Shakespearean Sonnet
by J. Patrick Lewis
"The Adjective is enemy of the Noun,"
Which manages precision on its own.
The English language wears a royal crown
Only when Captain Verb ascends the throne.
"To be or not to be?" The answer's clear.
"Is/are/was/were and would have been" are very
Inimical to melody. The ear
That craves Mozart gets too much Salieri.
A French provincial woman made Flaubert
Distraught for weeks: He searched for that bon mot
A Verb personifying her affair.
So if you contemplate striking a blow
For elegance in style, do not disturb
The Adjective. It's dead. Long live the Verb.