"Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air."
A few years ago, upon reciting these lines from Thomas Gray's "Elegy in a Country Churchyard," I tried to impress my younger son by telling him Gray's poem was so popular during the French and Indian War that British General James Wolfe reportedly said he saw more glory in creating such lyrics than even in winning the critical battle for Quebec.
The boy, maybe 10 at the time, nodded his head. "I know exactly what he means," he said in hushed tones. "I feel the same way about the words to 'Mm Bop.' "