Meter Sonnet for Sunshine - pipTalk Forums

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Munda
Member Elite

since 1999-10-08

Posts 3544
The Hague, The Netherlands

0 posted 2003-07-14 05:49 PM

A sonnet's merely poetry that sings,
Awaiting for a poet to compose;
The rhyme and rhythm tools to give it wings
To fly on melodies of sweet repose.

To write a poem in meter and a rhyme
Is not as easy as some seem to think;
Allow yourself mistakes and in due time
Your mind will comprehend and make the link.

It doesn't really matter what you write,
Just try to keep it simple to begin,
For complicated words may feel alright,
But hold back on that secret tune within.

In structured poetry I'd say my friend:
It all comes down to meter in the end.

Munda

I'll try and explain it a little better tomorrow. It's bedtime on this side of the world!

Sunshine

Administrator

Member Empyrean

since 1999-06-25

Posts 63354
Listening to every heart

1 posted 2003-07-14 06:25 PM

How precious this is, Munda! We're studying meter again tonight at our poetry group...and THIS is going to be a part of it! How grateful I am!!!

I seriously think...that it comes from within. Could it be that my slightly off-beat never-around-when-you-need-the-doctors-to-hear-it heart murmur could be at fault? LOL...

For I do have a very slight one - and it must Dum when I da-dum!

Thank you for this!

Not A Poet
Member Elite

since 1999-11-03

Posts 3885
Oklahoma, USA

2 posted 2003-07-14 06:29 PM

That's just delightful Munda.

Munda
Member Elite

since 1999-10-08

Posts 3544
The Hague, The Netherlands

3 posted 2003-07-16 06:46 PM

Thanks Pete, your words are highly appreciated.

Sunshine - Glad this could be of any help to you. It honours me you think this to be useful.

Anyway, here some "guidelines" I used myself to get the "hang of it" and some mistakes I made and still make. LOL

Once I finally figured out what "stress & unstressed" meant, I started writing with one - and two syllable words and tried other words over and over again. Let's use the word cat and other related words. Cat is what's called a "strong" word, so that would translate to CAT=DUM, kitten would be KITten/DUM-da. How about tomcat? Right... TOMcat/DUM-da. See you're getting the hang of it.

Throw in a litterbox (LITterBOX) and you're ready to write a line in meter:
The kitten's litterbox is coloured green - the KITtens LITterBOX is COLoured GREEN.

See, it doesn't matter what you write at this stage. Use anything to get the hang of meter. Remember though to start each line with a soft/unstressed word/syllable to get iambic and to use an even number of syllables to keep it iambic from beginning to end. When you start with a soft/unstressed word, you should end with a strong/stressed word/syllable.

Of course there's the problem "how is a word pronounced" in different parts of the world? Let's take "memory." Personally I would say: me-mo-ry, but lots of people would say it's mem-ry. Hmm! How confusing! Therefore I use memory when I mean me-mo-ry and write mem'ry when I want it to be read as a two syllable word. Yeah, I found my ways to work around some problems.

Anyway, I try to avoid using too many of those words in a poem, because it might confuse the reader.

One of the mistakes I frequently made in the past, being too focused on meter, is that I shuffled words around until the meter was correct, but I ended up with perfect meter in a line which was no longer pleasant English to read. That's when we "forced" it into meter. LOL

I try to write as much as possible in lines one would use when you'd "say" them instead of writing them. No wonder I rewrote so many of my "early" poetry. Looking back at them, they were only first drafts, although at the time I thought they were perfect.

Anyway, start with "easy" words to get the hang of meter and play with words. The fun part is: you'll get very good in finding different words with the same meaning, but different stress. Yes, structured poetry means work! Unless of course you have this natural talent like Liz for meter.

Just some of my thoughts I hope will be of any help to you (and others). If you have questions and or suggestions/examples, please feel free to ask. I'll give it my utmost and if I can't, I'm sure Nan can.

Good luck!

[This message has been edited by Munda (07-16-2003 06:50 PM).]

IcyFlamez89
Member

since 2003-02-14

Posts 292
Jersey City NJ

4 posted 2003-07-16 07:33 PM

oh, WOW! I can never do sonnets, so i take the next best thing and just enjoy the works of the people who can.

Sunshine

Administrator

Member Empyrean

since 1999-06-25

Posts 63354
Listening to every heart

5 posted 2003-07-20 07:33 PM

There are all ways of teaching, Munda...and you're doing a fine job. I can see where mine belong in the litterbox!

Truthfully - look at what's happened here. Not only are you using descriptive phrases, but Icy just learned a thing or two, as well.

Thank you SO much!

Balladeer

Administrator

Member Empyrean

since 1999-06-05

Posts 25505
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA

6 posted 2003-07-20 08:47 PM

Munda, the sonnet is perfect as are all of the things you pointed out..

...and all this time I thought that you were just another pretty face!!!

Munda
Member Elite

since 1999-10-08

Posts 3544
The Hague, The Netherlands

7 posted 2003-07-23 10:50 AM

Thank you Icy. I hope my reply to your sonnet helps you some in understanding meter.

Sunny One - My cats refuse to relieve themselves on poetry!

One of these days you're going to surprise all of us (including yourself)with a poem in perfect meter. I know you will, because you're as stubborn... oops, I meant persistent as I!

Balladeer - ROFL! Thank goodness for my other personalities, or I might have been just that... just another pretty face.

Thanks for your kind words.

Sunshine

Administrator

Member Empyrean

since 1999-06-25

Posts 63354
Listening to every heart

8 posted 2003-07-23 04:00 PM

Well, I'll take that challenge, but please, don't hold your breath, okay? LOL...

vlraynes
Member Rara Avis

since 2000-07-25

Posts 8229
Somewhere... out there...

9 posted 2003-07-23 04:37 PM

Wonderfully done, Munda! This is great!
Hugs,
~Vicky
"My friends are my estate."
~Emily Dickinson

Nan

Administrator

Member Seraphic

since 1999-05-20

Posts 21191
Cape Cod Massachusetts USA

10 posted 2003-07-27 08:27 AM

Great indeed - as all of your work is... Thank you for the wonderful introspective advice as well - What would I do without your backup around here - Awesome write, m'friend...

Bridget Shenachie
Senior Member

since 2002-01-23

Posts 1056
Kansas USA

11 posted 2003-07-28 10:14 PM

This is a

! I'm learning so much from you. Thanks for posting this.

Shenachie

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