The Love Sonnets of a Hoodlum

audiobook

The Love Sonnets of a Hoodlum

by Wallace Irwin

EN·~24 minutes·3 chapters

Chapters

3 total
1

With an Introduction by Gelett Burgess

0:10
2

Introduction

8:39
3

An Inside Con to Refined Guys

15:11

Description

A bold, tongue‑in‑cheek celebration of the sonnet arrives with a swagger that feels both classic and freshly street‑wise. The narrator frames the form as an elegant crystal goblet, then deliberately tips it over, letting slang spill into each fourteen‑line stanza. Listeners will hear the clash of Renaissance reverence with the snap of modern colloquialisms, as the poet treats love, vanity and fate with both lofty metaphor and gritty, off‑beat phrasing.

The collection feels like a literary duel between polished poetry and its rebellious sister, slang, each line striving to make two words bloom where one once stood. References to Shakespeare, Petrarch and Victorian verse mingle with punchy turns of phrase like “You’re the real tan bark!” and “O Fate, thou art a lobster!” offering a fresh, playful lens on timeless emotions. Expect a witty, rhythm‑rich journey that honors tradition while joyfully subverting it.

Details

Language

en

Duration

~24 minutes (23K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Credits

Produced by David A. Schwan. HTML version by Al Haines.

Release date

2003-12-01

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

About the author

Wallace Irwin

Wallace Irwin

1876–1959

Known for wit, satire, and remarkable range, this American writer moved easily from light verse and humorous sketches to novels, screenplays, and lyrics for the stage. His work captured the playful, fast-moving spirit of early 20th-century popular writing.

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