In the last blog post, I said I would write more about sonnets. I believe there is something attractive about sonnets, so I write them. This is how I go about writing a sonnet. What are sonnets? Basically, a sonnet is a 14 line poem. There are many different types. I don't go about limiting myself to one certain type, I do what's going to work best for what I want to write.
Most of my sonnets contain 3 quatrains, (a paragraph made up of 4 lines,) and 1 couplet, (a paragraph made of 2 lines,) at the end. Shakespearian Sonnets have an ABAB CDCD EFEF rhyming scheme in the quatrains and an GG rhyming scheme for the couplet. Many different sonnet types count the syllables in each line. In the following example of one of my sonnets, "The Discussion", I have used 10 syllables for each line. When coming up with a sonnet I write a template looking like this:
1. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ A
2. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ B
3. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ A
4. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ B
5. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ C
6. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ D
7. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ C
8. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ D
9. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ E
10. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ F
11. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ E
12. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ F
13. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ G
14 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ G
Each underline, or dash, represents each syllable that I want to use. A syllable can best be described as a beat of a word, usually indicated by a vowel. For example, 'frog' is one syllable. It has one vowel, so the word frog would be written across one part of the line above. 'Discussion' would be 3 syllables indicated by the i, u, and io. Since it is three syllables, I would write that across 3 parts of the line. To put 'frog' and 'discussion' together, I would write across 4 parts of the line to look like: frog-dis-cus-sion. To write one line of the sonnet, I still need to come up with 6 more syllables. It's not the easiest thing to do, but it is doable.
Iambic pentameter is also part of a sonnet, and it is also hard to do. I am not good at iambic pentameter, so I don't do it. The rules in poetry are meant to be broken! If you are interested, I found the best description iambic pentameter here: https://classicalpoets.org/2015/12/02/how-to-write-a-sonnet/#/
In order to come up with writing rhymes and a subject, I do a free write. I write all words I can think of and then see if I can put any two together that rhyme, or if a word might inspire a rhyme. The words can create a guideline of a potential subject. Sometimes, as in the case below, I come up with the subject first. For "The Discussion," I wanted to come up with a poem that fit in the category of speculative (relating to fantasy or science fiction). I thought talking frogs would work for a speculative poem. I did try to write "The Discussion" for publication, however I do not think it's good enough for that. I do think it's good, just not that good, so I am sharing it with you for free now.
The Discussion
Now
it is dusk, we are frogs, we arise.
Time
for our meeting, time for our chatter.
When
it is colder, we fear our demise.
We
must discuss an important matter.
Among
the dark it is time to discourse.
Us,
waking, nocturnal socializing.
Like you, we try to discover the source.
Knowledge
gleaning, avoid criticizing.
Our
music reverberates among us.
Ponds,
our water, it is disappearing.
Asking
what can we do, who can we trust?
Not
understanding, others are jeering.
Can
you understand the amphibian?
Shivering, dying now, to our chagrin.
I encourage you to revel in this beautiful form of poetry, whether you be reading sonnets or writing them.
