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http://scfrankles.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] scfrankles.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] sherlock602015-02-15 08:12 am
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Mrs. Hudson's Poetry Page: The Red-headed League

Welcome once again to my poetry page!

I hope each week you will read Dr. Watson’s delightful narrative and then be inspired to write a poem related to it in some way. All forms of poetry are permitted, and further down the page there is a selection you might like to consider using over the coming weeks.


This week my featured form is the abecedarian. It seemed to fit in well with this week’s story.

Mr. Holmes, naturally, is very keen on encyclopaedic knowledge—arranging it all in his index. I had to remove his scrapbooks recently in order to dust the shelves, and afterwards joked I had developed Index Finger! He appeared somewhat bemused...

poets.org gives the following definition:

The abecedarian is an ancient poetic form guided by alphabetical order. Generally each line or stanza begins with the first letter of the alphabet and is followed by the successive letter, until the final letter is reached.


Here is my attempt:


An alphabetic list of a landlady’s woes:
Beginning with blisters on her toes.

Caused by climbing 17 stairs,
Dodging bullets once she’s there.

Experiments in the sitting-room.
Fire, explosions and noxious fumes.

G. Lestrade and his ferret face
Hanging around like they own the place.

Illegal activities at every turn.
Justice is the sole concern.

Knocked up at ungodly times,
Letting in victims of crimes.

Mounds of paper on the floor.
No-one knows what a bin is for.

Old sailor makes her drop her tray.
Perhaps her tenant, but who can say?

Quite not what she’d ever wish:
Relics of felons in the butter dish.

Shouts from upstairs for his tea.
Tobacco smoke (from pipes, three).

Urchins giving her a fright
Violin playing through the night.

Which is why she finds it all so wearing.
Xxxx stands in for swearing.

Young Bohemians are frankly quite appalling.
Zoo keeping would have been a simpler calling.



As always, this is simply something to consider for the future. Any form of poetry is welcome this week—and every week! Here are a few suggestions for you:

221B verselet, abecedarian poetry, acrostic poetry, clerihew, epigram, haiku, limerick, palindrome poetry, sedoka, sestina, sonnet, tanka, terza rima, tongue twister poetry, triolet, tyburn, villanelle


Please leave all your poems inspired by The Red-headed League in the comments on this post. I look forward to seeing them!


Warm regards,

Mrs. Hudson
debriswoman: (cat and mouse)

RE: Abcdedarian: A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing

[personal profile] debriswoman 2017-03-02 09:36 pm (UTC)(link)
This is brilliant...missed this the first time...really impressed with the challenge you set yourself:-)

Re: RE: Abcdedarian: A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing

[identity profile] mundungus42.livejournal.com 2017-03-02 09:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh goodness, thank you so much! I absolutely adore your work, so I'm especially delighted you enjoyed this. I've been doing far too little writing of late, and it's good to be reminded that all work and no high concept poetry make Mundungus grumpy. :D Thanks again for your kind words!
debriswoman: (cat and mouse)

RE: Re: RE: Abcdedarian: A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing

[personal profile] debriswoman 2017-03-02 09:50 pm (UTC)(link)
I do miss your work, and returned to this as the abc pattern has cropped up again in the community...linked back to this poetry page...looking back, I did comment before, but it stopped me in my tracks again:-)