Funny Poetry
Max Scratchmann's poems vary widely in both their seriousness and their subject matter. Although there is an underlying theme of nonsense verse running through the whole collection, the classification is firstly by subject, secondly by cleanliness and only lastly by the poems sense, or lack of sense.
Clean Funny Poems
I'm never certain whether it should be clean funny or funny clean poems, but this selection of Max's pure and unblemished funny poetry is exactly what is purports to be - straight, uncomplicated, understandable poems which are varied in terms of its style and subject matter.
Nursery Rhyme Parodies
Most humorous poets turn their hand at some stage to nursery rhyme parodies, which means there are as many feeble examples in this well tilled field as there are lame and lamentable limericks. Max's nursery rhyme parodies are altogether different - offbeat, inscrutable and occasionally dirty - and much more satisfying.
Funny Poems about Fame
A mix of poems about famous figures and the pursuit of fame itself. You'll appreciate that one man's celebrity is another man's nonentity. Max's selection of famous people is reasonably mainstream, but what he does with them is sometimes disturbing.
Nostalgic Poems
A selection of gently humorous poems which reflect on the events, institutions and attitudes of the latter half of the 20th century. From family holidays at the English seaside to black and white television, the past is portrayed both honestly and affectionately.
Funny Poems About Writing
The writer's lot is not always a happy one, as we discover in Max's series of poems about authors, poets, publishers and all things literary.
Literary Parodies
A series of parodies of famous (and some slightly less famous) poems by Max Scratchmann. Funny, clever and incisive, a really good parody produces a real frisson of excitement and bestows a feeling of literary superiority on the cognoscenti.
Humorous Hate Poems
Max's collection of humorous hate poems is the direct equivalent of Paul Curtis' Pet Hate Poems, the description changed because some of our less intelligent readers were expecting vituperative poems about pet animals. My preferred title is Pet Peeves and Petulant Poems, which better describes the generally misanthropic nature of the poetry, but falls headlong into the same pet trap.
Funny Poems about Love
Max's collection of funny poems about love, lust and licentiousness will not be to all tastes, but its literary sophistication elevates it above mere dirty poetry.
Other Poems
There's a whole separate website devoted to Max's nonsense poems and cautionary verse.
