# Today's Results explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ring Lardner.

## What happens

The narrator delivers a playful, rhyming set of predictions for a Saturday of college football games across the Midwest and East, naming teams and outcomes with a mix of confidence and self-deprecating humor.

## Themes in this chapter

### Humor and Satire

The narrator's playful tone and self-mocking invitation to 'pan me' if predictions fail underscore the lighthearted, satirical approach.

### Community and Companionship

The shared experience of predicting and watching games fosters a sense of community among fans and readers.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown Narrator

The narrator speaks in first person, making predictions and inviting criticism if wrong.

### The Gophers

Mentioned as a team that might surprise the narrator against the Badgers.

## Key lines

> It is my duty to predict Which teams will win and which get licked; And also for to prophesy One single, solitary tie.

The narrator claims it is his job to forecast winners, losers, and one tie.

_Sets up the poem's premise of sports predictions._

> And if the teams that I have picked To win do one and all get licked; If victories are scored by Penn, Purdue and Yale and so forth; then Be sure to pan me; do not fail, I love to get a lot of mail.

If all his picks lose, the narrator invites readers to criticize him, saying he enjoys receiving mail.

_Ends with a humorous challenge to readers._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/today-s-results
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters