E. J. Thribb
Encyclopedia
E. J. Thribb has been the fictitious poet-in-residence at the satirical magazine
Private Eye
since 1972; the poems are in reality written by Barry Fantoni
. Thribb's poems are usually about recently deceased famous people, and titled 'in memoriam', with the first line almost invariably reading: "So. Farewell then...".
Thribb usually mentions the deceased's catchphrase or theme song, and his poems often feature his friend Keith, or Keith's mum, who is usually "like" the deceased in some way.
Thribb's 'poetry
' is characterised by a stream of consciousness which is broken up into short lines seemingly at random, and has very little rhyme
, rhythm
or reason
.
Thribb always signs his poems with his age – 17½ – although sometimes this will be modified to refer to another thing for which the deceased is famous. He sometimes signs himself E Jarvis Thribb.
In the first issue after the death of Peter Cook
, comedian
and longtime proprietor and financial supporter of Private Eye
, the magazine's cover consisted simply of a photograph of Cook beneath, in large print, the phrase 'So. Farewell then...'
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
since 1972; the poems are in reality written by Barry Fantoni
Barry Fantoni
Barry Ernest Fantoni is a writer, comic strip cartoonist and jazz musician of Italian and Jewish descent, most famous for his work with the magazine Private Eye, for whom he also created Neasden F.C. As of 2005 he remains a shareholder in the company that owns Private Eye, Pressdram Limited...
. Thribb's poems are usually about recently deceased famous people, and titled 'in memoriam', with the first line almost invariably reading: "So. Farewell then...".
Thribb usually mentions the deceased's catchphrase or theme song, and his poems often feature his friend Keith, or Keith's mum, who is usually "like" the deceased in some way.
Thribb's 'poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
' is characterised by a stream of consciousness which is broken up into short lines seemingly at random, and has very little rhyme
Rhyme
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...
, rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
or reason
Reason
Reason is a term that refers to the capacity human beings have to make sense of things, to establish and verify facts, and to change or justify practices, institutions, and beliefs. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, language, ...
.
Thribb always signs his poems with his age – 17½ – although sometimes this will be modified to refer to another thing for which the deceased is famous. He sometimes signs himself E Jarvis Thribb.
In the first issue after the death of Peter Cook
Peter Cook
Peter Edward Cook was an English satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, he is regarded as the leading light of the British satire boom of the 1960s. He has been described by Stephen Fry as "the funniest man who ever drew breath," although Cook's...
, comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and longtime proprietor and financial supporter of Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
, the magazine's cover consisted simply of a photograph of Cook beneath, in large print, the phrase 'So. Farewell then...'