Franklin Pierce Adams

Franklin Pierce Adams was an American writer, So-called 'F.P.A.', columnist, and a member of the Algonquin Round Table. Renowned for his newspaper column 'The Conning Tower', he was known for his wit, literary style, and wide array of interests, which ranged from baseball to literature. Adams' writing also included light verse, which brought him significant acclaim and readership during his career.

November 15, 1881

March 23, 1960

English

Erring In Company

"If I have erred, I err in company with Abraham Lincoln."
                - Theodore Roosevelt.

If e'er my rhyming be at fault,
    If e'er I chance to scribble dope,
If that my metre ever halt,
    I err in company with Pope.

An that my grammar go awry,
    An that my English be askew,
Sooth, I can prove an alibi -
    The Bard of Avon did it too.

If often toward the bottled grape
    My errant fancy fondly turns,
Remember, leering jackanape,
    I err in company with Burns.

If now and then I sigh "Mine own!"
    Unto another's wedded wife,
Remember, I am not alone -
    Hast ever read Lord Byron's Life?

If frequently I fret and fume,
    And absolutely will not smile,
I err in company with Hume,
 ...

Franklin Pierce Adams