I love Parks and Recreation. Amy Poehler can do no wrong, of course, but it’s the show’s pitch-perfect blend of snark and heart that gets me every time. And also Ron Swanson. Oh Ron, you magnificent bastard, with your mustache and your Lagavulin and your love of breakfast food and pretty dark-haired women . . .
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(This is not the time to ask, friends, if I bought a waffle maker to ring in the show’s sixth season.)
As I was saying.
Mr. O and I delayed our viewing of the premiere by a day because he was out of town (an act of true love, as those three of you who follow me on Twitter know). Well worth the wait, the show pushed its characters around with wit and gusto. Stop reading now if you care about spoilers. Look for the bold when I start a-chatting about poetry.
By far my favorite set piece: Ron on a Leslie-designed train trip through northern England and into Scotland, culminating in a visit to the Lagavulin distillery. But here’s the best part: Ron sitting on a green, craggy piece of land, reading the poetry of Scotland’s favorite son out loud — “O were my Love yon Lilack fair.” And tearing up. I sure did.
So, let’s talk about poetry and Scotch, and you’re safe to come back now, people who didn’t want to read spoilers.
I came across Bobby Burns some time in college, but his genius didn’t truly hit home until I hosted an ersatz Burns supper when I was a young lass in grad school. In reality, it was more like a boozy birthday party with poetry (January 25th, if you were wondering, is Burns’s birthday). My friend Emily, having brought a fine single malt, performed another wondrous service, reciting “The Mouse” with an amazing Scots burr. It was a fine evening. I recommend hosting one such gathering yourself to keep off the winter chill. Here are the steps:
1. Make some food and buy a bottle of Scotch.
2. Invite your friends to bring a bottle of Scotch over.
3. Eat, drink, read Burns, and assign designated drivers. (Be safe and make good choices, as my college roommate’s mother liked to say.)
Now that I’ve assured you that I, like Ron Swanson, enjoy scotch, let me tell you that I also love the subjunctive, fast becoming a forgotten mood in English. If there’s a poet who loves the subjunctive, that poet is Robert Burns.
Here’s Burn’s “O were my Love yon Lilack fair”:
O were my Love yon Lilack fair,
Wi’ purple blossoms to the Spring;
And I, a bird to shelter there,
When wearied on my little wing.
How I wad mourn, when it was torn
By Autumn wild, and Winter rude!
But I was sing on wanton wing,
When youthfu’ May its bloom renew’d.
[O gin my love were yon red rose,
That grows upon the castle wa’!
And I mysel’ a drap o’ dew,
Into her bonnie breast to fa’!
Oh, there beyond expression blesst
I’d feast on beauty a’ the night;
Seal’d on her silk-saft faulds to rest,
Till fley’d awa by Phebus’ light!]
In other words, sic transit gloria mundi, but isn’t it something in the meantime?
Rosemary and Reading Glasses 
You had me at Lagavulin.
That show is all kinds of genius. Absolutely love it.
Me too! (Clearly.)
Your words read like poetry, too! I love the idea of a literary drinking party. And I should check out Parks and Recreation. I used to live on TV and now I never touch it, but my husband and I need a show to bond over.
I think I’m going to have to to a Burns supper come January. Christmas is my favorite holiday/time of year, and it’s always so disappointing when it’s over and there are still 3 months of Boston winter to face . . .
Parks and Recreation is my favorite show on tv. Actually, to be more accurate, it’s the only show I watch on tv (although we are giving Agents of Shields a try, to keep up our nerd cred.). If you have netflix, all the seasons of P&R are available on instant view (except for the current, of course). In the first season they don’t quite have the tone figured out yet, but Season Two really takes off. 🙂
You’ll need a winter party for every month! (I grew up in Boston and remember those half-year winters well!)
Thanks for the Netflix suggestion. We do have a subscription that has been unused for months (and sucking money each month…)!
Let’s see: Whisky for January, but what for February and March?
Can you do whisky every month? 😉
In the words of Max Fischer, “I saved Latin. What did you ever do?”
Nothing like saving Latin.
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The poem made me tear up when I saw Ron deliver it. I want to create as beautiful a gift for my wife as Leslie created for Ron in that episode. I love when the shows that make us split our sides laughing have deep and meaningful moments like that – it makes the characters comes to life. Long live Parks & Rec.
Agreed on all counts!
I could not understand many parts of the poem. could you translate it to english plz? I’m from Brazil and even with google translate could not accomplish the translation in a satisfying manner
We teared up at that point, too (while drinking Lagavulin, no less). I have a dream vacation of hiking the distilleries. When I get to that hill, I’m going to shout that poem to the skies….
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As a Scot and a pedant I must point out that the poem recited at your soirée is called ‘To a Mouse’ from its verses came the book title ‘of Mice and Men’
Beautiful poem on the havoc of chance.
‘The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft a gley’ means that you can formulate a well considered plan but it can often go wrong due to circumstances beyond your control, and was written when Burns was broken hearted at destroying the carefully built home of a field mouse as he tilled the field with his plough.