"The Motor Bus" is a macaronic poem by Alfred Denis Godley (1856–1925) written in 1914 in response to the introduction of motor buses in the city of Oxford.[1][2][3] The poem pokes fun at the complexities of Latin grammar, treating the words "motor" and "bus" as though they were Latin nouns and declining them accordingly. Godley, a distinguished Classical scholar, wrote the poem during his tenure as Public Orator at the University of Oxford.
The poem's rhymes rely on the Latin words being read using the traditional English pronunciations, which were taught in British (and American) schools until well into the 20th century. "Motor" is treated as a noun of the third declension, while "bus" is treated as a noun of the second declension.
Text
The case and number of the Latin forms are given after each repetition of the phrase "Motor Bus".
What is this that roareth thus? |
What is this that roareth thus? |
Citations
The poem is quoted by Dorothy L. Sayers in her essay "The greatest single defect of my own Latin education" and other texts.[4][5][6]
Taking inspiration from "The Motor Bus", Herbert H. Huxley wrote a Latin poem entitled "Mars Bar", which he dedicated to Godley:[7][8]
Est praedulcis esu Mars-Bar. |
The Mars Bar is very sweet to eat. (nominative singular) |
See also
References
- ^ Alfred Godley (1914). Letter to C. R. L. Fletcher, Jan. 10, 1914. "The Motor Bus," Printed in Reliquiae, vol. 1 (1926).
- ^ The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
- ^ Kingsley Amis (ed.), The New Oxford Book of English Light Verse
- ^ Dorothy Sayers The Greatest Single Defect of My Own Latin Education Online version accessed on 2009-06-25.
- ^ Dorothy Sayers (1952), Address to the Association for Latin Teaching (ARLT) 1952. Online version accessed on 2009-06-25.
- ^ Latin For Today vol. 2, p. 10
- ^ Herbert H. Huxley (1975), Mars-Bar. In LACT Newsletter. Translations & versions accessed on 2009-06-25.
- ^ "Some Games in Greek and Latin". Antigone Journal. Retrieved 23 February 2025.