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Edward Lear's poetry and prose celebrates the joy of living, and has influenced writers and illustrators from Terry Gilliam to Spike Milligan and Ricky Gervais. Although the subject and form of his works varies greatly, all of Lear's poems can be characterized by his irreverent view of the world, and many critics view Lear's nonsense books as his way of undermining the all-pervasive orderliness and industriousness of Victorian society. However, regardless of his inspiration or impetus, the appeal of Lear's poems and illustrations has proved timeless. Nonsense Songs and Stories contains some of Lear's best-known poetry, as well as stories and songs about real and imagined creatures. Poems include "The Owl and the Pussycat," "The Jumblies," "Calico Pie," and the stories are "The Story of the Four Little Children Who Went Round the World" and the "History of the Seven Families of the Lake Pipple-Popple."