A Parody on "Mary's Ghost;" or, The Doctors and Body-snatchers. by Thomas Hood
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"A Parody on 'Mary's Ghost;' or, The Doctors and Body-snatchers" by Thomas Hood is a humorous poem written during the early 19th century. This work satirizes themes of death and body-snatching prevalent in the era, particularly reflecting on the grave-robbing activities that were notorious at the time. As a parody, it draws inspiration from the popular ballad "Mary's Ghost," playing with the conventions of ghostly tales and societal anxieties regarding the treatment
of the dead. In the poem, the ghost of Mary visits her lover, William, to lament her fate after being disturbed from her grave by body-snatchers. Throughout the verses, she humorously recounts her dismemberment and the fate of her various body parts, which have been sent to different doctors and medical schools. The macabre yet comical tone captures the absurdity of the body-snatching trade and raises questions about mortality and the ethics of medical practices. Despite its humorous elements, the poem reflects deeper societal concerns of the time regarding death and the respect owed to the deceased. Ultimately, it serves as a witty commentary on both love and the exploitation faced in the name of scientific progress. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Hood, Thomas, 1799-1845 |
|---|---|
| Adapter | Anonymous |
| Title |
A Parody on "Mary's Ghost;" or, The Doctors and Body-snatchers. A Pathetic Tale, With Numerous Additions. |
| Original Publication | United Kingdom: Christopher Berry (printer),1825. |
| Note | The names of Norwich localities and medical men have been substituted for those in the original poem, including Henry Carter who died in 1830. --the Wellcome Collection, wellcomecollection.org/works/pjw2f57k |
| Credits | deaurider, Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 88.6 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PR: Language and Literatures: English literature |
| Subject | Ghosts -- Poetry |
| Subject | Body snatching -- Poetry |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 67336 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-67336-3 |
| Release Date | Feb 6, 2022 |
| Last Update | Oct 18, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 411 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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