from the friendly folks at
Language Log.
My nonprescriptive Valentine
Fragmentary:
Hail Bishop Valentine, whose day this is,
All the air is thy diocese,
And all the chirping choristers
And other birds are thy parishioners;
The lyric lark, and the grave whispering dove,
The sparrow that neglects his life for love,
The household bird, with the red stomacher;
Thou mak'st the blackbird speed as soon,
As doth the goldfinch, or the halcyon;...and so on; and so on.
John Donne (1572-1631)