Please forgive the absence of iambic pentameter
And remember that these lines were writ by an amateur.
In the present day with its lack of good taste
And its “busy little nothings” setting our pace,
Its absence of decorum, of manners and grace
With rudeness and coarseness, alas, in their place
We oft turn to Austen for a glimpse of the past
With its behavior more civilized and love that will last,
And dramas of life so eloquently penned
With humor and satire and wit without end
Elinor and Marianne, Elizabeth and Jane,
Captured our hearts and led us through pain,
And dear Emma with her friends with something to hide,
And Fanny whom some of us just cannot abide,
And Catherine too young and Anne more mature
Who finally show us that love can endure.
So for the ultimate bliss of all these dear lasses,
To Jane, our dear Jane, we all lift our glasses.