August 17 - Nicola Porpora (The Musical Birthday Series)

Nicola Porpora (17 August 1686 – 3 March 1768) was a fine composer and a great singing teacher.

This is a double dactyls, a genre of biographically inspired humorous poem with very strict structural rules.  Here are links to two definitions for those who are curious.  The first from the Poetry Foundation is clearer but less accurate than the second, from Wikipedia.  Take your pick.  The classic statement is the book Jiggery-Pokery:  A Compendium of Double Dactyls by Anthony Hecht and John Hollander (New York, 1967).

Double Dactyl for N.P.

Higgledy piggledy

Nicola Porpora,

Taught the castrati to

Sing with success.

Though his tuition was

Post-orchiectomy,

Singers found benefit

Nevertheless.

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