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November 1942 QST
 Table
of Contents
Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles
from
QST, published December 1915 - present (visit ARRL
for info). All copyrights hereby acknowledged.
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 This is yet another example of humorous - and
clever - poetry written by Hams from back in the 1940s... November 1942, to be exact.
It, along with "''Somewhere in Australia," appeared in the ARRL magazine QST. As alluded to in the title, "Ravin,"
it is a play on Edgar Allen Poe's famous "The Raven" poem. A editorial
note added, "QST's mail these days is laden with [aspiring poets'] efforts. Of
these, many are, of course, quite devoid of merit; others, while readable, are
unavailable simply because of space limitations. Yet so strong a flood of
contributions must indicate at least a partially equivalent strength of reader
interest. And so we present herewith a few offerings from the top of the pile." Enjoy.
Here are a few other electronics-themed poems:
A Radioman's Nightmare,
The Day Before Christmas,
Sonnet of a Ham,
Unpopular Electronics,
Ode to a New Rig,
Power Supply,
More "Tower" to You, Requiem,
Pre-Radio,
What Is It?,
Ravin
Ravin
(With apologies to Edgar Allan Poe)
By Meyer Dolinko
ONCE upon a midday dreary, while I pondered weak and weary
In the class laboratory, idly tracing some old set;
As I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping
As of something gently rapping - rapping in my superhet.
Ah - I sharply recollect it came so fast I'd ne'er expect it,
But I quickly did detect it - and began to trouble shoot.
Took my faithful long-nosed plier, poked into my amplifier,
Deftly pulled upon a wire - one, or two - or four.
Then I spent ten minutes praying, heard myself quite softly saying,
"Quoth the speaker: 'Nevermore!'"
Stunned and filled with indignation, I withdrew in consternation
As the mystic oscillation kept on drumming in my ears.
"Stray capacitance!" I muttered, but the word was hardly uttered
When the speaker coughed and stuttered - adding greatly to my fears.
"Either this, or else distortion!" So I quickly seized a portion
Of my set, and threw all caution out the door -
With a swiftly mounting fever and the patience of a beaver
Swore I'd fix that damned receiver. Quoth the speaker: "Nevermore!"
Now I looked up rather smartly, thought I had the answer, partly,
For it was my shunt-feed Hartley that was troubling me - I guessed.
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