I've been messing around with sonnets, that seemingly most daunting of poetry styles, to improve both my poems and word choices in my other writing.
Quick reference, so you don't have to go look it up on Wikipedia, an English sonnet is typically written in iambic pentameter, meaning that there are 5 iams in the line, an iam being one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. It usually has an a-b-a-b c-d-c-d e-f-e-f gg rhyming style, with a sharp turn at the end.
I write sonnets on stupid topics in this formal poetry style. It feels like you're thumbing your nose at Shakespeare. It's fun. Here is my first example.
Under the Wire
Even a cretin knows to duck, to crawl,
to drop their head to get under the wire.
Did we locate your sorry soul at the mall?
Are you a joke, too dumb to know about fire?
You are the king of farcical mishaps.
Any thief who walks the earth, free men, per say,
can figure out, themselves, that police perhaps
are not the escort sought to find your way.
Oh yes, you will find yourself behind bars.
Not anything I can do prevents that fate.
You will be stamping licenses plates for cars.
For some truly long predetermined date.
The world does not give out fair punishment.
Stupid people will get the worst treatment.
Quick reference, so you don't have to go look it up on Wikipedia, an English sonnet is typically written in iambic pentameter, meaning that there are 5 iams in the line, an iam being one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. It usually has an a-b-a-b c-d-c-d e-f-e-f gg rhyming style, with a sharp turn at the end.
I write sonnets on stupid topics in this formal poetry style. It feels like you're thumbing your nose at Shakespeare. It's fun. Here is my first example.
Under the Wire
Even a cretin knows to duck, to crawl,
to drop their head to get under the wire.
Did we locate your sorry soul at the mall?
Are you a joke, too dumb to know about fire?
You are the king of farcical mishaps.
Any thief who walks the earth, free men, per say,
can figure out, themselves, that police perhaps
are not the escort sought to find your way.
Oh yes, you will find yourself behind bars.
Not anything I can do prevents that fate.
You will be stamping licenses plates for cars.
For some truly long predetermined date.
The world does not give out fair punishment.
Stupid people will get the worst treatment.
