Happy Monday, dVerse poets, and welcome to the pub, which is now open!

It’s Kim from Writing in North Norfolk bringing you the Quadrille, when we take any meaning of one word and transform it into 44 poetic words. Today, I want you to write a poem of exactly 44 words (not counting your title), including the word rumpus.

The word ‘rumpus’ is a noun that means a noisy disturbance or row, and some of its synonyms are: disturbance, commotion, uproar, furore, brouhaha, fracas, hullabaloo and kerfuffle (two of my favourite words).

Setting a litter of excited puppies loose in a classroom would be sure to cause a rumpus; how about the rumpus beneath a piñata; or even from a heated argument.

The etymology of the word ‘rumpus’ dates back to the mid-18th century and originally meant ‘uproar’, ‘disturbance’ or ‘riot’. Perhaps because of its association with chaos and excitement, the term ‘rumpus room’ was first used in 1938 to describe a children’s play area in the family home.

I first encountered ‘rumpus’ while reading Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak with my daughter when she was very young, and we loved to say loudly together: “And now,” cried Max, “let the wild rumpus start!” I think I’ve always wanted to use the word ‘rumpus’ in a poem.

In my search for ‘rumpus’ poems, I came across a magazine of which I was not aware, called The Rumpus, launched in San Francisco in 2009.  As well as poetry it publishes essays, fiction, comics and other features. It even has a Rumpus Prize for Poetry, Fiction and Creative Nonfiction. For more information, go to https://therumpus.net/about-4/.

One poem that includes the word ‘rumpus’ is by T.S. Eliot,‘Of The Awefull Battle Of The Pekes And The Pollicles’, a playful, humorous satire full of onomatopoeia and exaggeration. It’s rather long and you can read it here.

I also found a poem with the title ‘A Rumpus’ by Ryan Brooks, which you can read here.

Another poem is by A.A. Milne, ‘The Four Friends’, which I remember from childhood. You can read it here. I love these lines, in which ‘rumpus’ rhymes with ‘compass’:

“Earnest started trumpeting and raised such a rumpus,
Leonard started roaring and trying to kick,
James went on a journey with the goats new compass
And he reached the end of his brick.”

If you’ve read the poem, you’ll know that James was a snail!

There are no more rumpus poems to share, which is why this word is perfect for the quadrille – we can compose our own. However, I did find a song by The Ska Vengers called’ Kick Up the Rumpus’.

Today we are kicking up a rumpus with our new quadrilles! 

How to Quadrille:

• Write a poem of exactly 44 words, including the word rumpus.
• Put your poem on your blog and link back to this post.
• Link it up to our Mr. Linky.
• Remember to check the box to accept use/privacy policy.
• Visit other blogs. Enjoy some amazing poets. Comment.
• Come back later this week and write another one, and visit some more. Comment some more.
• Write as many rumpus poems as you please. I’ll be reading all week.