LAS LENGUAS INGLESA Y ESPAÑOLA de Delfín Carbonell

  You may have noticed that I am fond of the poetry of Billy Collins , Poet Laureate from 2001-2003 (he loves saying that!), and last night I was once again on YouTube listening to one of his readings. In "After the funeral" he mocks, in his very kind way, a language tic or crutch that is used often to emphasize something. After the funeral, Billy goes with a friend, a friend friend, not just an acquaintance, to a bar, a bar bar, a real bar, to have a cocktail cocktail, a proper one. And he goes on doubling the word. Spanish uses this also, "un amigo amigo", "María es una mujer mujer", and John lives in a "casa casa", a real home. This reinforces my conceit that both languages have more in common than meets the eye.

The American poet Billy Collins (I love his poetry) says that Bugs Bunny is his hero and his source of inspiration. In my case, my hero and my fountainhead of inspiration is Daffy Duck.  My favorite quote from him is when Porky Pig asks him whether he is ready to go, and Daffy Duck says: "I was born ready!" Few can say that in earnest. His appearances in Looney Tunes are short and can be found in YouTube . A lot can be learnt about the English language from him, and it is a great training of the ear to capture the sounds of the language. I urge you to listen to his wisdom and his English.