I read a silly poem 55 years ago and immediately memorized it, and I still remember it to this day. Most people I know can recite it from memory, too.

In 1895, American writer Gelett Burgess published his poem “The Purple Cow” in his magazine The Lark. The poem’s original title was “The PURPLE COW’S projected Feast; Reflections on a Mythic Beast That’s quite Remarkable, at least.” The title’s upper case and lower case letters are written as he wrote them in his book The Purple Cow.

I hope you enjoy this poem and find the humor within.

The Purple Cow

I NEVER saw a Purple Cow.
I never hope to See One;
But I can Tell you, Anyhow,
I’d rather See than Be One.

Notice how Burgess plays with capital letters within the poem. That’s one way you can have fun when writing your own poems. Capital letters can emphasize words. They can also show emotion. Have you ever written a phone text using all capital letters in order to “shout” at someone or to show which word in your sentence is most important?

HAVE FUN WITH YOUR WORDS!

enjoy, Enjoy, ENjoy, ENJOY!