Form Poem Contest

[Rockin462]

Thank you for your views.
Yes Its and not it's, oops. Also ripened.
Not sure aside from grammar where I missed on the form?
Rhymn and meter is there.
Though I couldn't put the dash above the 2nd E in Eden to make it sound Edan...

[Virgil]

Oh wait hey here's an idea already...

The next form is called a haikonnet. A haikonnet is a sonnet of sorts.

1. It is divided into 17 lines, in three sections.

1.1 The first section has 5 lines. It sets the stage.
1.2 The second section has 7 lines. It develops a theme.
1.3 The third section has 5 lines. It concludes, either by showing something about the first 12 lines which was not obvious before, or by posing a question.

2. All of the lines must have at least 8 syllables (but may have any number up to 12). There is no real metre, iambic, dactylic or whatever else.

3. Every line must rhyme with at least one other line.

4. I will assess poems on form, symmetry, complexity and content.

4.1 Form refers to meeting all the requirements in 1-3 above.
4.2 Symmetry refers to a deliberate attempt to make the poem symmetrical in some way (metre is probably the simplest).
4.3 Complexity refers to the degree of difficulty (like gymnastics or diving hahaha!) used in rhymes, metre etc.
4.4 Content refers to the 'plot' that emerges in the form provided.

=====

Yes, it's a challenge. I'm not sure I could meet it myself!

*howls madly and runs off chasing the invisible moon*

Very interesting Auto. I tried looking this up and could not find it anywhere. I assume you made it up and that there are no examples. I will give it a shot.

[barbara0207]

Barbie, you still have to get a barb in about my sonnets, do you not? I used to enjoy writing them, y'know? Perhaps people have noted that I haven't been writing birthday sonnets for sometime now. The joy of the form is gone for me. Since I have been on the forum, I have written more sonnets than anyone else, for birthdays, the obit page, sonnets from The Dasterdley Ghost, etc. Carefree, Pendragian sonnets.

No, I don't. There was no irony whatsoever in the post.

To explain the term Pendragonian sonnet:
As far as I know the first writer of sonnets was Petrarch. That is why the first Italian sonnets are named after him, Petrarchan sonnets. As the sonnet spread over Europe, poets changed the form (rhyme, meter and division into stanzas, but not number of lines) according to their language, their needs and their taste. In England there were Milton, Shakespeare and others, all adapting the Italian sonnet to their own requirements, in Germany there were baroque poets who created another form of sonnet, which was different from both the Italian and the English form. In later centuries the sonnet was out of fashion, but still a few poets used it, adapted to their own taste and needs. You, Pen, have changed the form according to your own taste and needs. That is why I called it the Pendragonian sonnet - because you originally introduced it here to Litnet.

I named the form in your honour.

Not to mock, tease or vex you.

I write both form poems and free verse. I am not obsessed with form. And I say it again: Auto did not win because of form, but because his poem was serious, witty and funny at the same time. That is why it appealed to me the most.

[Pendragon]

Well, I never complained about loosing to Auto, now did I? His poem was great and he took my advice and challenged us with this time!

Well, never say die, I always say. Here you go Auto. Something like this, maybe?

What If

If foolish pride sets aside the string,
Allows the injured ego time to heal—
Perhaps the rhyme again may ring,
The fingers find the guitar strings—
Words flow and show you how I feel.

Darkness cannot grasp a poet’s soul forever…
The song that keeps that heart alive must be heard.
To silence voices demons hope—but never—
Can their trickery divide the soul and the word…
For centuries the battle has been raging,
Books have been burned, destroyed, flaming—
But today you still hear poetic voice proclaiming—

What will be our legacy we leave behind,
For the coming generations to discover?
Will they think that we allowed ourselves to become blind.
Left our harps upon the willows far , far behind—
Or devour each volume cover to cover?

Pendragon
© 11/8/07

[Petrarch's Love]

The next form is called a haikonnet. A haikonnet is a sonnet of sorts...

Egads! What a form. How does Pen get these things done so quickly?! I'll see if I can get all that straight but it's only a couple weeks until my doctoral exams so my attempt this round may require some compassion. Apparently, however, you're a fellow PhD student, which I hadn't realized, so perhaps you can empathize with the mind numbing pressure that precedes walking into an exam you've spent a year of your life intensely prepping for. What stage are you at and what's your field of study? Perhaps Classics, going by the user name?

[Petrarch's Love]

Pen--I love this one. That last stanza really has something, especially those final lines:

What will be our legacy we leave behind,
For the coming generations to discover?
Will they think that we allowed ourselves to become blind.
Left our harps upon the willows far , far behind—
Or devour each volume cover to cover?

[ampoule]

Ampoule: You use a very regular meter and rhyme so you can actually hear the music when you read it aloud. It's like song lyrics, who knows, perhaps someone will create a tune for it. I had a small problem with the use of the pronoun "they" at the end. Could it be you meant onlookers here holding their breath and then clapping? You might have made that a bit clearer (but perhaps it's just me.) Anyway, I enjoyed listening to the music and watching you dance.

You are going to laugh (I hope) but while writing it I could not get the tune of The Mexican Hat Dance out of my mind.

[autolycus]

Wow, I'm even more impressed by Pen than I normally am... *grin*

Yes, Virgil, the form is my own invention as far as I know.

Petrarch's Love: I'm an organometallic chemist doing a dissertation on high school education practices somewhere in Asia. Heh. Silly me.

Barb: Yeah... The reason I wrote in in the original form was that I had already sort of planned it out that way! But I'm glad the poem itself turned out as well as it did.

[Pendragon]

Oh, Auto and Petra! I'm just a simple poet with far too much time on his hands. You guys are the wonders, able to write while dealing with doctorate dissertations and constant study! Egads! I wonder how you manage!

[Petrarch's Love]

I'm an organometallic chemist doing a dissertation on high school education practices somewhere in Asia. Heh. Silly me.

Wow, I can honestly say that's the last thing I would have guessed, but very cool to find out we have a forum member with such a fascinating array of interests. Do organometallic chemistry and Asian High School practices relate in some way (perhaps you're really a mad scientist using this education research as a cover for your nefarious experiments?) or did you just wake up one day in your run of the mill life as an organometallic chemist and think "and now for something completely different?" Seriously though, sounds interesting and good luck with plugging away at that dissertation.

[autolycus]

Heh, more gradual. Chemist to chemistry teacher to education researcher. Thank you! *grin* *takes a bow*

[Petrarch's Love]

Ah, so there is a smooth and logical connection between these pursuits. Well, enough chit chat, I've got to go figure out how a haikonnet works.

[autolycus]

My next chapter deadline is 30 Nov. My next Poetry contest deadline is therefore also 30 Nov. *grin* After that, I shall be free to look at all your masterpieces, and as usual, give insightful and entertaining commentary (ha ha, I hope!) for everyone. Thank you!

[TheFifthElement]

Fun form auto!

Dead Shoes

Something has been chewing at my shoe.
A hole has been ripped right through the toe,
and the heel has been pulled half-off.
Its partner is missing entirely;
a puzzled space where it used to be.

Oh, they were my most favourite pair
like old friends who shared my adventures;
they were worn, battered, the seams were split
and now that’s only the half of it!
I thought that we were the perfect fit,
that our love was the kind that endures
but now you’ve vanished into thin air!

But what is that growling close to me,
that touch of hot breath upon my knee,
and teeth my Mum would be proud of?
Oh shoes, is this the end of the show?
Looks like I soon will be joining you…

[autolycus]

I have inadvertently unleashed a beast. So far, two very unlike and very strong entries...