Mrs. Hudson's Poetry Page: The Musgrave Ritual

[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 call and response.

TV Tropes gives this definition (specifically for songs, but I see no reason why it cannot be adapted to apply to poetry too):

Call-and-response is a form of music sung by (or at least from the perspective of) two or more people. Rather than sing the same part or do different verses, one person sings a statement, the other gives a reply to it.

Here is my example poem:


Where, oh, where can the carpet be?

It’s buried under Cases A-G!

And wasn’t there a sofa too?

It’s buried under Cases H-Q!

And has the doctor gone to bed?

No, the poor man’s buried under Cases R-Z!



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, blackout poetry, call and response, 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 Musgrave Ritual in the comments on this post. I look forward to seeing them!


Warm regards,

Mrs. Hudson

Comments

A clerihew

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Reginald Musgrave
His family secret caused a crime wave.
The ancestor would have been a smarter fella
To say “PS: it’s in the cellar.”

Re: A clerihew

[debriswoman]

Yep...it is entirely possible to be too mysterious:-p

Re: A clerihew

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

One feels the original Musgrave would have been sadly disappointed with his descendants.

Re: A clerihew

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

Very nice! It certainly confirms my Parliamentarian prejudices about Charles' supporters.

Re: A clerihew

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

See, that's the trouble with double-secret boy's clubs. "Or we could just knock and say 'It's me.' "

Re: A Chain Rhyme: Priorities

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

It was such a clever idea to use a chain rhyme (yet another form I hadn't come across ^^") - because of course in the story one thing leads to another. If Watson hadn't asked Holmes to tidy up, then Holmes wouldn't have told him about his old case ^^

Re: A Chain Rhyme: Priorities

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

One can sense Holmes' mind working - if I distract him with this and then this and ...

Re: A Chain Rhyme: Priorities

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Ha ha ha ha! Perfect!

Re: Cinquains: Baker Street

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

That's brilliant ^_^ I especially love "A flat", "Papers", "Bullets" (All pleas to move the game outside,/ Ignored. ^^), and those touching last two verses.

Re: Cinquains: Baker Street

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Watson to a "T"

Re: Cinquains: Baker Street

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

Bravo! Mind you, a Jack knife is an effective paperweight, if you don't mind the spoiled legibility.

Re: Cinquains: Baker Street

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Tres bien!

Re: Call and response: Denial.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Oh, crikey - that's such a perfect use of the call and response form ^^" Unsettling and atmospheric - and another of your great endings.

Re: Call and response: Denial.

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

I can think of quite a few suspense writers who would turn bright green. And such a strong end, too.

Re: Call and response: Denial.

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Brrr... "Oh, that's just the cask of Amontillado being shifted in the cellar."

The poetry of Mrs H

[debriswoman]

Wonderful, ma'am:-)
And I hope the good doctor made a full recovery.

Re: The poetry of Mrs H

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Thank you. And the doctor was shaken but happily otherwise unharmed.

Doggerell

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

He has cigars in the coal scuttle, tobacco in the slipper
Not eating meals for days on end, and then he wants a kipper
Nasty smells by day or night, something unpleasant in the butter
Strange visitors calling at all hours, including the odd nutter
His letters fastened by a knife, bullet holes in the wall
There’s nothing much will surprise her now, I think she's seen it all!

Re: Doggerell

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

Definitely too good to be doggerell. Thank you!

Re: Doggerell

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

*applauds and grins*

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

Well written, Mrs Hudson. If only it were that simple...

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Thank heavens there is Dr. Watson to make Mr. Holmes tidy up from time to time...

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

First off, kudos for reminding us that R-Z is properly pronounced "R-Zed" in England. Call-and-response is a highly appropriate poetry form for the Musgraves!

***

If you seek to find a treasure, only foolishness abounds;
It is death and not your fortune, it is death.
Though you cross the globe to find it, or just stroll your mansion’s grounds –
It is death and nothing more. Oh, it is death!
Tales of gold and precious rubies, pearls like none you’ve seen before,
Hints about a rare blue gemstone and the history it bore,
Or an ancient hollow crown that graced the ruling heads of yore –
Do not open up that casket. It is death.

Every gem that shines so brightly whispers lies of wealth and ease;
It is death that siren warbles, it is death.
Every man and woman falls into the spell of all of these –
Turn against each other, killing. It is death.
As the sight of shining water tempts a caravansary,
So the thought of gold and silver lures – but all that’s there to see
Is the blood of treasure-hunters; ruination is the fee.
Seek the gold and pay the Reaper. It is death.

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Indeed. The lure of precious jewels seems often to lead to an untimely fate.