Subscribe: by Email | in Reader

Prohibition -- Franklin P Adams

       
(Poem #1914) Prohibition
 Prohibition is an awful flop.
 We like it.
 It can't stop what it's meant to stop.
 We like it.
 It's left a trail of graft and slime,
 It don't prohibit worth a dime,
 It's filled our land with vice and crime.
 Nevertheless, we're for it.
-- Franklin P Adams
      (1931)

Note: Prohibition: The period (1920-1933) during which the 18th Amendment
  forbidding the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages was in force in
  the United States.

You'd think a 1931 poem about a long-since repealed law in a single country
would be badly dated by now. You'd be wrong. You'd think that a poem which
on the surface veers between nursery rhyme and doggerel would be at best a
passing, topical protest with little of enduring value. You'd be wrong
again. Despite Adams's reputation as a purveyor of light verse, I think
today's poem is actually a deeper and more significant poem than it first
appears.

"Prohibition" speaks out against every law, every regulation, and, indeed,
every custom that was instituted because it "seemed like a good idea at the
time", and retained with limpet-like tenacity because, despite evidence that
it wasn't helping, dropping it would invalidate someone's cherished theory
about the way things *should* work. And, almost needless to say, things are
little different today than they were back in Adams's 1930s - the specifics
vary but the principle is depressingly constant.

The nursery-rhyme form actually adds to the poem's impact - the repeated "we
like it" response is (without any explicit commentary) held up as both
simplistic and foolish. Again, the poem's quotability and memorability are
both greatly enhanced by its simple, singsong structure. Of course, the use
of doggerel and nursery rhymes for political protest has a long and
honourable tradition - the implication being that this is not a poet's poem,
but a people's poem - and "Prohibition" takes its place comfortably within
that tradition.

martin

[Links]

Biography: American journalist and radio personality (1881-1960)
  http://www.mgilleland.com/fpabio.htm

28 comments: ( or Leave a comment )

Bob & Judy Williams said...

Adams surely had in mind the poem popular at least as early as 1936.

Tobacco is a filthy weed.
I like it.
It satisfies no normal need.
I like it.
It makes you thin, it makes you lean,
It takes the hair right off your bean;
It's the worse darn stuff I've ever seen.
I like it.

Anonymous

Verse in this form was known as a Little Willie, reason unknown to
me.

Bob Williams

Anastasios Kozaitis said...

Yes, but the irony lies in the fact that Adams favorably alludes to a new
libertarian society while limiting himself to the rules of rhyme, no?

Tim Reynolds said...

From my childhood, an anthology I think:

Tobacco is a filthy weed
I like it
It satisfies no normal need
I like it
It makes you thin, it makes you lean,
It burns the hair right off your bean
It's the worst darn stuff I ever seen
I like it

tt

Ideas de negocios said...

Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, but I am firmly convinced of this and love to learn more about the subject. If possible, acquire knowledge, would you update your blog with more information? It is very helpful to me

Download Mozilla Firefox Terbaru said...

Thank you for this interesting post and my site pusber. It was a good read... some good...

Unknown said...

JSolusi yang tepat untuk mengobati penyakit wasir tanpa harus operasi, menggunakan obat wasir  Paling ampuh dari De Nature dan terbaik ada hanya di http://obatwasirme.blogspot.com untuk mendapatkan informasi yang lebih jelas mengenai pengobatan wasir silahkan kontak langsung di nomer 0852 808 77 999 atau 0859 7373 5656 Bagaimana mengobati Ambeien itu sendiri. pengobatan yang terbaik untuk Ambeien adalah dari luar dan dalam sehingga Ambeien benar benar tuntas dan tidak akan kambuh lagi. obat Ambeien terbaik "Ambeclear dari De Nature" Adalah obat Ambeien herbal yang memang terbaik untuk mengobati Ambeien, dan sudah terdaftar di badan obat dan makanan (BPOM) dengan nomer registrasi POM TR: 133 374 041. terbuat dari bahan alami antara lain terdiri Daung Ungu, Mahkota Dewa dan Kunyit Putih.

Anonymous said...

Penyakit ini umumnya muncul karena penderita mengejan terlalu keras pada saat buang air besar. Dengan mengejan terlalu keras, maka pembuluh darah di sekitar anus dapat melebar dan pecah menimbulkan infeksi dan pembengkakan yang berakhir pada masalah wasir atau ambeien tersebut.

Unknown said...

Kutil pada alat kelamin luar bisa diangkat melalui laser, krioterapi (pembekuan) atau pembedahan dengan bius lokal. Pengobatan kimiawi, seperti podofilum resin atau racun yang dimurnikan atau asam trikloroasetat, bisa dioleskan langsung pada kutil. Tetapi pengobatan ini memerlukan waktu beberapa minggu sampai beberapa bulan, bisa melukai kulit di sekelilingnya dan sering gatal.

Unknown said...

Kutil dalam istilah medis disebut Papilloma. Papilloma itu sebenarnya
sejenis tumor jinak pada kulit, berasal dari penebalan lapisan luar
kulit yang berlebihan. Bentuk kutil ini bisa bermacam-macam.

R1se Hluoluo said...

Pada beberapa hari yang lebih hangat, Anda perlu menimbang permukaan tempat Anda berjalan. Di bawah cahaya matahari, trotoar bisa dengan mudah capai suhu yang tinggi sekali dan menembak kaki anjing Anda. Test yang bagus dengan menempatkan tangan atau kaki Anda di trotoar. https://hobbymahal.com/ Bila Anda tidak dapat dianggapnya sepanjang 10 detik, itu berarti tanahnya begitu panas untuk anjing Anda berjalan. Di beberapa hari semacam ini, Anda perlu memastikan jika Anda berjalan di atas rumput atau tanah. Atau, Anda bisa beli sepatu bot untuk anjing Anda sebagai perlindungan kaki.

usma ayurvedic clinic said...

brilliant, your guide is so comprehensive. I agreed with you. If you are facing any health issues regarding sexual problems visit our site and contact the Best sexologist in delhi

Post a Comment