Sonnet 'bout Writing Itself

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Poetry Workshop

Sonnet 'bout Writing Itself

Ted Reynolds
Member

since 1999-12-15

Posts 331

0 posted 2000-05-15 07:41 AM

This was posted in Critical Analysis a few weeks ago, and I got advised to post it here also.  Please don't take it too seriously.

                 SMASH the readers' calm with the first word,
                  Continue firmly with well-chosen speech
                From which the strong impression is inferred
                  That you have something vital meant for each.

                The second quatrain you relax the reins
                  And let the gentler music softly flow.
                If flowers, birds, and moons will sooth their brains
                  It surely would be best to add them now.

                But then, before they've time to figure out
                  Just where you're at, you change the plot again,
                And add some lines of reason, lest they doubt
                  That you do have a subject to maintain.

                For closing, break a challenge in their ears
                That brings them shouting to their feet with CHEERS.

Elizabeth Santos
Member Rara Avis

since 1999-11-08

Posts 9269
Pennsylvania

1 posted 2000-05-15 10:19 AM

Ted,
This is wonderful! I laughed all the way through, as it describes to a tee a sonnet that I wrote recently, including the moons in the second stanza. I see now I've got some work to do in the creativity department.
Enjoyed the read! It's great!
Liz

jbouder
Member Elite

since 1999-09-18

Posts 2534
Whole Sort Of Genl Mish Mash

2 posted 2000-05-18 10:19 PM

Ted:

I liked this when I read it first in CA and I still like it.

The nine syllables in the first line does go against convention a little bit (the alternatives are going with a trochaic substitution in the first foot or adding "SMASH" as an extra stressed syllable at the beginning of a ten syllable line). Good work here, Ted. If you haven't already, take a look at Alexander Pope's "The Craft of Verse". I think you would appreciate that poem.

Good work, Ted.

Jim

Nan

Administrator

Member Seraphic

since 1999-05-20

Posts 21191
Cape Cod Massachusetts USA

3 posted 2000-05-19 07:24 AM

All that stuff I said about how to write a sonnet???? Ignore it... Just read Ted's rendition - It's much more fun...

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