When Versifiers spur Pegasus their flight will be equestrian,
But some prefer a pace that’s more pedestrian -
And instead of getting Pegasus in a lather
Will choose a much sedater meter, rather,
Will choose a saunter, rather than a canter -
(A saunter won’t blow off your Tam-O-Shanter)
And they will stroll, forego the fervid dash -
And wander in the wake of Ogden Nash.
So let’s examine quietly a recent phase of Architecture -
Indulge a while in innocent conjecture,
And try without invective, spleen, or scolding
To see what’s happened to our friend The Molding.
Architecture these days is getting skinnier,
And most of it is rectilinear;
Although I’ve lately listened to a plethora of talk
About the curving-space concept of The Baroque,
And you will find amongst its intricate unfoldings - A lot of Moldings!
(But if you think it should be called Baroque - it’s Okey-doke).
It used to be that every traffic artery
Was flanked with buildings full of egg-and-dartery;
But now it is considered knavery
Of any one committing architravery.
I knew an architect quite deft with a bolection
Who gave it an excruciating section;
And when he drew full-size, a simple ogee
His draftsmen admiringly said, “Oh, Gee!” -
But these latter days you can hardly expecta
Young architects to draw a CYMA RECTA,
And older architects can’t draw a CYMA REVERSA
Because they have bursitis in the bursa.
I feel sorry for the younger generation
Which never gets the slightest titillation
From Moldings that are concave and convex - And have sex.
Architecture these days looks a little dreary;
There is very little which says “Whatcha doin’ tonight dearie?”
There is very little that has fun in it like the Victorian
And very few Churches suited to decent Gregorian -
There seems to be a lot of tedium
In what used to be an artistic medium.
Many modern modes are merely skeletal,
Without a little flesh they don’t look well at all;
Their outer skin denies the third dimension
And causes surface tension and dissention
Amongst the ancient ones who just sit sneering - at Engineering.
Perhaps a Great New Master will appear on the Horizon
With molded forms that will require full-sizin’
And shall proclaim in accents Jovian
That buildings shall be Marilyn Monrovian -
Perhaps we shall not emulate the bustle
But follow after Jane (Not Lillian) Russell.
