Mrs. Hudson's Poetry Page: The Dying Detective

[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 epitaph.

The epitaph does not have a specific form as such but Shadow Poetry gives this definition:

An epitaph is a brief poem inscribed on a tombstone praising a deceased person, usually with rhyming lines.

I think though that this definition can be expanded upon and played with.



Here is my example poem:


Here lies Mr. Sherlock Holmes’s tenancy agreement:

He believed that money overcomes—
That favour’s won by princely sums.
But I am made of sterner stuff
Goodnight, sweet prince—I'd had enough.



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, epitaph, epulaeryu, Etheree, fable, found poetry, ghazal, haiku, Italian sonnet, kennings poem, lanturne, limerick, lyric poetry, mathnawī, 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 Dying Detective in the comments on this post. I look forward to seeing them!


N.B. Next Sunday we will be writing poems for the first half of The Valley of Fear and things will be as usual.

However, the Sunday after that—the 27th—I will be celebrating the season with Mrs. Turner and her family. And so, someone from the Marylebone Monthly Illustrated has graciously offered to produce the Poetry Page just for that week. I believe she has something rather lighthearted planned—but do please feel at liberty to prepare and post poems for the second half of The Valley of Fear as well, if you desire to do so.



Warm regards,

Mrs. Hudson

Comments

An epitaph

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

O innocent set of first floor rooms!
You little know what ending looms!
Your rent was the equal of rebuilding the flat!
And unfortunately, it did come to that.

Re: An epitaph

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

At least Mr Holmes never queried the rent increases, assuming they corresponded to his latest 'accident', rather than the rise in the price of gin.

RE: An epitaph

[debriswoman]

Alas, poor rooms:-(

Re: An epitaph

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

adorable... I do hope that the flat rebuilding didn't inconvenience Mrs. Hudson too terribly much.

Re: An epitaph

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

And then some, I'd guess. Thanks for pointing this out so well. I love the first couplet.

Re: An epitaph

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Oh come now, that firebombing was MORIARTY's men! ...Who wouldn't have touched the place if Holmes didn't live there. Never mind, carry on.

Limerick

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

A fever, contagious by touch,
Killed poor Victor Savage. And such
Seemed to be Holmes’ fate
Till Doc Smith took the bait.
Will Watson forgive this? Not much.

Re: Limerick

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Certainly not!

Re: Limerick

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Watson seems to forgive a lot. I wonder (after surviving Reichenbach) did he not suspect a ruse? I guess the physical evidence was compelling.

RE: Limerick

[debriswoman]

I think it may have stretched his tolerance:-)

Re: Limerick

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Very nice punchline ^_^ (Hopefully not literally a punchline ^^")

Re: Limerick

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

Excellent. Never underestimate the desire of villains to gloat.

An acrostic poem

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Hopelessly untidy
Occasional indoor revolver user
Late night music practitioner
Malodorous experimenter
Entertainer of disreputable characters
Someone to be fond of

RE: An acrostic poem

[debriswoman]

I do like the last line balancing the rest:-)

Re: An acrostic poem

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Very clever use of the opening paragraphs. And like debriswoman, I like how the last line is a twist and a contrast to the rest - balancing out Mrs. Hudson's less positive feelings towards her tenant ^^

Re: An acrostic poem

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

Bravo! As accurate as it is enjoyable.

Re: An acrostic poem

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Sadly, there are days when Mrs Hudson is more HOLME than HOLMES, if you get my drift.

Re: Epitaph: Holmes, from Watson

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Well done. I think much of Holmes's life as well as his (many)deaths are trying for poor Watson!

Re: Epitaph: Holmes, from Watson

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I like especially:

Not dead,
Not dying,
Though cheeks are dyed,
But simply lying

The rhymes are most pleasing ^^

And your last line makes me smile so much ^_^

Re: Epitaph: Holmes, from Watson

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

Many things about Holmes were trying for Watson.... at least in this case, he could go home to someone normal.

Re: Epitaph: Holmes, from Watson

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

"Next time you wish to pretend to be dying Mr Holmes do let me know and I will help you."

Re: Written earlier: Unprepared

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I love the form of your poem - the first three verses opening "Nothing had prepared him..." and then it changing to "Everything prepared him..." Watson's attitude to the way Holmes treats him is so touching.

I particularly liked: His reaction was instinctive; to defend his stricken comrade,/ But he`d promised to stay hidden,and be still, no matter what. That demonstrates so well Watson's love and loyalty, but also his complete faith in Holmes.

And I loved: He recalled his comrade's comment that he'd never get his limits,/Sure that each time they were tested, he'd forgive him yet again. That manages to be positive, pragmatic and heartbreaking all at once.

silly epitaph

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Here lies Holmes, neither Swiss fall nor Pandora's box could slay him,
Who've thought it'd have been his beloved bees that'd betray him?

Re: silly epitaph

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

That would be a deeply ironic way to go ^^"

I like the reference to Culverton Smith's box as Pandora's box - seems most apt.

The poetry of Mrs H

[debriswoman]

And it started so well, Mrs H:-)

Re: The poetry of Mrs H

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Money is not everything, Mrs. P. In the end there is only so much gin one can drink...