Oh Grignard, the Beautiful
(to the tune of America the Beautiful)

The carbonyl is polarized;
The carbon end is plus.
A nucleophile will thus attack
The carbon nucleus.
A Grignard yields an alcohol
Of types there are but three.
It forms a bond to correspond
From C to shining C.

A secondary's synthesis
Requires an aldehyde.
For tertiary, a carbanion
And ketone may collide.
And Grignards add formaldehyde,
The product's primary.
They stick like glue to CO2
Join C to lonely C.

by Frank Westheimer, Harvard University