Inquiry about the rhyme, "he thrusts his fists...etc"?

[Gessi]

I've been trying to figure out where this rhyme came from. Stephen King mentions in Danse Macabre that it is in the movie Donovan's Brain. Also I saw somewhere that there might be more to it; what I've found is this, "Through darkest mists and fiercest frosts, with barest wrists and stoutest boasts he thrusts his fists into the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts." I was just wondering if anyone knew anymore about it, if its an old poem or if there is anymore or if its just a tongue twister etc...

[Bryan James]

Google or Wiki it?

[LatterDayDuranie]

It is a rhyme that is used by speech pathologists (SLP's) in therapy for someone who has a significant lisp, such that it interferes with how they are understood. If a person says that rhyme slowly and deliberately, it will force you to purposely place the mouth, tongue, and lips in a manner that reduces or eliminates the lisp. It is like a workout for the mouth, let me tell you.

I would imagine it was a SLP who came up with it out of necessity(by finding words that required certain precise mouth & tongue movements to articulate properly, and then arranging them into a sentence) and then it was published somehow and began to be used by other SLP's. That's the way it usually happens.

I believe SK alludes to it the speech therapy connection in one of his books-- probably IT, but I could be wrong. At the time, I remember identifying somewhat with that character. But now I just can't remember who.

[GNTLGNT]

Indeed, it was featured prominently in IT and the character you're trying to remember was William "Stuttering Bill" Denbrough, one of the main protagonists of the novel...