Some schoolboy verse
May. 19th, 2010 09:22 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pecuniumMy Marine Bio prof gave an extra credit assignment; write a poem about gills. The requirement: it has to have all the major structures.
The fish drinks its air
Moving water past the pair
Of rakers, arches, and lamellae
Filaments, slits or opercula
Getting everything it needs
By, “breathing” as it feeds
When standing still
And at ramming speeds
The fish drinks its air
Moving water past the pair
Of rakers, arches, and lamellae
Filaments, slits or opercula
Getting everything it needs
By, “breathing” as it feeds
When standing still
And at ramming speeds
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Re: High Standards?
Date: 2010-05-19 07:07 pm (UTC)But the rhythm falls, it does not strain,
So easy to the tongue of English bard,
It brings out life, as does the gentle rain.
The fish, in water held, has other thrills,
And cannot speak: it has no use for air.
Yet it must breathe, and so it uses gills;
One on each side, the customary pair.
Rakers, arches, slits, we students of the parts;
Filament, opercula, lamellae;
By names control, as if by magic arts.
But, just in case I've nam'd these parts in vain
The gill I want is labelled Allt-a-Bhainne
Re: High Standards?
Date: 2010-05-19 07:10 pm (UTC)Re: High Standards?
Date: 2010-05-19 08:18 pm (UTC)Oops.
Re: High Standards?
Date: 2010-05-20 03:39 am (UTC)On the other hand... I think I may have a gill of Caol Ila, and I may share this with my prof.