouldn’t we poets suffer for our art? Reply
Yael December 20, 2024 Beautiful Susan, I’m going to add Poppycockracy to my vocabulary right away. All three of your poems remind me of the public political scene that’s being presented in the media. There is an established narrative poppycockracy working overtime to deceive the whole world right now. Wishing you and Mike a very merry Christmas filled with light and peace. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 21, 2024 Yael, I’m thrilled you like the hilarious “Poppycockracy” – I’m a huge fan of the word poppycock and simply had to honor it in the only way I know how. I am so sick of hearing the word “democracy” to describe anything but. I read somewhere that if one were to replace this parroted word with “bureaucracy”, we would be nearer the true meaning of our current situation. I think poppycockracy is even nearer! A very merry Christmas to you too, Yael, and thank you for your devotion to the site, and your informative, amusing and encouraging comments, from me and Mike xx Reply
Warren Bonham December 20, 2024 All 3 were fantastic and displayed a broad range of meter and the one-of-a-kind word mastery we all expect. I was drawn to Serpent-Speak . Like Roy, it seemed that you had someone in particular in mind when you penned this. It brought a few people to mind for me. Someday, it would be very interesting to see if my list has any overlap with yours. The line about eloquence eliminates some obvious recent possibilities but there are a lot of “cooed cliche-ers” out there. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 21, 2024 Thank you so much for your appreciative words and your observations, Warren, especially those homing in on the “she” of ‘Serpent-Speak’ – oh what a slippery sophist she is. I am over the moon it brought a few people to mind. I have had many an encounter with her in my life. She’s appeared in different guises, but always has the same aim… I am pleased to say, wisdom has led me to recognize her modus operandi, and “she” no longer warps my world with her wily words. Reply
Gigi Ryan December 20, 2024 Dear Susan, As always, these poems are a delight. You describe the discouraging observations you make, but with beauty and humor, we find we can smile after all. When I get an email that lets me know a new poem is up on this site, I read the first few words of the poem in the email. I can identify your poems in less than one line, your voice is so clear. I haven’t heard the word “malarky” in years. It reminds me, very fondly, of my dad. Merry Christmas! Gigi Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 21, 2024 Gigi, what a beautiful comment. I am thrilled my choice of that quirky word brought back some fond memories of your dad – especially at Christmas time. I am particularly heartened to hear that you recognize my “voice”. I remember listening to my English teacher telling the class to work towards establishing a “unique voice” in our work if we wanted to be recognized as serious writers. I’ve never thought of myself as a serious poet. I always think I have too much fun composing to be serious… yet I do take poetry seriously… very seriously, and your words have made me smile broadly – a Christmas gift I thank you for. A very merry Christmas to you too! Reply
James Sale December 21, 2024 Wonderful stuff Susan – very funny and yet one also ‘feels’ your serious and dangerous venom against these types! The line “He poppycockified a crowd” is immortal!! ha ha ha! Love it. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 21, 2024 Thank you, James! It’s always lovely to hear from you and I’m especially thrilled with the line you’ve highlighted. In this wacky world we’re all in danger of being poppycockified. I hope 2025 brings a bit of straight-talking clarity to all, and if not, I hope many will listen to their inner poppycock detector – we all have one. They need to be relied upon more often! Reply
David Whippman December 22, 2024 Susan, again you show how masterfully you write in these old forms. Looking forward to reading more of your stuff next year. Season’s greetings to you. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant December 22, 2024 David, thank you very much for your appreciative words of encouragement – a beautiful Christmas gift. A very merry Christmas to you! Reply
