A Love Sonnet Challenge!!!

This is a call to all those who love to partake of formed/formatted poetry and whom especially enjoy the sonnets to explore your romantic side and write a love sonnet. You can write any type of sonnet you want or even create your own - with your original rhyme scheme. The only two major requirements are that it meets the basic sonnet format/rules and that it be a love sonnet.

Sonnet: 1. Fixed verse form having 14 lines that are typically five-foot iambics rhyming according to a prescribed scheme. 2. a rhyming poem of fourteen lines with ten syllables per line, generally written in iambic pentameter meaning there is the rhythm ti-tum; ti-tum; ti-tum.

Iambic Pentameter: A meter in which there are five iambs (pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables) in each line. An iamb is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one.

Iambic Foot: An iambic foot is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. We could write the rhythm like this:

da DUM

A line of iambic pentameter is five of these in a row:

da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM

We can notate this with a 'x' mark representing an unstressed syllable and a '/' mark representing a stressed syllable[1]. In this notation a line of iambic pentameter would look like this:

x / x / x / x / x /

The following line from John Keats' ode To Autumn is a straightforward example:[2]

To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
We can notate the scansion of this as follows:

x / x / x / x / x /
To swell the gourd, and plump the ha- zel shells

We can mark the divisions between feet with a |, and the caesura (a pause) with a double vertical bar ||.

x / x / x / x / x /
To swell | the gourd, || and plump | the ha- | zel shells

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iambic_pentameter

Basic Sonnet Forms:
http://www.sonnets.org/basicforms.htm

Some Advice for Starters:
http://www.sonnets.org/advice.htm

Your Sonnets don't have to be perfect, but one they most meet the line and syllable requirements, two they must be of a prescribed rhyme scheme (specific rhyme pattern), three the sonnets rhyme scheme must be stated, noted, for the judges and readers to see, four the challenge is only looking for well written work, and of course they must be love sonnets.

p.s. your iambic pentameter doesn't have to be perfect, but the quality of the poem and its meeting of the other requirements has to make up for it.

Looking for three qualified and knowledgeable judges to dissect and critique each entry and rank the sonnets as to which they think are the best.

The contest will open after we've found the judges and will close after a maximum of 15 entries.

To be used by the participants and judges I provide a syllable counter;

http://www.wordscount.info/hw/syllable.jsp

Here's to some good writing and great sonnets!!!

Looking for many of the club members to get involved!!!

An Example From Shakespeare:

From Romeo and Juliet
(Upon seeing Juliet for the first time)

O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear;
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!
So shines a snow-white swan trooping with crows,
As this fair lady o'er her fellows shows.
The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand,
And, touching hers, make blessed my own rude hand.
Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!
I never saw true beauty till this night.

(and to Juliet)

If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this,
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth the rough touch with a gentle kiss.

Rhyme Scheme: aabbccddeeff ghgh

There was a line short of a syllable by the definitions of present day/time, which I fixed (added to). The modification was made to line 8 which originally went;

"And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand."

which I added to in the form of th pronoun own making the line read as follows;

"And, touching hers, make blessed my *own* rude hand."

When I check the sonnet using the syllable checker and discovered it was short one syllable, I must admit I was surprised.

Well all enjoy the challenge!!!

I will pass it on

--Sher

I'd be happy to judge, if the masses agree.

I'll give it a try

i'd say the syllable checked counted "blessed" as one (like, "blest") syllable instead of two: "bless-ed." that's the only way i can see it having a short syllable. anyway, that has got to be one of my absolute favorite sections from romeo and juliet - better than the balcony scene, in my book! : D love it, and love the sonnet idea

Just That Woman

Blessed be the suitor, who shall touch her lips
Shimmering mirth from her golden hair drips
Oh, such grace as her feet touches the ground
Like flying petals dancing all around
Small round mounds hidden under creamy lace
Calling upon a warm midnight's embrace
Let my soul arouse the fire inside
Won't you, fair lady, become my bride
Underneath the sensual blanket of stars
Entwined bodies in a soft dream afar
Tower bells await our final kiss
Where in the future we will reminisce
About the first time my lips parted yours
And warm bodies entered the final doors

Rhyme scheme: aabbccddeeffgg

I would gladly and most happily except Sean, Mr Allen, as a judge, if there is no opposition. And Noni, great first entry. Bravo, Bravo!!!

sibyllene, I looked it up an blessed is one of those word tht can be counted as one or two syllables. Is funny how that is you can find in dictionaries denoting it as having one syllable and in others as having two. It's one word with two ways of pronouncation and two ways of spelling. It can be pronounce as Blessed (Blest) -with that alternate spelling and pronouncation, having one singular syllable or Blessed pronounced (Bless'id or Bles'sed) having two syllables.

This should be noted for all judges and participants!!!

-Irrational Angel.-

Irrational angel, humming so sweet!
Tickling ears with the words that make you weak;
Shaking as her cold hand graces your cheek
With soft riddles as the lovers lips meet.
Quivering with ecstacy, hearts beat
Hiding your smile, with feelings so meek
mixed emotions, bound in a bloody sheaf
Your life cloned to a pawn, and she knows the cheats.

A face so beauteous - - a dress so white - -
Breath coated in nicotine, she lightly breathes,
Sweat dripping off of your temple it seems
that reality hit you hard tonight.
With your last breath, you lost all dignity.
So goodnight my darling, may you rest in peace.

© Jenna Elphick
July 24, 2006

this is the first one i've ever attempted, hope it's okay.

both of those rhyme schemes seem different than his normal, non-play sonnets. those tend to go "ababcdcdefef gg." four rhyming "quatrains" with an ending couplet.

like this one, number VI:

"Then let not winter's ragged hand deface,
In thee thy summer, ere thou be distilled:
Make sweet some vial; treasure thou some place
With beauty's treasure ere it be self-killed.
That use is not forbidden usury,
Which happies those that pay the willing loan;
That's for thy self to breed another thee,
Or ten times happier, be it ten for one;
Ten times thy self were happier than thou art,
If ten of thine ten times refigured thee:
Then what could death do if thou shouldst depart,
Leaving thee living in posterity?
Be not self-willed, for thou art much too fair
To be death's conquest and make worms thine heir."

Bob, I double check the rhyme scheme it it seems to go;

aabbccddaa dede

And thanks Robert, I hadn't took notice.

Everyone who tries to write this is brave. I find it hard to do.