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Thursday, November 29, 2007

Poetry Stretch Results - The Sonnet (Italian Form)

Well, this was a tough one. I spent all week writing, revising, discarding, writing, revising, discarding . . . you know the drill. I'm not at all satisfied with my offering, so I'm going to start with the brave souls who joined me on this terrifying journey.
I'm so thrilled that Laura Purdie Salas joined in this week. I must now repay the visit and join in her 15 words or less poetry challenge. Her sonnet is called 5th Period.

Our friend sister AE from Having Writ killed two challenges with one poem and gives us the sonnet entitled Butterfly Patience.

Here is my sonnet. It's the first one I've ever written and . . . it's pretty bad. I need lots of practice!

On Writing Sonnets
Fret not, she said, the form will support you.
A would-be writer shrugs her poet dreams,
but choosing feet is harder than it seems.
With pen to paper, words spill out on cue.
Stop. Breathe. Remember what you’re here to do.
With thoughts of form she loses deeper themes,
but what of other rhymes and forms and schemes?
Just find your voice and tell the story true.
Will form bind the thought or free it to smile?
Can it breathe and grow to become true art?
What is a poem or sonnet today?
Words that inspire and often beguile,
sharing their secrets before they depart,
they blossom into a word-filled bouquet.
It's not too late to play. Read the rules here and then go write! Once you have a sonnet, leave me a comment and I'll add your poem to this page.

4 comments:

  1. "choosing feet is harder than it seems" LOVE that.

    Doesn't it feel like you're walking around with a newly-discovered super power now that you've wrestled with a sonnet?

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  2. Sadly, no. I'm still cowering the corner. But, I will not accept defeat lightly, and will keep on plugging away. The notion of shoe laces now propels me forward.

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  3. "Good On You!" as my New Zealand friend says. I remain in awe of your word-wrangling!

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  4. Woohoo! Now that you have the first one under your belt, the next will come much more easily (at least that's what I'm telling myself).

    The middle lines (which I can't see at the moment so I can't be more specific) really flow nicely. Excellent work!

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