Three Poems Prefaced By Keats

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RSWells
Member Elite

since 2001-06-17

Posts 2533

0 posted 2003-01-09 07:12 AM

"Then off at once, as in a wanton freak;"
                            -Keats 1817

            The Killer
           (terza rima)

Gaunt and lank, so odd with features angled
what sole was globus, pale and dead gray eyes,
progeny less lust than leer once mangled

an arrows birth between uncaring thighs.
His lobeless ears so like his tossel cap
tucked and shrivelled as though to minimize

witness descriptions to another rap
should fingers point to his sharp unsheathed face
and once again the law his shoulders tap.

Unclean hair which oozed like dark shoelaces,
choaked throat which seemed half swallowed hammer's head,
rawboned chin, a lowered drawbridge places

a jumping off point for hope so long dead,
where once it may have crossed the whisp'ring lips
but now's the last voice some had heard, it's dread

keenly felt when in this shadow's eclipse
whose focused visage thrust as starvling knives,
shods the cloven hooves as devil's wingtips

he walks among us just to take some lives.
Found'rous cheeks whose vales grow seasoned stubble,
his long nose aimed toward hell as he contrives

to raze all earthly temples down to rubble.
.
.
.

"He was a poet, sure a lover too"
                         -Keats 1817

             The Lover
              (sonnet)

Perhaps his first words made it all too plain
so quick to seed what seemed her fertile loam,
his poet's need to bleed the lover's poem
before the reader's ear had been obtained,
in hindsight he of course wished he'd refrained
for lonely is the heart that's forced to roam,
lonelier still's love without a home
and he not one to stay and face the pain.
Her lightness seemed to beg a pedestal,
his love profound none of it he'd ration
this scale of love's imbalances were cruel
the ember of his ardor turned ashen
in words denying air and hope it's fuel
she confessed another her grand passion.
.
.
.

"Ah! Surely he had burst our mortal bars"
                          -Keats 1817

              The Exile
              (villanelle)

To stay sane freedom's definition shrinks
in liberty the stalwart mind prevails
the strongest armor always has it's chinks

The abyss at incarceration's brink
is where one cuts the anchor, sets the sail,
to stay sane freedom's definition shrinks

A body chained it's brain yet free to think
emancipated though it's cast in jail
the strongest armor always has it's chinks

Abused, a child or woman in a blink
can soar beyond oppression's betrayal
to stay sane freedom's definition shrinks

The despots violent water we won't drink
tyranny's suit's a sieve of rusting mail
the strongest armor always has it's chinks

The spirit flies, the body only sinks,
enriched in mind, a soul will never fail,
to stay sane freedom's definition shrinks
the strongest armor always has it's chinks

[This message has been edited by RSWells (01-09-2003 08:34 AM).]

Janet Marie
Member Laureate

since 2000-01-22

Posts 18554

1 posted 2003-01-09 07:46 AM

Unclean hair which oozed like dark shoelace,
choaked throat which seemed half swallowed hammer's head,
rawboned chin, lowered drawbridge place,

a jumping off point for hope so long dead,
where once it may have crossed the whisp'ring lips
but now's the last voice some had heard, it's dread

felt when in this shadow's eclipse
whose focused visage thrust as starvling knives,
shods the cloven hooves as devil's wingtips
======================================

his poet's need to bleed the lover's poem
before the reader's ear had been obtained,
in hindsight he of course wished he'd refrained
for lonely is the heart that's forced to roam,
lonelier still's love without a home
and he not one to stay and face the pain.
Her lightness seemed to beg a pedestal,
his love profound none of it he'd ration
this scale of love's imbalances were cruel
the ember of his ardor turned ashen
===================================

Abused, a child or woman in a blink
can soar beyond oppression's betrayal
to stay sane freedom's definition shrinks

The despots violent water we won't drink
tyranny's suit's a sieve of rusting mail
the strongest armor always has it's chinks

The spirit flies, the body only sinks,
enriched in mind, a soul will never fail,
to stay sane freedom's definition shrinks
the strongest armor always has it's chinks
===================================

you take poetry to a higher level...
I know English Majors and college proffessors that cant write at this level of scholarly intelligence. Very impressive poetic collage here poet sir..you take us to school and its oh so cool

Moths dont care if the flame is real
The moth and flame got a sweetheart deal
Nothing fuels like flirtation
Like need, anger & desperation

A.M.

Professor Gloom
Member Elite

since 2000-07-23

Posts 3082
of Depression

2 posted 2003-01-09 08:07 AM

Very enjoyable read,
Although in the Terza Rima, typically there is no single last line,
But only tercets throughout and all lengths are equal.
Minor deviations from the form and take nothing from the quality
Of the writing.

Found the sonnet form an interesting variation of the ‘normal’ rhyme pattern
And adds to it’s enjoyment to read.

And the Villanelle is just marvelous.

An excellent presentation of three poems
That would stand well on their own.
Packaged for combined pleasure.

Gloom

RSWells
Member Elite

since 2001-06-17

Posts 2533

3 posted 2003-01-09 08:51 AM

Thank you J M. Prof, thanks for pointing out my errors. Henceforth I'll have my coffee before I post. I did miss a word or two in the terza rima which though doubtless isn't iambic is now corrected with 10 beats per line (the last an exception of 11). However the ending of this form seems to be one of interpretation. First I looked online since I'm sitting here and found some Shelley which ends with couplets of the same rhyme. Confused, I went to my original source, Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry And Poetics, edited by Alex Preminger and I quote "Terza Rima. A verse form composed of iambic tercets rhyming aba bcb, etc., the second line of the first tercet supplying the rhyme for the second tercet, the second line of the second tercet supplying the rhyme for the third, and so on, thus giving an effect of linkage to the entire composition. In t. r., the conclusion of a formal unit is generally signified by the occurrence of a single line which completes the rhyme structure by rhyming with the middle line of the preceding tercet, thus xyx y.."

[This message has been edited by RSWells (01-09-2003 08:53 AM).]

Sandpiper
Senior Member

since 2002-06-15

Posts 738
land of flora and fauna

4 posted 2003-01-10 06:25 AM

you serve a delicious poetic buffet Mr. Wells--excellent!!

"And it was at that age...Poetry arrived in search of me...And something started in my soul."
Pablo Neruda

inkedgoddess
Member Rara Avis

since 2002-11-19

Posts 7392
Ohio

5 posted 2003-01-10 06:36 AM

does this come with cliffnotes?

Nan

Administrator

Member Seraphic

since 1999-05-20

Posts 21191
Cape Cod Massachusetts USA

6 posted 2003-01-10 10:30 AM

You KNOW I loved every minute of this read... A sucker I am for such fine-tuned work... I'm just a die-hard RSWells fan, I guess..

Gentle Spirit
Member Patricius

since 2000-10-09

Posts 13989

7 posted 2003-01-10 10:33 AM

"in hindsight he of course wished he'd refrained
for lonely is the heart that's forced to roam,
lonelier still's love without a home
and he not one to stay and face the pain."

and this is pure R.S.Wells........
what a gift you share......

I'm hooked....

Cpat Hair

Member Patricius

since 2001-06-05

Posts 11793

8 posted 2003-01-10 10:54 AM

you know..I read you and wonder why I bother to even try to write.

impressive..and entertaining. Always know there is a treasure when I open one of yur posts...always know I am in for a lesson in style and class...

Enjoyed this... as usual

garysgirl