Mrs. Hudson's Poetry Page: The Stock-broker's Clerk

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

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 double dactyl.

Wikipedia gives the following definition:

The double dactyl is a verse form invented by Anthony Hecht and Paul Pascal in 1951.There must be two stanzas, each comprising three lines of dactylic dimeter ( ¯ ˘ ˘ ¯ ˘ ˘ ) followed by a line consisting of just a choriamb ( ¯ ˘ ˘ ¯ ). The two stanzas have to rhyme on their last lines.

The first line of the first stanza is repetitive nonsense. The second line of the first stanza is the subject of the poem, which is supposed to be a double-dactylic proper noun (though Hecht and other poets sometimes bent or ignored this rule). There is also a requirement for at least one line, preferably the antepenultimate line of the second stanza, to be entirely one double dactyl word.


Here is my example poem (dedicated to Mr. Holmes and his absentmindedness):


Clickerty clackerty
Paddington surgery
“Come onto Birmingham?”
Holmes has a stab.

Client with suddenly
Employability...
Genius finally
Recalls the cab!


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, colour poems, concrete poetry, diamante, doggerel, double dactyl, epigram, epulaeryu, fable, haiku, limerick, palindrome poetry, riddle, sedoka, sestina, sonnet, tanka, tercet, terza rima, tongue twister poetry, triolet, tyburn, villanelle


Please leave all your poems inspired by The Stock-broker’s Clerk in the comments on this post. I look forward to seeing them!


Warm regards,

Mrs. Hudson

Comments

A clerihew

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

The munificent “Pinner”
Declared himself a money-spinner.
But the gold in his tooth
Provided the truth.

Re: A clerihew

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Indeed. It is so often the small things which catch us out. As for example the small coloured feather I found beneath the cushions yesterday, when tidying. I am not entirely sure what Mr Holmes is doing with a feather boa, but I do hope he realises pale green is not his colour.

Re: A clerihew

[debriswoman]

Nice clerihew, like money spinner rhyme:-)
And yes, Mrs H, a smoky blue boa would set his eyes off so much better:-)

Re: A clerihew

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much ^_^ (He was a "tall tale spinner" right up to the line :P)

Re: A clerihew

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I am keeping it for a friend.

SH



[To WATSON, PADDINGTON

MRS. HUDSON FUSSING STOP

PLEASE COLLECT "ITEM" STOP

HOLMES]

Re: A clerihew

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Ah, you've seen that SNL sketch also!

Re: A clerihew

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Do you know, I was going to say: "What sketch?" And then I realised I have seen it ^^ I'd completely forgotten about it ^^"

Re: A clerihew

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

You don't forget a detail like a lime-green feather boa, or Jeremy Irons' Holmes reassuring an agitated Watson that it's okay, all their friends know about the two of them...

Re: A clerihew

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I think I must have repressed the traumatic memory ^^"

Re: A clerihew

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

TO HOLMES, BAKER ST

NOT MY PROBLEM STOP

I PREFERRED BLUE STOP

WATSON