So, you're probably thinking, 'Ring Lardner? The sports writer?' Yep, that's the guy. But this book isn't about box scores. It's a collection of his poems, and they're nothing like what you'd expect. Lardner took the everyday language of his time—the slang, the rhythms of speech from ballplayers, salesmen, and gossips—and turned it into verse. The result is poetry that feels alive, unpolished, and brutally honest.

The Story

There's no single story here. Instead, you get a series of character sketches and slices of life. You'll meet a bush-league pitcher boasting about his fastball, a husband complaining about his wife's bridge game, and a whole cast of people trying (and often failing) to impress each other. Lardner acts as our guide, using rhyme and a deceptively simple style to expose their vanity, their dreams, and their little lies. It's less about a narrative and more about building a world, the noisy, ambitious, sometimes-lonely world of early 20th-century America, one witty poem at a time.

Why You Should Read It

I picked this up on a whim and couldn't put it down. Lardner's humor is timeless. He has this way of pointing out the absurdity in ordinary situations that feels fresh even now. But what got me was the heart underneath the jokes. In poems like 'A Short Guide to Rhyme,' where he mocks poetic rules, or in the quieter moments of 'June Moon,' you sense a man who loved language but was deeply skeptical of pretense. He wasn't trying to write 'Important Poetry.' He was trying to tell the truth, and he found that rhyming couplets and a good punchline were his best tools. It’s refreshing.

Final Verdict

This book is perfect for anyone who's ever been told poetry is boring. It's for fans of sharp humor, American history, or just great storytelling. If you like the witty, character-driven style of someone like Damon Runyon or the satirical edge of Mark Twain, you'll find a friend in Ring Lardner. Don't read it all at once. Keep it on your nightstand, read a few poems, and let his unique, cranky, brilliant voice remind you that poetry can be as entertaining as a great short story.