sherlock60 | Mrs. Hudson's Poetry Page: The Red Circle

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 Italian sonnet.

The Poets Garret gives this definition:

Of all the variations of the form we know as the sonnet today, the oldest is the Italian sonnet, also known as the Petrarchan sonnet, after its most famous user, Francesco Petrarca. Originally, it had no set structure and it was only after its adoption by the English that the Italian sonnet was defined as consisting of an octave, or 8-line stanza, which sets up a situation, followed by a sestet, or 6-line stanza, which sets up a counter statement.

Italian Octave: a b b a a b b a
Italian Sestet: c d e c d e

Other rhyme schemes are permissible for the sestet: c d c d c d, c d d c d d, c d d e c e, or c d d c c d. The only strict rule is that an Italian sonnet cannot end in a couplet.

Here is my example poem:

Mr. Holmes lays his fingers on my shoulder
And stares into my eyes to finish.
But my anger does not diminish
My regard for him is getting colder.
He tightens his grip, getting bolder:
His clutching fingers long and thinnish;
That bloody smile is turning grinnish.
Should I belt him with my candle holder?
And yet it seems every single client
Is comforted by this detective’s touch.
Mr. Holmes—what can the reason be?
Why are other people reliant
On you as an emotional crutch,
But your powers of soothing don’t work on me?

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, beeswing, blackout poetry, blues stanza, bref double, call and response, chastushka, cinquain, circular poetry, clerihew, colour poems, concrete poetry, Cornish verse, curtal sonnet, diamante, doggerel, double dactyl, ekphrasis, elegiac couplet, englyn, epigram, epulaeryu, Etheree, fable, found poetry, ghazal, haiku, Italian sonnet, kennings poem, lanturne, limerick, lyric poetry, palindrome poetry, pantoum, poem cycle, quintilla, renga, riddle, rime couée, Schüttelreim, sedoka, septet, sestina, sonnet, tanka, tercet, terza rima, tongue twister poetry, triolet, tyburn, villanelle

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

Warm regards,

Mrs. Hudson

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com

To the lady who fainted on Brixton bus
Please be assured you didn’t cause a fuss
I’d like to meet at Joe Lyons for tea
So could you come at half past three?