Editing Wilhelm Busch (section)

===Language===
The effect of Busch's illustrations is enhanced by his forthright verse, with taunts, derision, ironic twists, exaggeration, ambiguity, and startling rhymes.<ref>Kraus, p. 126</ref> His language had an influence on the humorous poetry of [[Erich Kästner]], [[Kurt Tucholsky]], [[Joachim Ringelnatz]], and [[Christian Morgenstern]].<ref>Wessling, pp. 120–121</ref> The contrast in his later work between comic illustration and its seemingly serious accompanying text&nbsp;– already demonstrated in his earlier ''Max and Moritz''&nbsp;– is shown in Widow Bolte's mawkish dignity, which is disproportionate to the loss of her chickens:<ref>Kraus, p. 47</ref>
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<poem>
Fließet aus dem Aug', ihr Tränen!
All mein Hoffen, all mein Sehnen,
Meines Lebens schönster Traum
Hängt an diesem Apfelbaum!"
</poem>
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<poem>
Flow, my tears, then, scoring, burning,
All my comfort, hope, and yearning,
All I dreamt might come to be
Dangles from this apple tree!"
</poem>
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[[File:Max und Moritz (Busch) 014.png|thumb|right|240px|A scene from ''Max and Moritz'']]
Many of Busch's [[couplet]]s, part of contemporary common usage, give the impression of weighty wisdom, but in his hands become only apparent truths, hypocrisy, or [[Bromide (language)|platitudes]]. His use of [[onomatopoeia]] is a characteristic of his work: "Allez-oop-da"&nbsp;— Max and Moritz steal fried chickens with a fishing rod down a chimney&nbsp;— "reeker-rawker"; "at the plank from bank to bank"; "rickle-rackle", "hear the millstones grind and crackle"; and "tinkly-clinket" as Eric the cat rips a chandelier from a ceiling in ''Helen Who Couldn't Help It''. Busch uses names he gives characters to describe their personality. "Studiosus Döppe" (Young Bumbel) has little mental ability; "Sauerbrots" ([[Sourdough]]) would not be of a cheerful disposition; and "Förster Knarrtje" (Forester Knarrtje) could hardly be a socialite.<ref>Diers, p. 118</ref>

Many of his picture stories use verses with [[trochee]] structure:<ref>Pietzcker, p. 26</ref>
<poem>
'''Mas'''ter '''Lam'''pel's '''gen'''tle '''pow'''ers
'''Failed''' with '''ras'''cals '''such''' as '''ours'''
</poem>
The overweighting of the stressed [[syllable]]s strengthens the humour of the lines. Busch also uses [[Dactyl (poetry)|dactyls]], where one accented syllable is followed by two unaccented syllables, as in his ''Plisch und Plum'', where they underline the pedantic and solemn words with which teacher Bokelmann educates his pupils. They create tension in the Sourdough chapter from ''Adventures of a Bachelor'', through the alternation of trochees and dactyls.<ref>Pietzcker, pp. 28–30</ref> Busch often synchronizes format and content in his poems, as in ''Fips the Monkey'', where he uses the epic [[hexameter]] in a speech about wisdom.<ref>Pietzcker, p. 30</ref>

In both his illustrations and poems Busch uses familiar fables, occasionally appropriating their morality and stories, spinning them to illustrate a very different and comic "truth",<ref>Ueding, pp. 103, 105</ref> and bringing to bear his pessimistic view of the world and human condition. While traditional fables follow the typical philosophy of differentiating between good and evil behaviour, Busch combines both.<ref>Ueding, pp. 106–107</ref>