Diphthongs : the verses

A diphthong sounds quite like a beast,

As big as a camel,at least.

But it consists  of two vowels,

Which might make a cat yowl,

As they marry and form just one piece.

Mauve has one spelled “au”.

When pronounced it sounds quite like an O.

Historical inheritance

Makes English a powerhouse.

But don’t go to the meadow to mau.

In meadow  ea  rhymes with e as in  bed

As Oscar Wilde probably said

For he was   very clever,

Although he was never

Thought enough of until he was dead.

Manley Hopkins was a great English  poet;

A priest too, with a life  hard and heroic.

He’d have elected for silence

But got sent to Ireland.

By self control he became what’s called stoic.

And how about William Blake?

Would ia be a diphthongal mistake?

Are all vowels  side by side

Diphthongs as  defined?

Look, another pair’s there  minds to slake.

Well I think I may have written sufficient

As my mind feels both lazy and inefficient

But these intriguing rare words

Are like  humming birds

Some  other tongues might seem deficient