While working on the recent Poetry Makers interviews, I spent quite a bit of time with Avis Harley's book Fly With Poetry: An ABC of Poetry. There are several forms I want to try, but the one that has me really thinking this week is the Sonnet, or at least her bite-sized version. A bit-sized sonnet follows the rhyme scheme of a "traditional sonnet," but it's not written in iambic pentameter. Instead, each line contains only one syllable. Here's Avis' poem.
A Bite-Sized SonnetSo, the challenge is to write your own bite-sized sonnet. Leave me a note about your poem and I'll post the results here later this week.
House
sleeps.
Mouse
creeps
in
through
thin
flue.
Spots
cheese;
stops.
Sees
cat.
SCAT!
Poem ©Avis Harley. All rights reserved.
Ooh, nice stretch! I'm going to give one-syllable lines a try. Meanwhile, here's one where each line has two syllables (well, the word "poets" has to be said very fast like "potes" :-) and the ampersands don't count because they're symbols....I know, I know - but I'm not a purist. I'll post later in the week if I come up with a one-syllabler.
ReplyDeletePoem Written to a Friend Upon Reading Huizinga's HOMO LUDENS
Poets on
play-grounds:
words sound
like song
& sing ping-
ponged rope-
rhymes, hop-
scotch. Bring
the ball
(sonnet
on it)
& if small
bees sting—
look! Swings!
Closed
ReplyDeleteeyes
Posed
Smile;
Free
soul
flees
alone;
Dark
skies
call
lights;
Hope
born.
What fun! Here's one.
ReplyDeleteHip,
hup!
Step
up!
One,
two.
Shine
shoe.
Shh-ch-shh-ch-shhh…
Shh-ch-shh-ch-shhh…
Buff’s
done.
Scuff’s
gone.
Yep.
Hup!
Wow--this is tough. (And I love to write sonnets.) But finally, and with only one cheat:
ReplyDeleteHow to Write A Poem
Insight
Now.
Write
And how.
Butt.
Chair.
What?
Where?
Heart
Pains,
Art
Gains.
Bleed.
Read.
c 2009 Jane Yolen
And it's still only Monday!
ReplyDeleteWell, "again" has two syllables. But the rest works, if only technically and not aesthetically:
ReplyDeleteSpring
comes,
brings
dumb
trees
words
("leaf",
"bird")
and
then
lands.
Again,
green's
queen.
Hi there! I found my way here traipsing through poetry month links... what a great place! Here's my fun little attempt in honor of Carolina's NCAA basketball win!
ReplyDeleteStar
feel:
Tar
heel
last
round.
Fast
pound,
shoot,
score!
Root
for
Roy's
boys!
My son started high school this year. It's been a rough year for him confidence wise, and hard for me to watch him…
ReplyDeleteSon
slams
door
grabs
pack
sets
chin
Squares
shoulders
Strides
into
soul
jail.
I'm calling this...
ReplyDeleteA LITTLE ROMANCE
Date
One -
Great
Fun.
"He's
sweet."
"She's
neat."
"Likes
art!"
"Bikes!
Smart!"
Kiss.
Bliss!
I'm finally here. Thanks for the great opportunity to stretch!
ReplyDeleteHere are the two I came up with this week. I cheated a bit - I changed the line breaks a bit and did a near-rhyme in one case.
June
night.
Moon
bright.
Cat
purrs.
Rat
stirs.
Rat races.
Cat chases.
Prey fray.
***
Late night.
Moon light.
Can’t sleep.
Count sheep.
Sigh.
Close eyes.
Doze.
Theme: Dream.
These are wonderful -- what a great challenge, Tricia, what great outcomes, everyone...
ReplyDeleteI've posted mine here: Downturn.
That was really interesting... Here is my Trial:
ReplyDeleteLove
Hurts
Shove
Darts
In
Heart
Being
Smart.
Can’t
Smile
Rant
Pile
Spry
Cloud
Cry
Loud
On
Knees
None
Sees
Seize!
Tan, from Thus Wrote Tan!
Happy Easter to all of you :)