Theorbo — Summary

Dave BontaCheerful

A theorbo is as good as a captain of a theater, a woman in men’s clothes, the best legs, an alehouse, a hit, a hand- some urn.

Show the whole poemHide the poem

Learn Poems app

Try the Learn Poems app

Everything from the website trainer, and more: new exercises, voice recording and sharing, reminders, quick review.

Bonta's poem is built like a list of oddly matched things, all declared "as good as" one another. A theorbo, a large lute-like instrument, sits first, and then comes a jumble: a theater captain, a woman dressed as a man, a fine pair of legs, an alehouse, a hit, a handsome urn. Nothing explains why these belong together, and that's part of the fun.

The speaker seems delighted rather than argumentative. The comparison reads like a toast, praising pleasures that are lively, theatrical, a little rowdy, and a little elegant. Several items suggest performance, disguise, drink and show, while the urn adds something quieter, perhaps a hint of mortality tucked among the merriment. That last point is an inference, not something the poem states.

The short lines and the break in "hand- / some" make the poem feel playful, like notes plucked one at a time. The mood is light, quick and mischievous, inviting you to enjoy the sounds and surprises rather than hunt for one fixed meaning.

Read also

More by Dave Bonta

All poems
ContemplativeDave Bonta

Plea bargain

I hear half a beat of drum to serve time have half a hope in the meantime praise God
DreamyDave Bonta

Cibola 3

I awake in the dark and shake free of sheets & blankets, of down-filled quilt. The rituals of waking– the long, hot shower, the coffee–give
ContemplativeDave Bonta

In good light

On a maple’s pale bark, a zigzag ladder—old tooth-marks from a wandering snail? Green islands of moss