Martin Gardner's Favorite Poetic Parodies

A longtime admirer of well crafted prose, word puzzles and clever turns of phrase, Gardner assembles his favorite examples of the lighter side of poetry. Illustrations.Some famous poems ache to be parodied. In school they were forced down our throats, and though we can still remember a verse or two, their greatness may have escaped us. Take, for instance, Longfellow's famous "The Village Blacksmith":
Under a spreading chestnut-tree The village smithy stands; The smith, a mighty man is he With large and sinewy hands . . . .