The Scroobious Pip

"The Scroobious Pip" is a nonsense verse poem left unfinished by Edward Lear at the time of his death in 1888.

The poem tells of a fanciful animal of unknown taxonomy known only as "the Scroobious Pip" and the fruitless attempts of the other animals of the world to classify it.

"The Scroobious Pip" was left unfinished by Lear in 1872. It was not published until 1935 in a collectors edition, of which 950 copies were produced.

In 1968, it was completed by American poet Ogden Nash, who was asked to finish the poem. Illustrations by Nancy Ekholm Burkert were also added in 1968. Harvard University Press published Teapots And Quails, a small book of Lear's poetry that includes "The Scroobious Pip".

The poem's title was adopted as the stage name of a UK hip hop performance artist, Scroobius Pip, who is one half of the duo Dan le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip.

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