An Agony, in Eight Fits

Fit the First
‘Just the place for a Snark!’ the Bellman cried,
As he landed his crew with care;
Supporting each man on the top of the tide
By a finger entwined in his hair

“Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice:
That alone should encourage the crew.
Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice:
What I tell you three times is true.”

The crew was complete - it included a Boots,
A maker of bonnets and hoods,
A barrister - brought to arrange their disputes,
And a broker to value their goods.

Uhh… is this the place for a snark?

A Billiard-marker, whose skill was immense,
Might perhaps have won more than his share—
But a Banker, engaged at enormous expense,
Had the whole of their cash in his care.
Incredible! After years of lookking, I have finally found and read The Annotated Snark, with notes by Martin Gardner, and here it shows up at the SDMB!

There was also a Beaver, that paced on the deck,
Or would sit making lace in the bow;
And had often (the Bellman said) saved them from wreck,
Though none of the sailors knew how.
Do share CalMeacham!

There was one who was famed for the number of things
He forgot when he entered the ship:
His umbrella, his watch, all his jewels and rings,
And the clothes he had bought for the trip.

“What’s the good of Mercator’s North Poles and Equators,
Tropics, Zones and Directional Lines?”
So the Bellman would cry, and the crew would reply,
“They are merely Conventional Signs!”

Y’all were wondering when I’d chime in on this, right? :wink: