Electronics Poetry - "Ravin"
September 1942 QST Poem

This is yet another example of humorous - and clever - poetry written by Hams from back in the 1940s... November 1942, to be exact. It 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. Enjoy.

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.

Posted May 24, 2019     (original 3/24/2011)