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P.J. O'Rourke has consistently proved himself wittier than anyone else alive. In
his most recent book, Peace Kills, the third in the unofficial trilogy following Holidays in Hell and Give War a Chance, he once again dabbles on the edges of warzones, perhaps complacent in the knowledge that even should he die, he will, in all likelihood, continue to remain wittier than anyone else alive.

Peace Kills is unusually laden with poetic reference. The book opens with the

Philip Larkin's Homage to a government. Larkin's dry British wit, is darker than O'Rourke, but it strikes you as a suitable companion to everyone's favourite republican party reptile. Self selected of course. In an essay on September 11th, O' Rourke recounts how on the evening of 9/11, he found himself thinking of Auden's September 1, 1939. The following lines came to his mind:

Waves of anger and fear
Circulate over the bright
And darkened lands of the earth

By Wednesday the poem however begins to bother him. P.J. appears somewhat alarmed and bashful by this interest in Auden and is worrying about the following 'crap':

Where blind skyscrapers use
Their full height to proclaim
The strength of Collective man

Ironic points of Light
Flash out whenever the Just
Exchange their messages.

Admitting that although Auden repudiated the poem because of the lines "We must
love one another or die", P.J. scolds 'Neither agape nor eros is an appropriate
response to Osama Bin Laden'. To this he adds lamely, "Auden was the Englishman
who, when World War II loomed, acted as Hitler would have had Englishmen act
-he ran to America and stayed there". Then later on, in an essay on Egypt, O'Rourke cites an article from the New York Times Book Review, which observes that Bin Laden has been reciting poetry on one of his video tapes - a poem O'Rourke notes which has been plagiarism from Jordanian poet Yusuf Abu Hilalah. The tone of the Jordanian poet is characterised by O'Rourke as "college-girl-with-her-head-in-the-oven" in style and O'Rourke comically mocks the idea that Bin Laden's poetic 'sensibility' will burnish his reputation, by imagining George Bush reciting Plath's Lady Lazarus.

Out of the ash
I rise with my red hair
And I eat men like air

In the same essay O' Rourke has fun rewriting Shelly's Ozymandias:

And on the pedestal these words appear
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Might, and despair"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck other than ticket
booths, soda-pop stands,
souvenir stalls, dozing guards, and
200 men in galabias asking,
"whereyoufromyoubuypostcardokay?"

So what are we to make of O'Rourkes use of poetry? Firstly, it represents him playing to his audience. Those who enjoy political satire, often come from or have a leaning towards the arts. As such poetry is good material. At the same time, O'Rourke stays firmly with the classics. Comedy needs familiarity as a touchstone to play off. Secondly O'Rourke uses poetry to demonstrate his satirical skills. Poetry, is traditionally seen as a difficult dangerous or even suicidal thing for comics to quote. Unless actual comic verse, the very citation of it can kill a wit due to the general public's current reflexive aversion to poetry. O'Rourke shows that he can deftly handle poetry, both seriously and whimsically to demonstrate his skill in addition to his rhetorical point. Thirdly, we see beneath the skin of the republican party reptile, because all his poets have a touch of somberness to them. As such, the traditional stereotype of comics having a streak of despair in them, may in the case of P.J. be true. Lastly it is interesting to see how an ingenious comic mind - offstage on September 11th - seemingly attempts to find meaning, by turning to poetry. Though not unique, the idea of turning to poetry at such a time, feels likes a very republican mindset, a very 'nobel' endeavor. As if to say "Let us turn to High culture in our hour of darkness". All very well, but then, in an equally republican manner, there follows the urge to deny sentiment, to deny feelings of fear and anger, and to lash out at solutions (The strength of Collective man...), which threaten their wealth and power.

Long may this court jester continue to reveal the republican and comic mind without boring us.