Christmas Reflections (Sonnet)

This gets complicated! lol I think when words end in s we normally put the possessive apostrophe after, ie, Santa Claus' bulging sack. But it can still read as two syllables.
For example: James' shoes. You would read that as two syllables normally. you wouldn't read it as "James".
Normally, an apostrophe after the 's' means for plural possession - eg, the dogs' dinner would mean more than one. The dog's dinner would mean one dog. But if a word specifically ends in s, we tag the apostrophe after it.
And the apostrophe in ev'ry is used to omit the middle syllable, yes.

ps. Michael - I think I read 11 syllables on line 1, even without the middle syllable in "every"

Lol, Michael? Can I call you Michael or Mr. Darcy?

Yeah, you may tweak it or not. The sonnet it is fine as it is. Not every line has to have 10 syllables per se. It's better if they have the 10 syllables but it can get away with out some lines having them. The same with the meter. However, when it comes to meter, there are more people specially those who know how it works that are too picky about it.

However, in this site, you won't stumble upon them. ( may be just me who might point it out in view of learning more about it). But the sonnet is fine as it is. I always forget to say that.XD

Anyhow,

Ben,

Hmm Yeah, in "ev'ry" the stress goes on the first syllable. Question:

When there is an " ' apostrophe?" Are we meant to omit that syllable? (someone told me a while back that the ' in a word it was used to omit a syllable, I remain with that thought) so if we not meant to omit the syllable, then

on the word "single", the stress goes on the first syllable, then on "person", the stress goes on the first syllable, so the first line reads as trochee, the opposite of iambic. On the second line, the meter is right but then on the word "claus's bulging sack" > there's a tiny hiccup on "bulging" ( as bulging the stress goes on the first syllable). However, i think you are right. I am probably still thinking about omitting syllables when I see the aprostrophe. It's this how you would read it "A gift from Santa Claus'(es) bulging sack"?

Edit: (The above I typed it on my phone and I was under the idea that "every" has three syllables, but this is how I read the first line. The stress I put on words, I typed it with capital letters. )

EVEry SINgle PERson IN the WORLD deSIRES
a GIFT from SANta CLAUS's BULGing SACK

On the second line, I'm probably mispronouncing it. So I think Ben is right. The second line reads as iambic.

I see the first line with the word "ev'ry" as the stress is on the first syllable there whereas it should be the other way, I think.
As far as the second line goes, the metre (to me ) reads perfectly.

The only problem I think the sonnet has, it's with the meter in the first and second line.

suggestion:

each individual in the world desires

or

each single person in the world desires

as far as the second one line, I don't know what to suggest.

I enjoyed the read.

Michael,

The syllable count is all wrong, the rhyme scheme is atrocious......

No. I joke. I know you would never post a sonnet with anything but perfect accuracy, which (as far as I know) this one comes under!
I loved reading this as - if not for you I wouldn't have written the few I have recently. I know how much hard work and knowledge goes into writing one - just to get the form right (despite the content) is praise-worthy, but when you get both, they're truly wonderful.
This gets both spot on. The message is wonderful, as is the technical side of it.
I will nominate this later, and it should win next week, simply because of the seeming ease at which you have written such a difficult form.
All the very best,
Ben