Edward Lear was a master of ‘absurdest humor’ and was especially known for his nonsense verse and limericks, the latter of which he is credited with inventing. Edward Lear was also an illustrator and, of course in every sense of the word, an artist. Art is a form of an expression. And, expression is good, for with out it we are left with only silence and ultimately we become victims of repression.

Repression, of course, can be externally imposed by institutions of a political or social nature. But self-repression is yet another ugly form of the beast. When we begin swallowing our feelings or thoughts on a regular basis, we risk adopting passive-aggressive tendencies. Overtime, pressure builds and we ultimately lash out in perhaps less than appropriate ways. When this happens, it is for our anti-social behavior that we become most remembered for, rather than our moments of reserve.

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