CHORTLES

Forty-seven ""New and Selected [from collections that are now o.p.] Wordplay Poems"" from a virtuoso verbal acrobat, illustrated with cheerful, occasional b&w drawings. Merriam fits typography to idea (""Windshield Wiper""); plays with sound reversals that suggest sly meanings (""The Sappy Heason"" "". . .when lovers spike to loon""); augments vocabularies in her catalog verse (""Attire""--the extraordinary fabrics and garments listed include a ""toga or tutu of tulle""); and everywhere sports with the sounds, meanings, ironies and possibilities of the spoken and written word. Chortles indeed! Great to read aloud or to inspire budding poets.