Welcome once again to my poetry page!
I hope each week you will read Dr. Watson’s delightful narrative and then go on 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.
And here, courtesy of my housemaid Rachel, is this week’s suggested poem to read—a suggestion inspired by the themes and subjects in this week's story. Hopefully you will enjoy the poem, and perhaps it may give you some ideas for a poem of your own or allow you to look at Dr. Watson's story in a new way.
Pity Me Not
By Edna St. Vincent Millay
Thank you so much to Rachel. A poem that could have been written for Mrs. Gibson.
And I thought we could also have a go at a new poetry form: the rispetto.
Robert Lee Brewer on Writer’s Digest gives this definition:
Okay, here’s a new form. Actually, scratch that. This is a very old form (from Italy, no less). Still, new to me anyway. I found more than a few definitions, but here are the two most common variations:
Rispetto No.1: Poem comprised of two quatrains written in iambic (unstress, stress) tetrameter (four feet–or, in this case, 8 syllables).
Rispetto No.2: Poem (or song) comprised of 8 hendecasyllabic (11-syllable) lines–usually one stanza.
Both versions appear to follow this rhyme scheme: ababccdd (though I also found a mention of an abababcc pattern). Plus, I found more than a few sources which claim rispettos were originally written to pay “respect” to a woman.
However, over the centuries, this poem has offered itself up for other subjects and variations. So feel free to experiment.
A reminder that a quatrain is a stanza with four lines (so both rispetto forms end up being eight lines long). And a line in iambic tetrameter is ‘te TUM, te TUM, te TUM, te TUM’.
Here is my example (using the second rispetto form):
Sir Sherlock—scientist, knight, thinking machine:
Chivalrous opponent of the fairer sex.
You politely treat me as your honoured queen
And yet, sir, you will not pay me your respects.
Do you honestly think it shows a weak will
Just to think of a woman as your equal?
Dear knight, let neither of us be the vassal!
(And do please stop setting fire to my castle.)
But you do not have to use that form. 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, ballad, beeswing, blackout poetry, blitz poem, blues stanza, bref double, Burns stanza, call and response, chastushka, cinquain, circular poetry, clerihew, colour poems, compound word verse, concrete poetry, Cornish verse, curtal sonnet, diamante, doggerel, double dactyl, echo verse, ekphrasis, elegiac couplet, elegiac stanza, elfje, englyn, epigram, epistle, epitaph, epulaeryu, Etheree, fable, Fib, florette, found poetry, free verse, ghazal, haiku, hay(na)ku, In Memoriam stanza, Italian sonnet, jueju, kennings poem, lanturne, lies, limerick, line messaging, list poem, lyric poetry, mathnawī, micropoetry, mini-monoverse, musette, nonsense verse, palindrome poetry, pantoum, Parallelismus Membrorum, poem cycle, quintilla, renga, rhyming alliterisen, riddle, rime couée, rispetto, Schüttelreim, sedoka, septet, sestina, sonnet, stream of consciousness, tanka, tercet, terza rima, tongue twister poetry, triangular triplet, triolet, Tyburn, villanelle
Please leave all your poems inspired by The Problem of Thor Bridge in the comments on this post. I look forward to seeing them!
Warm regards,
Mrs. Hudson
I hope each week you will read Dr. Watson’s delightful narrative and then go on 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.
And here, courtesy of my housemaid Rachel, is this week’s suggested poem to read—a suggestion inspired by the themes and subjects in this week's story. Hopefully you will enjoy the poem, and perhaps it may give you some ideas for a poem of your own or allow you to look at Dr. Watson's story in a new way.
By Edna St. Vincent Millay
Thank you so much to Rachel. A poem that could have been written for Mrs. Gibson.
And I thought we could also have a go at a new poetry form: the rispetto.
Robert Lee Brewer on Writer’s Digest gives this definition:
Okay, here’s a new form. Actually, scratch that. This is a very old form (from Italy, no less). Still, new to me anyway. I found more than a few definitions, but here are the two most common variations:
Rispetto No.1: Poem comprised of two quatrains written in iambic (unstress, stress) tetrameter (four feet–or, in this case, 8 syllables).
Rispetto No.2: Poem (or song) comprised of 8 hendecasyllabic (11-syllable) lines–usually one stanza.
Both versions appear to follow this rhyme scheme: ababccdd (though I also found a mention of an abababcc pattern). Plus, I found more than a few sources which claim rispettos were originally written to pay “respect” to a woman.
However, over the centuries, this poem has offered itself up for other subjects and variations. So feel free to experiment.
A reminder that a quatrain is a stanza with four lines (so both rispetto forms end up being eight lines long). And a line in iambic tetrameter is ‘te TUM, te TUM, te TUM, te TUM’.
Here is my example (using the second rispetto form):
Chivalrous opponent of the fairer sex.
You politely treat me as your honoured queen
And yet, sir, you will not pay me your respects.
Do you honestly think it shows a weak will
Just to think of a woman as your equal?
Dear knight, let neither of us be the vassal!
(And do please stop setting fire to my castle.)
But you do not have to use that form. 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, ballad, beeswing, blackout poetry, blitz poem, blues stanza, bref double, Burns stanza, call and response, chastushka, cinquain, circular poetry, clerihew, colour poems, compound word verse, concrete poetry, Cornish verse, curtal sonnet, diamante, doggerel, double dactyl, echo verse, ekphrasis, elegiac couplet, elegiac stanza, elfje, englyn, epigram, epistle, epitaph, epulaeryu, Etheree, fable, Fib, florette, found poetry, free verse, ghazal, haiku, hay(na)ku, In Memoriam stanza, Italian sonnet, jueju, kennings poem, lanturne, lies, limerick, line messaging, list poem, lyric poetry, mathnawī, micropoetry, mini-monoverse, musette, nonsense verse, palindrome poetry, pantoum, Parallelismus Membrorum, poem cycle, quintilla, renga, rhyming alliterisen, riddle, rime couée, rispetto, Schüttelreim, sedoka, septet, sestina, sonnet, stream of consciousness, tanka, tercet, terza rima, tongue twister poetry, triangular triplet, triolet, Tyburn, villanelle
Please leave all your poems inspired by The Problem of Thor Bridge in the comments on this post. I look forward to seeing them!
Mrs. Hudson
Clerihew
Date: 2017-04-23 07:30 am (UTC)Had no future that she could see. A
Husband who loathed her for governess’ charms
Last stand at the bridge, and at last take up arms
Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 08:49 am (UTC)It’s said we need four feet for this
So Watson goes with Mister Holmes
To take a third would be remiss
And spoil the metre of my pomes
Four feet upon the bridge that night
Yet only two ran back in fright
A rival who the price must pay
But Mister Holmes will save the day
Re: Rispetto: first form
Date: 2017-04-23 08:50 am (UTC)Re: Clerihew
Date: 2017-04-23 08:51 am (UTC)Re: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 11:55 am (UTC)And rather clever ^_^
Re: Clerihew
Date: 2017-04-23 12:00 pm (UTC)Re: Rispetto: first form
Date: 2017-04-23 12:01 pm (UTC)Re: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 12:02 pm (UTC)RE: Clerihew
Date: 2017-04-23 01:47 pm (UTC)RE: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 01:47 pm (UTC)RE: Rispetto: first form
Date: 2017-04-23 01:47 pm (UTC)Re: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 01:58 pm (UTC)Re: Clerihew
Date: 2017-04-23 04:43 pm (UTC)Re: Clerihew
Date: 2017-04-23 04:45 pm (UTC)Re: Clerihew
Date: 2017-04-23 04:57 pm (UTC)RE: Clerihew
Date: 2017-04-23 04:58 pm (UTC)RE: Re: Rispetto: first form
Date: 2017-04-23 04:59 pm (UTC)"Love" with a sell by date.
Re: Rispetto: first form
Date: 2017-04-23 04:59 pm (UTC)RE: Re: Rispetto: first form
Date: 2017-04-23 05:00 pm (UTC)RE: Rispetto: first form
Date: 2017-04-23 05:00 pm (UTC)RE: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 05:01 pm (UTC)And a lovely poem:-)
Re: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 05:02 pm (UTC)The poetry of Mrs H
Date: 2017-04-23 05:03 pm (UTC)Your patience is a marvel to behold:-)
Re: The poetry of Mrs H
Date: 2017-04-23 05:43 pm (UTC)Re: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 06:04 pm (UTC)Thank you - I'm delighted to like it.
Re: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 06:05 pm (UTC)RE: Re: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 06:07 pm (UTC)Well done:-)
RE: Re: Rispetto: first form
Date: 2017-04-23 06:08 pm (UTC)Re: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 06:12 pm (UTC)RE: Re: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 06:17 pm (UTC)RE: Re: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 06:23 pm (UTC)Oh Grace, my love for her declines
As every single day goes by.
And as I hop my heart inclines
To youth and beauty; you and I
Are meant to hop as one, I fear
I made a rash mistake, it's clear
That you are mine, my love won't stop
Until you grow too old to hop.
~0~
Re: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 06:45 pm (UTC)You are a genius to rival Mr Holmes!
RE: Re: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 06:53 pm (UTC)Please do point out any other indefensible errors of form and meter so that I don't embarrass myself again.
Re: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 07:06 pm (UTC)Mr Holmes currently has a visitor and Mouselet is totally engrossed with his arrival, so you will almost certainly hear no more from her today.
rispetto No. 1
Date: 2017-04-23 07:07 pm (UTC)unlike Mrs. J. Neil Gibson,
would not be cuckold in her house
departed like a doll of Ibsen
Her prime had passed, or so they say
but, tell me, will you, who are they,
deny her courage, dignity
and damn a wronged Antigone.
Re: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 07:13 pm (UTC)Re: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 07:15 pm (UTC)Re: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 07:23 pm (UTC)RE: Re: Rispetto Type One
Date: 2017-04-23 07:24 pm (UTC)Re: rispetto No. 1
Date: 2017-04-23 07:25 pm (UTC)Re: rispetto No. 1
Date: 2017-04-23 07:44 pm (UTC)Re: rispetto No. 1
Date: 2017-04-23 08:30 pm (UTC)Re: rispetto No. 1
Date: 2017-04-23 08:52 pm (UTC)Re: Clerihew
Date: 2017-04-23 10:00 pm (UTC)