Poems

Opening each Edmund book with an excerpt or quote from a fabricated biography of Edmund Moulde was the plan for a long time…but when I first decided to post the book on a (now defunct) blog, I needed something to separate each chapter. So, I decided to write more of Edmund’s Poems.

What resulted was a mix of parodies and absurdities. At first, I attributed each quote to a different scholar and book, but soon the rivalry between Sirs Kohlm and Krink took shape, and eventually they became the only scholars I cited.

I’m not certain these poems fit into the final text, but I am loathe to sweep them under the rug entirely. Here, therefore, are the excerpts I had intended to introduce each chapter.

Chapter 2

Before Sir Edmund developed his own style, he relied perhaps over-heavily on the instruction of Sir Peeres Ekes, a name most novice and dabbler poets will know well. As such, even when he began to branch out into other explorations, he adhered to poets who themselves provided much of Sir Ekes’s own inspiration. Take, for example, the poem entitled I Have No Wish To Go, one of Sir Edmund’s first poems, written quite clearly in the style of Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889):

Deepest thanks to the Moulde Museum of National History for waiving their claim provided by the Poet Protection Act of 1872 for this poem, and allowing its reprinting in this book.

~ Excerpt from ‘The Art of Homage; a Principled and Honorable Exploration of the Greatest Gentleman’s Thefts in the Artistic World,’ by Sir Loomus Kohlm, DFA, MRD, NDA

Chapter 3

It is a common refrain — oft repeated when a clowder of Poetical Scholars meets in any street-side pub — that the early works of Sir Edmund are overshadowed by his later works. While it is true that, as with all Founding Family Poets, Sir Edmund’s poetry required time to find its footing; let us not forget that it is here too that some of Sir Edmund’s greatest work can be found.

Take for example the poem titled The Journey. While it was written, historians are certain, within the week of his adoption by Matron Mander Moulde, in reading one can hear the echoes of future Opuses, such as Onward through the Snows, Clockwork Symphony, and A Frank Discussion of Flan.

I would be remiss if I did not express my deepest thanks to the Moulde Family Estate for granting me access to Sir Edmund’s surviving private records, where this poem was first discovered.

~ Excerpt from ‘A Treatise on The Poetry of The Founding Families of Brackenburg’ by Sir Wather Krink, PhD, DFA

Chapter 4

The fascination expressed by some noted scholars with Sir Edmund’s use of Sir Peeres Ekes’s structure is, to this scholarly brain, unfounded. While as a child Sir Edmund doubtlessly relied on the rules he was taught, the true genius of Sir Edmund was not the structure of his poems, but the manner in which he was able, with the eye of a true artist and the aplomb of a true gentleman, to transcend the form.

Observe in the following untitled poem how the meter is perfectly crafted, as are the rhymes. The meter and foot follows the standard “tormented poet” format, and indeed, while such devotion to form would hamper the quality of the poem in the hands of a lessor poet, it is unmatched as a window into a young Sir Edmund’s thoughts, which were undoubtedly focused on haute couture.

Immense and profound gratitude to the Moulde Family Estate, for dropping the charges relating to the acquisition and reprinting of this poem.

~ Excerpt from ‘The Art of Homage; a Principled and Honorable Exploration of the Greatest Gentleman’s Thefts in the Artistic World,’ by Sir Loomus Kohlm, DFA, MRD, NDA

Chapter 5

While I have written before about Sir Edmund Moulde, and the third edition of my bestselling book, A Treitise on The Poetry of The Founding Families of Brackenburg is coming out next month, I wish to use this book to explore his “Gran Ennui” period. Consider this poem, entitled Sad:

Heralded as one of the greatest Gothic poems of its time, it is possible that the inexperienced poetry reader may find this poem to be perhaps simplistic.

For my part, after many years of education, careful study, and great familiarity with poetry not just as an art-form but as a life style, this poem is one truly deserving of great respect and adoration, and it is this sycophantic tone with which I mean to continue for the next fifty-seven chapters.

~ Excerpt from ‘A Focused Look on the Poetry of the Moulde Family’ by Sir Wather Krink, PhD, DFA

Chapter 6

The Homage is a delicate art, as subtle and gentle as a spider-web. In clumsy hands, it is a broken toy, no better than chewed lard. In the hands of a gentleman, however, it can be awe-inspiring.

Sadly, even the greatest must flounder at times, and Sir Edmund Moulde is no exception. Consider the following poem, entitled My Family. The observant reader will note that this poem was written so perfectly in the style of Christina Rossetti (1830-1894), that even noted scholars of the Madame’s work had to debate whether they had not found a heretofore undiscovered poem of her own.

The complete absence of Sir Edmund’s voice in the poem has lead many in scholarly circles, including, it must be said, myself, to the considered opinion that; at this point in Sir Edmund’s career his incredible talents and abilities with form and style transcended his substance.

~ Excerpt from ‘The Art of Homage; a Principled and Honorable Exploration of the Greatest Gentleman’s Thefts in the Artistic World, Vol. 2,’ by Sir Loomus Kohlm, DFA, MRD, NDA

Chapter 7

While much has been made of Sir Edmund’s Homages, It was not just the noble and respected poets that inspired this man and the greatest poems of our age. Indeed, even the charming, if somewhat saccharine poet Edgar Allen Poe (1809 — 1849) provided inspiration. It is no shame, in my mind, to graciously admit that the poem entitled Rage in London Square was inspired by, if not a deliberate homage to Master Poe’s more humble efforts:

In the next chapter, I will explain why the common association of this poem with the unfortunate incident in Brackenburg on Christmas Day, 1897, is slanderous libel at best.

~ Excerpt from ‘The Life and Poetry of Sir Edmund Moulde,’ by Sir Loomus Kohlm, DFA, MRD, NDA

Chapter 8

The study of Sir Edmund Moulde is a difficult one. More than seven-eighths of all his poetry has no date, no title, and the greatest graphologists of our time have been unable to even ascribe an age to Sir Edmund through his handwriting. As such, a sizable amount of Mouldeologists research is, by necessity, guesswork. Such is the case with the poem Resolved:

In this book I wish to suggest Resolved: was written for his wedding day in place of vows. While many may scoff at this interpretation and cite lack of evidence, I would simply remind skeptics that there is also no evidence of Sir Edmund holding a wedding at all (after the Great Records Purge of 1933), but no scholar would dare indulge in the oft-repeated gutter-whispers that Lady Moulde did not exist, as recorded eye witness accounts are too numerous to deny.

~ Excerpt from ‘A Palate of Poetry: Rhymes and Ruminations from Sir Edmund Moulde’ by Sir Wather Krink, PhD, DFA:

Chapter 9

It would be easy for the casual or inexperienced connoisseur of poetry to believe that Sir Edmund did little more than upend established norms in his life. This is simply not true. In this chapter, I wish to explore the penance Sir Edmund Moulde underwent later in his poetic career.

See here, the poem simply entitled I’ll Show Them All. One of his greatest works and most insightful efforts, Sir Edmund wrote this poem in the style of Ezra Pound (1885-1972), likely during Sir Edmund’s Manic Period, and shows true contrition and sincere apology to the institution of poetry.

It is my considered thesis that this great man took to the strong and able will that he was born with, and chose to embrace a Destiny that was one of his own making. The fact that he embraced this destined mandate while still managing to maintain the proper humility of a true gentleman, is the pinnacle of true English peerage.

The popular belief that this poem in some way reveals a conflict between Sir Edmund and his adopted family earlier in his life are so obviously absurd that I shall not dignify them with response.

~ Excerpt from ‘The Life and Poetry of Sir Edmund Moulde, 2nd ed.’ by Sir Loomus Kohlm, DFA, MRD, NDA

Chapter 10

The poem entitled Repair is easily one of Sir Edmund Moulde’s greatest and well known pieces of art, and there is no greater example of the obvious transitory nature of Sir Edmund’s life.

If the estimated dates of Sir Edmund’s poems are correct, this poem also begins what many scholars have termed Sir Edmund’s “Ambitious Period,” which in turn makes his “Bored Period” the shortest artistic period of any notable poet, lasting only two days five hours, and totaling seven poems.

~ Excerpt from ‘A Palate of Poetry: Rhymes and Ruminations from Sir Edmund Moulde’ by Sir Wather Krink, PhD, DFA

Chapter 11

Written in the Avant-Garde style, scholars agree Expression is one of Sir Edmund’s less estimable works; but this in itself is vital to our understanding of this great man:

Consider the subject matter: were Sir Edmund comfortable in his life as Heir to the Moulde Family, the most upper of the upper class, why fill his poem with subject matter better suited to the lower-class? Consider the Form: if Sir Edmund were genetically predisposed to his greatness, why would he struggle with the Avante-Garde style, a form more fit for the upper-class? Like a rubber band, he is pulling hard on both upper- and lower-classes, struggling to get them to meet in an awkward middle. A kind of — if you will forgive my artistic fancy — “Middle-Class.”

~ Excerpt from ‘The Life and Poetry of Sir Edmund Moulde, 2nd ed.’ by Sir Loomus Kohlm, DFA, MRD, NDA

Chapter 12

I will waste no time in teasing or beguiling you; the rumors you doubtlessly have heard are true.

After decades of work, myself and a noted Restorer of Significant Works have managed to re-create a long lost poem from Sir Edmund Moulde.

It is a poem of sheer humility, emblematic of this great man and his acceptance of his role as herald of a new age, and bringer of hope and meaning to those trapped by the chains of society.

The poem is simply entitled History. While the dating of the poem is still under discussion, I am confident it was written within the first months of Sir Edmund’s dishonorable discharge from the military.

This new poem is currently being hotly debated in the most notable and important of poetry circles, but if you wish to learn exactly how and why it fits perfectly with my theories about Sir Edmund Moulde, and his overcoming of class and social structure, please continue to read on, especially Chapters 2, 3, 5, 7, 21, and the annotated Afterwords.

~ Excerpt from the foreword of ‘Patron Sir Edmund Moulde and his Marvelous Musings’ by Sir Wather Krink, PhD, DFA

Chapter 13

It is distressing to see the focus that some noted scholars, such as the sadly out-of-his-depth Sir Walther Krink, are willing to place on Sir Edmund’s suspected “overcoming,” when the journey of Sir Edmund’s career and poetry leans so clearly towards a transcending.

Consider this Homage in the style of Walter de la Mare (1873 – 1956), titled New Friends. This colorful and eloquent description of an angel is rife with the beatific and peaceful eloquence of one who has not only seen the pinnacle of humanity, but also experienced it for himself.

I defy any self-purported scholar of the entirety of Sir Edmund’s work to claim this is a poem from anyone else but a figure that has chosen himself to be chosen for greatness, especially considering the proven historical record.

~ Excerpt from ‘The Words of a Generation; Sir Edmund Moulde’s Magnum Opus’ by Sir Loomus Kohlm, DFA, MRD, NDA

Chapter 14

One author, however, has taken upon himself the mantel of champion for a widely held opinion of Sir Edmund’s life work: namely, that Sir Edmund was destined for greatness, and his triumphs were the preordained effects of holy grace. With your pardon, I must take this opportunity to address my peer directly.

Dear, Sir Loomus Kohlm, DFA, MRD, NDA,

How are you? It was a great pleasure to see you last week at Lady Schrobesbury’s Seasonable Gala. I hope you remain well.

I read with great joy your inestimably seminal work: The Words of a Generation; Sir Edmund Moulde’s Magnum Opus. While there is much to enjoy for the causal aesthete in your book, your declaration of Sir Edmund’s divine mandate unfortunately runs up against several obvious failings, which I will enumerate here:

To your first point regarding Sir Edmund’s Manic period, I submit the following seminal piece from the period, reprinted below with permission from the Moulde Estate:

I would urge you to consider, good sir, that while you might say this poem expresses Sir Edmund’s first experience with the emotion of happiness, it is clear that this poem proves my own theories on Sir Edmund’s Manic period, namely that it coincided with an experimentation with powerful narcotics.

~ Excerpt from ‘Mouthpiece of Euterpe, an Unbiased Study of the Poetry of Sir Edmund Moulde’ by Sir Wather Krink, PhD, DFA

Chapter 15

It is at this point, dear reader, that I must beg your pardon. as Sir Wather Krink, PhD, DFA has seen fit to speak so directly to me in his latest book, Mouthpiece of Euterpe, an Unbiased Study of the Poetry of Sir Edmund Moulde, I feel the need to respond in kind. Please pardon my impropriety, as I take this opportunity to speak to the doubtlessly-flattered-to-be-mentioned Sir Wather Krink directly.

While you indeed make many points, dear sir, I am afraid they are points easily countered by a simple exploration of Sir Edmund’s more esoteric work. For example, allow me to present the poem entitled simply, Down, Down, Down.

Found in the seventh Unpublished Notebook of Poems, the title appears at the top of a loose page that had obviously been crumpled and mostly burned before being used as a morbid bookmark. No other words are legible on this page.

Nowhere in Sir Edmund’s vast collection of writings is there any indication of what this poem might have contained, and Sir Edmund himself was famously tight lipped on his own work, having died three months before the poem’s discovery. I, personally, believe there is some connection to the otherwise random sketches of burning skeletons that are found peppered throughout his notebooks.

The circumstances surrounding this ominous and mysterious poem suggest that it was the scribing of the visions of a man destined for greatness, bestowed by a higher power such as a deity, or perhaps the Laws of Thermophysics.

~ Excerpt from ‘Wrought Iron Words: the Poetry and Prose of Patron Sir Edmund Moulde’ by Sir Loomus Kohlm, DFA, MRD, NDA

Chapter 16

As Sir Loomus Kohlm has responded to me in his latest book, I wish to again respond to him in kind; with a direct address. I beg your pardon, dear reader.

Dear sir, while your point is indeed an interesting one, it pains me to say it is also completely lacking any foundation in reality. Rage and vengeance, while perhaps fitting for a God of the older testaments, have nothing to do with today’s modern and far more gentlemanly saints and philosophers.

It is evident from many of his poems that Sir Edmund Moulde suppressed his angry side, and indeed the internal struggle of Sir Edmund with his inner rage is perhaps the most important aspect of his life, best exemplified in the following poem, A Taste for Vengeance:

After speaking with two noted Graphologists, I have discovered — from his steady hand and forceful pressure of the pen on the page — that Sir Edmund’s anger rose not from unthinking animal passion, but was decided upon thanks to cold and calculating logic.

~ Excerpt from ‘Patron Lord Edmund Moulde and his Marvelous Musings’ by Sir Wather Krink, PhD, DFA

Chapter 17

You have, Sir Wather, completely forgotten about the final period of Sir Edmund’s life. Despite your frankly inept views, it is clear that Sir Edmund took it upon himself to become a messiah figure — neatly circumventing the fatal martyrdom necessary for such an appropriate designation (to learn more, turn to Chapter 39) — rather than be satisfied with the charming, if somewhat quaint, label of “bootstrappy orphan” that you find so absurdly apropos.

A thorough and intricate study of the following poem entitled Pull it Together displays Edmund’s divine purpose most clearly:

Clearly, Sir Edmund made the choice to become destined for greatness. To suggest otherwise is to suggest that — for example — The hard work I put into acquiring my three doctorates bore fruit only due to a series of circumstances beyond my control. This is so clearly absurd, I find myself laughing even as I write these words with such sudden ferocity and uncharacteristically high pitch that I have frightened my Long-haired Chartreux.

It pains me to say it is clear our differences are insurmountable; I will not let my self-respect be tarnished by association with those who think Sir Edmund’s rise was based on the capricious whims of objective natural law.

~ Excerpt from ‘Sir Edmund Moulde Revisited, including a frank and complete rebuttal of Sir Wather Krink, PhD, DFA’ by Sir Loomus Kohlm, DFA, MRD, NDA

Chapter 18

Oh don’t give me that, you pompous old windbag! If you had anything approaching a sane mind, you wouldn’t dare suggest that Sir Edmund Moulde’s journey is one of divine mandate! At least you finally admit that you believe my scholarly work — which is as well cited as any of your lack-wit efforts — to be worth less than yours simply because I happen to only have two doctorates instead of three!

To any scholar worth half their academical, the life of Sir Edmund is a profound representation of the triumph of the environment over one’s inner nature! How else could he rise from obscurity and poverty to become something better than his humble beginnings suggest? Sir Edmund Moudle’s life is a testament to the greatness inherent in all humanity; all it takes is an innate strength of character, profound willingness to better oneself, and the adoption by someone with astronomically superior resources and social power!

I can do no less for evidence than direct you to Sir Edmund’s entire collection of poetry, as to select a single poem would do nothing but demean this great man’s legacy! You base hag!

~ Excerpt from ‘The Final Word in Sir Edmund Moulde’s Poetry and Prose,’ by Sir Wather Krink, PhD, DFA