#55

Not marble, nor the gilded monuments

Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme?

But you shall shine more bright in these contents

Than unswept stone, besmear’d with sluttish time.

When wasteful war shall statues overturn,

And broils root out the work of masonry,

Nor Mars his sword nor war’s quick fire shall burn

The living record of your memory.

‘Gainst death and all-oblivious enmity

Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room

Even in the eyes of all posterity

That wear this world out to the ending doom.

So, till the judgment that yourself arise,

You live in this, and dwell in lovers’ eyes.

Sign-Up for Humor Around the World

09/10, M

Michelle Lutzky and Brittany Kozura, internet humor

09/12, W

Bridget Loucks and Annaliese Reedholm, Russian humor

09/24, M

Cody Ruhl and Garrett Lucas, British humor

09/26, W

Nathan Hearnsberger and John Bauman, Japanese humor

10/15 M

Will Gudenrath and Michael Barrera, Irish humor

10/17, W

Nika Tafarroji and Katherine Oster, Australian humor

10/22, M

Nick Hill, Rachel Talley, Rebecca Hawthorne, Canadian humor

10/29, M

Lizzie De Gravelle and Shelby Tsuji, Cajun humor

10/31 W

Halloween

Michael Zeiser, Manoj Chelvanambi, and Lizzy Do, German humor

11/14, W

Stephanie Turner and Jennifer Bouquet, Middle Eastern Humor

11/19, M

Brady Hamlett, Daniel Floren, and Emily Dudney, Classical Greek Old Comedy

Comic Relief: A Comprehensive Philosophy of Humor (Morreal)

Areas for Discussion, Chapters 1 & 2

Negative thoughts of and oppositions to humor (Biblical, classical, early Christian), especially Plato and Thomas Hobbes

Defenses of Humor, esp. Aristotle and Thomas Acquinas

The Enlightenment and Humor

The Superiority Theory, advocates, viewpoints, and flaws

The Incongruity Theory, advocates, viewpoints, and flaws

The Relief Theory, advocates, viewpoints, and flaws

Cognitive Dissonance

The Relaxation Theory, advocates, viewpoints, and flaws

Amusement Versus Emotion

Humor as Play, and Laughter as Play Signals