Lines on the Island of Utopia by the Poet Laureate, Mr. Windbag Nonsenso’s Sister’s Son

poem by More

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July 20, 2026

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The poem "Lines on the Island of Utopia by the Poet Laureate, Mr. Windbag Nonsenso’s Sister’s Son" is a satirical piece found within Sir Thomas More's influential book, Utopia. Published in 1516, More's work coined the term "utopia" from Greek words meaning "no place" and is considered the first exploration of an imaginary, perfect world.123

The poem itself is believed to be a jab at John Skelton. Its fictional speaker claims lineage from Plato's Republic, another foundational work of utopian literature, while also asserting an aim to surpass it. More's Utopia describes an ideal society with total religious toleration, communal work and consumption, free education, and no private property, prefiguring communist ideas.12

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utopian poetry
…Utopian Poetry”; the second, “Lines on the Island of Utopia by the Poet Laureate, Mr. Windbag Nonsenso’s Sister’s Son,” is a brief satirical poem believed to be a gibe at John Skelton. The fictional speaker of this equivocally voiced poem claims descent from Plato’s Republic—itself a work of utopian…
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…Utopian Poetry”; the second, “Lines on the Island of Utopia by the Poet Laureate, Mr. Windbag Nonsenso’s Sister’s Son,” is a brief satirical poem believed to be a gibe at John Skelton. The fictional speaker of this equivocally voiced poem claims descent from Plato’s Republic—itself a work of utopian…
Read More