Outlook Odes

In these delightfully vicious verses, T.W.H. Crosland transforms the ancient ode into a weapon of mass amusement. Written in 1902, each poem takes aim at a different pillar of Edwardian society: the pompous politician, the self-important journalist, the sports hero worshipped beyond reason. Crosland's genius lies in his deadpan delivery, he praises his targets with such extravagant false admiration that the absurdity becomes impossible to miss. His irony cuts like a blade wrapped in velvet. This is satire that refuses to shout, content instead to let the reader discover the joke on their own. For anyone who delights in watching the powerful gently deflates, these odes remain a masterclass in the art of backhanded praise.