Mrs. Hudson's Poetry Page: The Solitary Cyclist

[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 poem cycle.

Oxford Dictionaries gives this definition:

A series of… poems composed around a particular theme, and usually intended to be performed or read in sequence...

I have chosen to write a series of 221B verselets around the theme of my learning to ride a bicycle. And so, as my example, I present to you The Bicycle Cycle:


By pedalling
Bicycle became
Cycling
Biped

To skirt
Mishaps wore
Cycling
Bloomers

Sped like
A train
(Tender
Behind)

Mr. Holmes
Has borrowed
My
Bicycle

Should I
Have mentioned
Faulty
Brakes?



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, ekphrasis, elegiac couplet, epigram, epulaeryu, fable, found poetry, ghazal, haiku, lanturne, limerick, lyric poetry, palindrome poetry, pantoum, poem cycle, renga, riddle, sedoka, septet, sestina, sonnet, tanka, tercet, terza rima, tongue twister poetry, triolet, tyburn, villanelle


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


Warm regards,

Mrs. Hudson

Comments

The Rainbow: A Poem Cycle in Lanturnes

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Red
moustache,
scarlet face.
Bully full of
rage.



Bright
orange
spring sunshine
but the day is
dark.



“A
reddish
yellow band.”
Such a lonely
road.



On
greensward
green Woodley,
coveting her
wealth.



The
lovelorn
Carruthers:
he’s left feeling
blue.



Holmes’
bruises—
indigo.
(Colour for a
king.)



No
shrinking
Violet.
Perennial
pluck.

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

I love your example! The "Tender Behind" pun had me shaking - along with the "skirt" and "bloomers" reference. And I'm picturing Holmes dealing with the bicycle about as well as Calvin (http://www.jimlangley.net/spin/calvinhobbescharacter.htm) does...

Re: The Rainbow: A Poem Cycle in Lanturnes

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

A colorful tale indeed.

Limerick: Coverture

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

No slavery in England? Not true:
Her fortune is his at “I do.”
I think that it’s hard
That a turn of a card
Makes an heiress his chattel – don’t you?

Re: The Rainbow: A Poem Cycle in Lanturnes

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Isn't it though? ^^

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your kind words. I am afraid Mrs. Turner's sense of humour is beginning to rub off on me.

And it has to be said that I got to grips with the bicycle far more rapidly than Mr. Holmes. It took him a long time to win that particular battle. (Charming cartoon, incidentally.)

Re: Limerick: Coverture

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I do indeed. Marriage should always be a union of equals.

But as I've said in the discussion: according to this website (http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~bp10/pvm/en3040/women.shtml), the law had been adjusted in 1882. I don't think Woodley would have been able to automatically get his hands on Miss Smith's money, even if their "marriage" had been recognised.

RE: The Rainbow: A Poem Cycle in Lanturnes

[debriswoman]

Lovely work...colours fitting in beautifully:-)

The Poetry of Mrs H

[debriswoman]

Punned and progressed in a very satisfactory manner:-)

RE: Limerick: Coverture

[debriswoman]

Very nice work...and a serious point well made:-)

Clerihew

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

John Vincent Harden
Was going to have to pardon
His problems being put on hold, which he might not like
For Holmes’ was dealing with a curious case which involved a lady on a bike

Re: The Rainbow: A Poem Cycle in Lanturnes

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

An extremely clever (and pretty) poem. I am forced to admit Mr Holmes' language, although colourful, was not fit for a king.

Re: Limerick: Coverture

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Agreed. What's also hard is that although not so obvious now, there are still many who assume that right.

Re: A cycle of cinquains

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

An elegant cycle.

Re: Tea for Two

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

I do like the idea of the Violets getting together to compare notes.

Re: Man with Beard and the Two Wheeled Thing...3 parts

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Wonderful retelling!

RE: Re: A cycle of cinquains

[debriswoman]

Thank you very much:-)

RE: Re: Tea for Two

[debriswoman]

I am very fond of the Violets and think they would have got on swimmingly:-)

RE: Re: Man with Beard and the Two Wheeled Thing...3 parts

[debriswoman]

Thank you very much...got a bit carried away:-)

RE: Clerihew

[debriswoman]

An excellent angle on the case:-)

Re: The Rainbow: A Poem Cycle in Lanturnes

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

The colours do fit the story very well ^^

Re: The Rainbow: A Poem Cycle in Lanturnes

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much ^^ And we're all relieved that Dr. Watson leaves out such things when writing up his stories ^^"

Re: A cycle of cinquains

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

This is just brilliant ^^ I'm so jealous that this is the standard of work you can come up with almost immediately after seeing the prompt ^^"

The overall form and the rhymes are wonderful. I'm particularly taken with the second cinquain ^_^

Re: Tea for Two

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I love the line: Determined by nature and Violet by name. ^^

This is marvellous. I really enjoyed the way the Violets compared and contrasted their adventures - the set-up is quite similar, isn't it?

And that's a wonderful last line as always. The other Violets have sadder stories, of course...

Re: Man with Beard and the Two Wheeled Thing...3 parts

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

My favourite bits:

I told my tale.
I told it all.
I told him, standing in the hall.
I told him, by the kitchen door.
I told him everything, and more.
I told him as we climbed each stair.
I told my story everywhere!

and

But Holmes stood firm and loudly said,
"You cannot force this girl to wed!
She loves another man instead!
This girl, who rode the two-wheeled thing,
Shall choose who buys her wedding ring!
You really can't!
You should not dare!
You cannot wed her anywhere!
You cannot wed her here nor there;
Inside nor in the open air!
Not in a church!
Not in this Hall!
You cannot wed this girl at all!"

May have done myself a small mischief laughing... :P