In this lecture I shall deal with the production of Lyrics, Blank Verse
and (if I am allowed) Hymns (Ancient and Modern).
First we will write a humorous lyric for the Stage, bearing in mind,
of course, the peculiar foibles, idiosyncrasies and whims of Mr. Alf
Bubble, who will sing it (we hope). Mr. Bubble’s principal source of
fun is the personal appearance of his fellow-citizens. Whenever a new
character comes on the stage he makes some remark about the character’s
“face.” Whenever he does this the entire audience rolls about on its
seat, and cackles and gurgles and wipes its eyes, and repeats in a
hoarse whisper, with variations of its own, the uproarious phrasing
of Mr. Bubble’s remark. If Mr. Bubble says, “But look at his _face_!”
the audience, fearful lest its neighbours may have missed the cream of
the thing, splutters hysterically in the intervals of eye-wiping and
coughing and choking and sneezing, “He said, ‘_What_ a face!’” or “He
said, ‘_Did_ you _see_ his face?’” or “He said, ‘Is it a _face_?’”
All this we have got to remember when we are writing a lyric for Mr.
Bubble. Why Mr. Bubble of all people should find so much mirth in other
men’s faces I can’t say, but there it is. If we write a song embodying
this great joke we may be certain that it will please Mr. Bubble; so we
will do it.
Somebody, I think, will have made some slighting remark about the
Government, and that will give the cue for the first verse, which will
be political.