Delight in Disorder

It was around 2 weeks ago, when a casual conversation that started with a reference to BlackAdder, wound its way to Elizabethan English poets and playwrights. That conversation has rekindled my love for the genre of the Cavalier poets. I was leafing through one of the volumes I own on this subject and found one of my favorite poems.

Delight in Disorder
by Robert Herrick
(1591-1674)

A SWEET disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a wantonness :
A lawn about the shoulders thrown
Into a fine distraction :
An erring lace which here and there
Enthrals the crimson stomacher :
A cuff neglectful, and thereby
Ribbons to flow confusedly :
A winning wave (deserving note)
In the tempestuous petticoat :
A careless shoe-string, in whose tie
I see a wild civility :
Do more bewitch me than when art
Is too precise in every part.

Shakespeare Must Die

Why is Shakespeare so damb popular. I was at the book store the other day in the historic literature section, and I was underwhelmed at the selection of anything, that wasn't Shakespeare. Shakespeare was just one of many playwrights and poets that were around in Tudor/Stewart eras of england. The "bard" had four shelves to himself, and a 1/4 of a shelf was left for every other poet and playwright that has ever published a damb word. Not one play by Bernard Shaw, no poetry by Ben Johnson, a treaty on the masques written by Thomas Campion.....not a chance. Yet If I wanted to buy an obscure play by Shakespeare...let say Timon of Athens....you could chose from a couple different editions.

I wish I could go back in time and beat the crap out of Shakespeare's friends. Shakespeare would have been forgotten if not for his friends that went out of there way to collate and publish his plays... Maybe if someone had discouraged them, maybe, just maybe there might be enough shelf space at book stores for at least a copy of Major Barbara by Bernard Shaw.