The Poetical Works of John Skelton, Volume 2 (of 2)

John Skelton was the English Renaissance's most dangerous poet, and this volume contains the evidence. Writing in the reign of Henry VIII, Skelton developed a savage, tumbling verse that mocked bishops, berated courtiers, and celebrated the lower orders with equal ferocity. His lines crackle with invention: rude, kinetic, and unafraid to name names. Here you'll find the famous attack on Cardinal Wolsey, the drunken revelry of 'Elynour Rumming,' and the jaw-dropping 'Speke, Parrot' - a poem so scandalous that even Skelton's patrons struggled to defend him. These are poems written by a man who knew how to make enemies and made them with flair. Skeltonic verse moves like a punch drunk boxer, short lines snapping with energy, mock-heroic bluster masking genuine fury at corruption and folly. For modern readers, his work offers something rare: a voice from 500 years ago that still feels urgent, funny, and almost uncomfortably alive. He wrote like someone who understood that poetry could be a weapon - and wielded it with delight.