mr nipurl: the second mr neville poem 'mr nipurl' / 'mr neville' p30-31 presents at least 3 different ironies in the english version. the poem tells of the eating utensils provided to the speaker (an inmate of the lockup hospital). the first stanza expresses a mocking surprise at the 'worn-out antique/stuff' he has to eat from. the second stanza says mr neville (nipple?) has been 'nursing' the stuff but the last line is: 'Neville came here to be a father to us!' - whats the tone of this line? - there seem to be a range of ironies behind it. the notes dont say anything about a gender switch in the original. the third line still retains some humour, however the content is serious: the speaker feels forced to eat from the utensils of the dead, according to custom they 'should have been buried with the owner; to use a dead person's belongings was to invite sickness or death' (notes).