The English Language II


When the English tongue we speak,
Why is "break" not rhymed with "freak:?
And the maker of a verse
Cannot call his "horse" with "worse"?
"Beard" sounds not the same as "heard,"
"Cord" is different from "word."
"Cow" is cow but "low" is low
"Shoe" is never rhymed with "foe."
Think of "hose" and "dose" and lose."
And of "goose" and yet of "choose."
Think of "comb" and "tomb" and "bomb,"
"Do" and "roll" and "home" and "some."
And since "pay" is rhymed with "say,"
Why not "paid" and "said," I pray?
We have "blood" and "food" and "good."
"Mould" is not pronounced like "could."
Wherefore "done," but "gone" and lone"?
Is there any reason known?
And in short, it seems to me,
Sounds and letters disagree.
                P. Thomas O'Dea, New Haven, Conn.


What about "cough" and ""through" and tougher"
Which don't sound anything like each other.
"Thorough" can be made to rhyme with "dough"
But "bough" sounds like ""cow" and not like "though"
"Draught" is spelled a lot like "taught,"
But only one of them sounds like "bought."
We haven't mentioned "laughter" or "daughter,'
Neither of which is spelled like it oughter.
Everyone says that "might" makes "right."
So how come "eight" doesn't rhyme with "sleight"?
"Trough" can rhyme with "off" or "moth"
And on this note, I'll end this froth.