Mrs. Hudson's Poetry Page: The Priory School

[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 Schüttelreim.

Poets Collective gives this definition:

Schüttelreim is a German poetic device synonymous with the word play technique of Spoonerisms, named for English educator W.A. Spooner 1844-1930, which is the swapping of the beginning sounds of 2 different words such as big rats/rig bats. The Schüttelreim takes spoonerism a step further and in a rhymed couplet, the initial consonant of the last 2 words of the first line are reversed in the second line. The device is most often used in light verse.

The Schüttelreim is:

1. a single rhyming couplet.
2. rhymed, switching the initial consonants of the last 2 words in the first line with the initial consonants of the last 2 words in the second line.

So, according to this definition, a true Spoonerism need not be used in the couplet. One could for instance use:

...hand towel
...tragic howl (rather than ‘tanned howl’)

However, according to the examples on Wikipedia (going by my extremely modest understanding of German), it does appear that true Spoonerisms are used in the original German form. And it did seem a shame not to attempt a Spoonerism...


Here is my example couplet, a tribute to Dr. Watson’s somewhat extended ‘ocean of life’ metaphor at the beginning of his story:


“Mr. Dickens in his stories didn't use the metaphor 'brine'!”
"Ah, no," says Dr. Watson. "But it's better for mine."



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, Schüttelreim, sedoka, septet, sestina, sonnet, tanka, tercet, terza rima, tongue twister poetry, triolet, tyburn, villanelle


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


Warm regards,

Mrs. Hudson

Comments

Found in Dr. Watson’s Personal Papers: Possibly a Schüttelreim..?

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Lestrade and I went on holiday and visited the quiet Ragged Shaw.
And by the time we left later I was absolutely [and here the good doctor’s handwriting becomes impenetrable].



(*penitent mod tenders resignation*)

RE: Found in Dr. Watson’s Personal Papers: Possibly a Schüttelreim..?

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Resignation refused by other mod who thinks it brilliant!

Re: Found in Dr. Watson’s Personal Papers: Possibly a Schüttelreim..?

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Are you SURE you're not thesmallhobbit?

RE: Found in Dr. Watson’s Personal Papers: Possibly a Schüttelreim..?

[debriswoman]

Watson!
The implications here are quite rude,
Or, in the spirit of the schuttelreim, right crude.

(Resignation refusal seconded, despite lapse, though...:-p)

Re: Found in Dr. Watson’s Personal Papers: Possibly a Schüttelreim..?

[mundungus42.livejournal.com]

*howls with laughter*

Impenetrable, hmm?

Re: A somewhat mangled Schuttelreim

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

"Somewhat mangled" but absolutely ingenious though :P

Re: A somewhat mangled Schuttelreim

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, very clever!

Re: A somewhat mangled Schuttelreim

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

Brilliant!

Re: A somewhat mangled Schuttelreim

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

I am getting a college-level education on poetry types just from reading this blog every Sunday!

Re: A somewhat mangled Schuttelreim

[mundungus42.livejournal.com]

Mangled, schmangled, you made a fantastic Spoonerism! Brava!

Limerick: Shakespearean Tragedy

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

A brute and a bastard conspire;
The tracks of a bicycle’s tyre
End in blood-covered gorse
And the bastard’s remorse –
The Duke’s son a mere pawn. Poor Saltire.

Re: Limerick: Shakespearean Tragedy

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Excellent stuff - great choices for the rhymes. I especially like the opening line - that alliteration of "a brute and bastard".

RE: Limerick: Shakespearean Tragedy

[debriswoman]

Particularly impressed by the first line:-)

Re: Limerick: Shakespearean Tragedy

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

It's so sad the boy is of least importance.

Re: Limerick: Shakespearean Tragedy

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

*claps* This sort of thing will give limericks a good name.

Re: Limerick: Shakespearean Tragedy

[mundungus42.livejournal.com]

Superb across the board! Love the way you've touched on the similarities with Lear, from the bastard to the tragedy on the moor. Agreed, poor Saltire. And poor Gloucester Heidegger.

The poetry of Mrs H

[debriswoman]

Delightful, ma'am:-)

And...a gentle warning....please don't cast your eyes down to Frankles interpretation of the form...

Re: The poetry of Mrs H

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Truly? What can she have possibly..?

Oh.

I am not sure I entirely understand - but I am going for a short lie down in a darkened room. With the gin.

Dr Watson's contribution

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

He fell with very little din
The poor man lying on our bearskin
I gave him brandy from a mug
The fellow on our hearthrug

Watson, I hardly think the author of ‘Sidelights on Horace’ will appreciate your verse.

RE: Dr Watson's contribution

[debriswoman]

Well done, Watson:-)

Re: Dr Watson's contribution

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I really would keep to the prose, Doctor.

Or at least buy a new rhyming dictionary.

Re: Dr Watson's contribution

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Heh. In the BBC Radio version of PRIO Watson is the one who nixes brandy as a shock treatment - much to Holmes' surprise.

Re: Dr Watson's contribution

[mundungus42.livejournal.com]

I think the author of "Sidelights on Horace" would absolutely appreciate this if it were translated into Latin. Drat, what's the word for bearskin again?

Bless Watson for filling in the mystery of where Huxtable got his refreshments.

Attempted Schüttelreim (terrible) and Limerick

[mundungus42.livejournal.com]

When Sherlock Homes uncovered the hoof ruse,
His just reward the Duke could not refuse.

~*~

Though T. Huxtable said he would risk it
To entice us up to the Peak District,
Like a sultan in silk
He demanded some milk.
I must say, this new client takes the biscuit.

Re: Attempted Schüttelreim (terrible) and Limerick

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I suppose you could call that a reverse combination Schüttelreim. Good stuff but I think you lost points on the dismount :P

And that's an excellent limerick. Great last line - I love the play on the phrase ^_^