The Chaos

Written by Dutch writer, traveller, and teacher Gerard Nolst Trenité (1870–1946) under the pseudonym of Charivarius, it includes about 800 examples of irregular spelling.

[1] These lines are set out as in the author's version, with alternate couplets indented and the problematic words italicised.

[1] Dearest creature in Creation, Studying English pronunciation, It will keep you, Susy, busy, Make your head with heat grow dizzy; Pray, console your loving poet, Make my coat look new, dear, sew it?

Now I surely will not plague you With such words as vague and ague, Previous, precious; fuchsia, via; Pipe, snipe, recipe and choir, Hear me say devoid of trickery, daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore, [...] Hiccough has the sound of "cup"...... My advice is—give it up!

A mimeographed version of the poem in Harry Cohen's possession is dedicated to "Miss Susanne Delacruix, Paris", who is thought to have been one of Nolst Trenité's students.