The poem presents a speaker's plea to a friend, urging them to refrain from sharing amusing stories with a certain individual, referred to as a bore. The speaker expresses a deep aversion to this person's lack of humor and storytelling ability. Despite the bore's belief in his own wit, he fails to grasp the essence of comedy, instead misrepresenting and poorly retelling anecdotes. The speaker describes the bore's behavior, particularly how he collects jokes and stories during the summer, only to regurgitate them in a clumsy manner during winter nights. This results in a painful experience for the speaker, who finds the bore's attempts at humor torturous. The speaker's frustration is palpable, as they feel their own stories are being "murdered" and misappropriated. The poem captures the tension between genuine humor and its distortion, highlighting the speaker's desperation to protect their own narrative and the joy of storytelling from the bore's ineptitude. The repeated plea emphasizes the speaker's desire for their friend to understand the importance of preserving the integrity of good humor.
By C.J. Dennis · First published 1913 · Genre: Poetry, Humor, Satire