Scorper (back cover)

Scorper, a novel by Rob Magnuson Smith with illustrated back cover by John Vernon Lord

Designed by Dan Mogford, Granta, 2014.

Scorper (front cover)

Scorper, a novel by Rob Magnuson Smith with illustrated front cover by John Vernon Lord

Designed by Dan Mogford, Granta, 2014.

'The Tyger'

'The Tyger', a poem by William Blake' , illustrated by John Vernon Lord 

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young Children, chosen by Ruth Craft, 

Collins, 1989, page 119.

The Text:

Tyger Tyger, burning bright, 

In the forests of the night; 

What immortal hand or eye, 

Could frame thy fearful symmetry? 

In what distant deeps or skies. 

Burnt the fire of thine eyes? 

On what wings dare he aspire? 

What the hand, dare seize the fire? 

And what shoulder, & what art, 

Could twist the sinews of thy heart? 

And when thy heart began to beat, 

What dread hand? & what dread feet? 

What the hammer? what the chain, 

In what furnace was thy brain? 

What the anvil? what dread grasp, 

Dare its deadly terrors clasp! 

When the stars threw down their spears 

And water'd heaven with their tears: 

Did he smile his work to see? 

Did he who made the Lamb make thee? 

Tyger Tyger burning bright, 

In the forests of the night: 

What immortal hand or eye, 

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

'Upon the Snail'

'Upon the Snail', a poem by John Bunyan illustrated by John Vernon Lord 

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young Children, chosen by Ruth Craft, 

Collins, 1989, page 117.

note: gare mens stare about.

'The Caterpillar'

'The Caterpillar', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Christina Rossetti

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young Children, chosen by Ruth Craft, 

Collins, 1989, page 109.

'Full of the Moon'

'Full of the Moon', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Karla Kuskin

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young Children, chosen by Ruth Craft, 

Collins, 1989, page 100.

'The Night will Never Stay'

'The Night will Never Stay', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Eleanor Farjeon 

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young Children, chosen by Ruth Craft, 

Collins, 1989, page 99.

'Wha Me Mudder Do'

'Wha Me Mudder Do', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Grace Nichols,

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 

chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 95.

'My Dad's Thumb'

'My Dad's Thumb', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Michael Rosen,

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 

chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 89.

'I share my bedroom'

'I share my bedroom', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Michael Rosen,

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 

chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 86.

'The Fox Rhyme'

 

'The Fox Rhyme', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Ian Serrailler,

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 

chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 81.

'I Sometimes Think'

 'I Sometimes Think', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for an anonymous poem

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 

chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 71.

'Frog Went A'Courtin' '

 'Frog Went A'Courtin' ', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a traditional poem

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 

chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 66.

'Calico Pie'

 'Calico Pie', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Edward Lear

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 

chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 63.

'On John Bun'

 'On John Bun', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for an anonymous poem

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 

chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 53.

The Text

Here lies John Bun;

He was killed by a gun.

His name was not Bun, but Wood;

But Wood would not rhyme with Gun, and Bun would.

'Rapunzel'

 'Rapunzel, an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by James K Baxter

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 

chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 49.

'The Boy Fishing'

 'The Boy Fishing', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by EJ Scovell

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 

chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 37.

'London City',

 'London City', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Russell Hoban

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 

chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 38.

'Marigold Pie'

 'Marigold Pie', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Dennis Doyle

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 

chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 35.

'Mushrooms'

 'Mushrooms', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Sylvia Plath 

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 

chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 30.

'Pink Azalea'

 'Pink Azalea', an illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem by Charlotte Zolotow

in The Song That Sings The Bird, Poems for Young children, 

chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins 1989, page 26.

'The Sea'

An illustration by John Vernon Lord for a poem  by James Reeves, entitled 'The Sea' 

in 

The Song that Sings the Bird, Poems for Young Children, 

chosen and selected by Ruth Craft, Collins, 1989, page 23.

'The Key of the Kingdom'

An illustration by John Vernon Lord for an anonymous poem entitled 'The Key of the Kingdom' 

in 

The Song that Sings the Bird, Poems for Young Children, 

chosen and selected by Ruth Craft, Collins, 1989, page 20.

'The Penny Fiddle'

An illustration by John Vernon Lord for Robert Graves' poem 'The Penny Fiddle' 

in 

The Song that Sings the Bird, Poems for Young Children, 

chosen and selected by Ruth Craft, Collins, 1989, page 17.

'The Dragon Speaks'

An illustration by John Vernon Lord for CS Lewis's poem 'The Dragon Speaks' 

in 

The Song that Sings the Bird, Poems for Young Children, 

chosen and selected by Ruth Craft, Collins, 1989, page 14.

The Song that Sings the Bird (the cover)

The Song that Sings the Bird, Poems for Young Children, chosen and selected by Ruth Craft, Collins.

The cover designed by John Vernon Lord, 1989.

'The Old Person of Cassel'

'The Old Person of Cassel', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in The Nonsense Vesrse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and reprinted in 2012, page 10.

'The Old Man of West Dumpet'

'The Old Man of West Dumpet', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in The Nonsense Vesrse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and reprinted in 2012, page 10.

'The Old Man with a Nose' (repose)

'The Old Man with a Nose' (repose), an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in The Nonsense Vesrse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and reprinted in 2012, page 8.

'The Old Man with a Nose' (suppose)

'The Old Man with a Nose' (suppose), an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in The Nonsense Vesrse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and reprinted in 2012, page 8.

'The Owl and the Pussy-cat'

'The Owl and the Pussy-cat', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in The Nonsense Vesrse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and reprinted in 2012, page 2.

'The Old Derry down Derry'

'The Old Derry down Derry', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and reissued in 2012, page 1.

(Note: this is a portrait of Edward Lear himself with the children at Knowsley Hall where the poet invented his first set of nonsense limericks that were first published in 1846.)

The Belly and the Members

'The Belly and the Members', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in Aesop's Fables, Jonathan Cape, 1989, page 151.

The Text:

The Belly and the Members

THE members of the Body rebelled against the Belly, and said, “Why should we be perpetually engaged in administering to your wants, while you do nothing but take your rest, and enjoy yourself in luxury and self-indulgence?”  The Members carried out their resolve and refused their assistance to the Belly.  The whole Body quickly became debilitated, and the hands, feet, mouth, and eyes, when too late, repented of their folly.

Moral: United we stand; divided we fall.

Text: George Fyler Townsend (p54, 1868).

Selected parallels: Alluded to in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 12/11-27. Said to have been told by Menenius Agrippa to the poor citizens of Rome, who had revolted against the Senate when they had been oppressed by taxes and severe laws against debtors.  Plutarch, Coriolianus 6. Livy 1/30;3. Caxton, Romulus 3.16. Shakespeare, Coriolanus 1/2. La Fontaine 3/2. L’Estrange 1/50. Chambry 159. Perry 130. Daly 130. TMI J461.1.

Note:

The person on the bed looks suspiciously like the one who drew the illustration!

'The Fox and the Grapes'

'The Fox and the Grapes', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in Aesop's Fables, Jonathan Cape, 1989, page 114.

The Text:

The Fox and the Grapes

Bunches of grapes were hanging from the vines in a vineyard. A fox came across them and was tempted to acquire some. The purple grapes looked delicious and they were perfectly ripe to eat. The fox jumped up and down trying to reach a bunch but failed after many attempts. Finally he gave up and declared that they were probably sour anyway.

Moral: Sour grapes!

Text: JVL (2014)

Selected Parallels: Phaedrus 4/3. Babrius 19. Caxton, Romulus 4/1. La Fontaine 3/2. L’Estrange 129. Chambry 32. Perry 15. Handford 3. TMI J871.

'The Fox with a cropped Tail'

'The Fox with a cropped Tail', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in Aesop's Fables, Jonathan Cape, 1989, page 149.

The Text:

The Fox with a cropped Tail

A CUNNING old fox, of plundering habits,

Great crauncher of fowls, great catcher of rabbits,

Whom none of his sort had caught in a nap,

Was finally caught in somebody’s trap.

By luck he escaped, not wholly and hale,

For the price of his luck was the loss of his tail.

Escaped in this way, to save his disgrace,

He thought to get others in similar case.

One day that the foxes in council were met,

‘Why wear we,’ said he, ‘this cumbering weight,

Which sweeps in the dirt wherever it goes?

Pray tell me its use, if anyone knows.

If the council will take my advice,

We shall dock off our tails in a trice.’

‘Your advice may be good,’ said one on the ground;

‘But ere I reply, pray turn yourself round.’

Whereat such a shout from the council was heard,

Poor bob-tail, confounded, could say not a word.

To urge the reform would have wasted his breath.

Long tails were the mode till the day of his death.

Moral: Distrust those who give advice out of self-interest,  particularly when they try to turn a defect into a fashion.

Text: Elizur Wright (La Fontaine 5/5, 1841).

Selected Parallels: La Fontaine 5/5. L’Estrange 101. Chambry 41. Perry 17. Daly 17. TMI J758.1.