sherlock60 | Mrs. Hudson's Poetry Page: The Resident Patient

scfrankles.livejournal.com posting in

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 lyric poetry.

Dictionary.com gives this definition of lyric poetry:

A type of emotional songlike poetry, distinguished from dramatic and narrative poetry.

Word Origin: Greek lurikos 'for the lyre', from verses sung to a lyre.

It was the doctor’s reference to Scylla and Charybdis that turned my thoughts towards this noble Greek artform, and I realised I needed to find the English equivalent. Something with equal gravitas, sense of tradition and artistic worth...

And so I decided to put new lyrics to the music hall song “Joshu-ah!”

I never go to the music hall myself but Mrs. Turner occasionally attends, and she was the one who taught me this song by George Arthurs & Bert Lee. (It is perhaps a little near the knuckle in its humour but that’s Mrs. Turner for you.)

Here is my example poem:

Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes
Please put away your piles of tomes!
You may like to know
I have stubbed my toe.
Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes
Chaos is in your chromosomes.
I’ll put up signs saying: Danger Zone!
Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes!

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, alexandrine, blackout poetry, call and response, cinquain, circular poetry, clerihew, colour poems, concrete poetry, diamante, doggerel, double dactyl, epigram, epulaeryu, fable, ghazal, haiku, limerick, lyric poetry, palindrome poetry, riddle, sedoka, sestina, sonnet, tanka, tercet, terza rima, tongue twister poetry, triolet, tyburn, villanelle

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

Warm regards,

Mrs. Hudson

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

scfrankles.livejournal.com

A pale, taper-faced man with sandy whiskers rose up from a chair by the fire as we entered.

A pale man was there in the flat
“With sandy whiskers”, and wanting a chat.
Here now we see the import
Of using capitals where you ought:
Sandy Whiskers was the name of Holmes’ cat.

Edited Date: 2015-06-28 07:28 am (UTC)

From:

debriswoman

An important lesson:-p
And thus the moggy missed his moment of fame in the annals of history

From:

scfrankles.livejournal.com

Sandy Whiskers believed in keeping a low profile so probably wasn't too bothered :P

From:

debriswoman

A lower case profile.

From:

scfrankles.livejournal.com

a clever riposte, mrs. p ^_^

From:

debriswoman

I try
This entire community is a joy, by the way:-)

From:

scfrankles.livejournal.com

It is, isn't it? You meet such interesting people round here ^_^

From:

debriswoman

Oh, you do indeed:-)

From:

thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com

The reason why Sandy Whiskers kept a low profile was because he wasn't supposed to be lazing in Mr Holmes' rooms, but out catching mice.

From:

scfrankles.livejournal.com

And I suppose it was unprofessional of Sandy to be getting cosy on a client's knee...

From:

gardnerhill.livejournal.com

Cat probably asked for the lower-case from Watson to keep it ambiguous - you never saw such a modest and self-effacing creature.

From:

scfrankles.livejournal.com

Well, he'd seen what happened to dogs in the Holmesian universe - when you're an innocent dumb animal, it pays to be modest and self-effacing ^^"

From:

gardnerhill.livejournal.com

Oh Lord yeah, it really was a dog's life in Doyle's stories.

From:

laurose8.livejournal.com

A very nice idea. And an excellent name for an ocelot, too.

From:

scfrankles.livejournal.com

That's a thought - I wonder what the ocelot's full name is...

From:

gardnerhill.livejournal.com

Does it sound too good to be true?
Then it’s something that you should eschew.
“I’ll double your fare,
If you bob your hair...”
One governess, caught in a stew.

Is it more than you should expect?
Consider. You could risk your neck.
“Mere hardware research!
Just don’t leave your perch...”
A stockbroker’s rep put in check.

Do they offer at just the right time?
They’ve tracked you, eight times out of nine.
“Our press went kaboom!
Step into this room…”
And one thumb’s forever off-line.

Must you choose right away, as they tell?
Haste leads to precipitous Hell.
“My resident doc–
OH GOD WHAT’S THAT KNOCK!!!!”
His practise left hanging, as well.

If the offer’s so perfect you weep,
Stay clear-headed. Look ere you leap.
It’s no answer to prayers –
The advantage, all theirs.
Disaster is all you will reap.

From:

scfrankles.livejournal.com

Oh, very good ^__^ Witty and educational.

I particularly like your opening couplet, and ...one thumb’s forever off-line.

From:

gardnerhill.livejournal.com

Thanks! Sadly, desperation plus debt corners a lot of the clients.

I was pretty chuffed at that thumb line myself - harkens back to the engineering theme.

From:

debriswoman

Very well put:-)

From:

gardnerhill.livejournal.com

Thanks. Sadly, we'll always need that warning for people who get suckered by get-rich-quick schemes.

From:

thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com

I fear they will never learn though!

From:

gardnerhill.livejournal.com

Two words: Internet fraud.

From:

laurose8.livejournal.com

Well written, that gardenerhill. Thanks for sharing.

From:

gardnerhill.livejournal.com

You're welcome. Sadly, it needs to be resaid over and over, and not just in the parlour of 221b.

(deleted comment)

From:

scfrankles.livejournal.com

Absolutely wonderful ^^ I love the rhythm - and it's so sweetly affectionate. I particularly like: Let's wander down Fleet Street, let's walk up the Strand. And the last three lines feel oddly poignant.

From:

debriswoman

Thank you:-)

From:

thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com

Very sweet, although somehow I can't imagine Holmes singing it ;)

It does sound just like a music hall song, perhaps sung by Miss Marie Lloyd.

From:

debriswoman

Thank you
And I agree:-p

From:

gardnerhill.livejournal.com

This is lovely. I can see the Paget illo.

From:

debriswoman

Thank you:-)

From:

laurose8.livejournal.com

Just right in every line. I do like kaleidoscope city.

From:

debriswoman

Thank you:-)
The term kaleidoscope appears in the tale...and fitted the rhythm

From:

debriswoman

Eloquent, as always, ma'am:-)
How is the toe, by the way?

From:

scfrankles.livejournal.com

Still giving me pain when the weather changes, unfortunately.

From:

debriswoman

Shall you sue?

From:

scfrankles.livejournal.com

We settled out of court - the gin's being delivered tomorrow.

Edited Date: 2015-06-28 06:42 pm (UTC)

From:

debriswoman

That's my girl:-)

From:

thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com

The ever-changing kaleidoscope of life as it ebbs and flows through Fleet St and the Strand

Gentlemen out walking
Maids all talking
Pickpockets are stalking
Landladies busy mopping
Ladies going shopping
Small boys are hopping
The rain comes back
Now everyone is sopping