sherlock60 | Mrs. Hudson's Poetry Page: The Beryl Coronet

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 limerick.

Shadow Poetry gives the following definition:

A Limerick is a rhymed humorous or nonsense poem of five lines. The Limerick has a set rhyme scheme of : a-a-b-b-a with a syllable structure of: 9-9-6-6-9. The rhythm of the poem should go as follows: Lines 1, 2, 5: weak, weak, STRONG, weak, weak, STRONG, weak, weak, STRONG. Lines 3, 4: weak, weak, STRONG, weak, weak, STRONG.

You will notice that the syllable count adds up to 39—which made me think of the 39 beryls in the Beryl Coronet. Though there is always some leeway allowed in the number of syllables (and in the anapaestic structure). Especially if you have spent the past week desperately trying to come up with a suitable limerick.

Here is my example:

There was a young lady named Holder
Whose passion made her quite bolder.
But her dark knight’ll
Prove you can’t trust men with a title.
As any Victorian heroine could’ve told ‘er.

(Editor’s note: Naturally Mrs. Hudson put “contemporary heroine” but I have altered it to “Victorian heroine” for full dramatic and comedic effect.

And Mrs. Hudson has also asked me to state that she realises Sir George is probably a baronet, not a knight. However, she feels critics should come up with a rhyme for “baronet” before pointing any fingers.)

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, cinquain, circular poetry, clerihew, concrete poetry, diamante, epigram, epulaeryu, fable, haiku, limerick, palindrome poetry, riddle, sedoka, sestina, sonnet, tanka, terza rima, tongue twister poetry, triolet, tyburn, villanelle

Please leave all your poems inspired by The Beryl Coronet in the comments on this post. I look forward to seeing them!

Warm regards,

Mrs. Hudson