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http://scfrankles.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] scfrankles.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] sherlock602015-12-13 09:03 am
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Mrs. Hudson's Poetry Page: The Dying Detective

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

Limerick

[identity profile] gardnerhill.livejournal.com 2015-12-13 09:47 am (UTC)(link)
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.

An acrostic poem

[identity profile] thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com 2015-12-13 09:53 am (UTC)(link)
Hopelessly untidy
Occasional indoor revolver user
Late night music practitioner
Malodorous experimenter
Entertainer of disreputable characters
Someone to be fond of

Re: An epitaph

[identity profile] thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com 2015-12-13 09:56 am (UTC)(link)
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: Limerick

[identity profile] thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com 2015-12-13 09:57 am (UTC)(link)
Certainly not!
ext_1789368: okapi (Default)

Re: Epitaph: Holmes, from Watson

[identity profile] okapi1895.livejournal.com 2015-12-13 11:02 am (UTC)(link)
Well done. I think much of Holmes's life as well as his (many)deaths are trying for poor Watson!
ext_1789368: okapi (Default)

Re: Limerick

[identity profile] okapi1895.livejournal.com 2015-12-13 11:05 am (UTC)(link)
Watson seems to forgive a lot. I wonder (after surviving Reichenbach) did he not suspect a ruse? I guess the physical evidence was compelling.
debriswoman: (cat and mouse)

RE: Re: Epitaph: Holmes, from Watson

[personal profile] debriswoman 2015-12-13 12:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you:-)
debriswoman: (cat and mouse)

RE: An epitaph

[personal profile] debriswoman 2015-12-13 12:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Alas, poor rooms:-(
debriswoman: (cat and mouse)

RE: Limerick

[personal profile] debriswoman 2015-12-13 12:40 pm (UTC)(link)
I think it may have stretched his tolerance:-)
debriswoman: (cat and mouse)

RE: An acrostic poem

[personal profile] debriswoman 2015-12-13 12:41 pm (UTC)(link)
I do like the last line balancing the rest:-)
Edited 2015-12-13 12:41 (UTC)

Re: An epitaph

[identity profile] godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com 2015-12-13 01:16 pm (UTC)(link)
adorable... I do hope that the flat rebuilding didn't inconvenience Mrs. Hudson too terribly much.

Re: Limerick

[identity profile] godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com 2015-12-13 01:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Excellent. Never underestimate the desire of villains to gloat.

Re: Epitaph: Holmes, from Watson

[identity profile] godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com 2015-12-13 01:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Many things about Holmes were trying for Watson.... at least in this case, he could go home to someone normal.

Re: Written earlier: Unprepared

[identity profile] godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com 2015-12-13 01:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Aw! "The clear and certain knowledge..." what a lovely sentiment.

This is quite impressive, all the little touches within the lines: "defend his stricken comrade" "True and trusting nature" "ignored unworthy insults." And they scan.
ext_1789368: okapi (Default)

Re: Written earlier: Unprepared

[identity profile] okapi1895.livejournal.com 2015-12-13 01:39 pm (UTC)(link)
You do Watson a great honour here. Very well done.

Re: An acrostic poem

[identity profile] thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com 2015-12-13 01:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you. I was struck by Watson's description of Mrs Hudson's woes but that she was still fond of him.

Re: An acrostic poem

[identity profile] thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com 2015-12-13 01:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you - Watson wrote such a great summary, I couldn't resist it.

Re: Epitaph: Holmes, from Watson

[identity profile] thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com 2015-12-13 01:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"Next time you wish to pretend to be dying Mr Holmes do let me know and I will help you."

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