English is a funny language. Indeed it is! You must be wondering what “Lipogram” stands for? My first thought when I saw the word was “must be something related to fat”. What else with all the media attention on all things relating to fat. Well, I was wrong to say the least.
What is it then?
Interestingly, a lipogram is a literary composition which omits a certain letter of the alphabet. Imagine omitting the letter ‘e’. That would be a linguistic challenge.
Variation on the lipogram include verses which omit one letter but contain every other letter of the alphabet. A glaring example of such a lipogram is this anonymous poem which omits the letter ‘e’ in each line.
Bold Nassan quits his caravan,
A hazy mountain grot to scan;
Climbs craggy rocks to spy his way,
Both tax his sight, but far doth stray.
Interesting, huh! Another interesting read is the nursery rhyme, “Mary had a Little Lamb”, rewritten without the letter ‘s’
Mary had a little lamb
With fleece a pale white hue,
And everywhere that Mary went
The lamb kept her in view;
To academe he went with her,
Illegal, and quite rare;
It made the children laugh and play
To view a lamb in there.
[box type=”spacer”]Next time, remember that lipogram is not the weight of your fatty parts in grams![/box]
