How to Kill a Cockroach & Limerick for Loxolophus - by Jay Artemis Hull In the mid-1800s, a beluga skeleton was dug up, near Charlotte, Vermont. This was a source of wonder for the locals, and quickly became an attraction at the State House. Julia Pepper wrote this poem in honour of the whale. Guest artwork by Katrin Emery.
Tag: fossil
Observation to a Whail - by Julia Pepper In the mid-1800s, a beluga skeleton was dug up, near Charlotte, Vermont. This was a source of wonder for the locals, and quickly became an attraction at the State House. Julia Pepper wrote this poem in honour of the whale. Guest artwork by John Meszaros.
Die Lust und Leid aus Alter Zeit - by Joseph Victor von Scheffel This German geologist drinking song features many of the most famous fossils of the 1800s, all engaged in indulgent and apparently deplorable behaviour. None survive until the end of the poem. Guest artwork by Katrin Emery.
Ballad of the Ichthyosaurus - by May Kendall Content warning: scientific racism, phrenology. In this poem, the Ichthyosaurus laments that his eye is much more impressive that his brain. He aspires to be as intelligent as humans are. Guest artwork by Dana Korneisel.
In aid of Jamoytius - by Nancy P. Morris Jamoytius is a jawless fish fossil from Scotland. Nancy P. Morris was well-known for her geological poetry. Need we say more? Guest artwork by Dr. Hillary Maddin
The Sandstone Bird - by Edward Hitchcock After publishing a scientific description of the dinosaur trackways of the Conneticut Valley, Edward Hitchcock also submitted an accompanying poem based on his research. The publisher declined to print it however, so Edward submitted to the literary magazine, The Knickerbocker, under the pseudonym "Poetaster" instead. Guest artwork by October Seagrave.
Wake Up, Little Stevie - by Christina Olson Christina was inspired by her time as a poet-in-residence at the Western Science Center. She wrote about Little Stevie and several other mastodons Guest artwork by Allison Hull.
Ode to a Trilobite - by Timothy Abbott Conrad Timothy Conrad was known for both scientific mind and "melancholic" demeanor. Today, we might have said he had depression. Timothy poured himself into science and literature, and this poem is a product of his love for both. Guest artwork by John Meszaros.
The Tilly-bat - by Dr. Glenn Jepsen This poem is unique in that it involves not one by three palaeontologists! Central to the poem is the founder of palaeoneurology and first female president of the Society of Vertebrate Palaeontology, Dr. Tilly Edinger. Possibly the nerdiest of all Palaeopoems, this one summarizes a friendly (and still unresolved) feud about a fossilized braincase and which extinct mammal it may have belonged to. Guest artwork by Greer Stothers.
