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Keith Logan
Keith Logan
Mar 05, 2017 ⭐ View statistics (Premium feature)

Sonnet Writing For Beginners

Belaboring semantics overmuch
can deaden souls to rhythms they should heed,
explaining why some poets never touch
the music of the cadence sonnets need.
To hear that inward sound, a grand huzza --
dispense with any tricks you might employ:
tap out a beat and sing, la LA la LA --
then write the way that gives you greatest joy.

While poring over poems we adore
we take to heart the lessons masters teach,
so pick up those loose iambs from the floor
and use them for sweet melodies of speech.

Leave linguistic studies on the shelf,
write first, to entertain and please yourself.

Line 8 originally read "then write the way gives you greatest joy." I missed out a word. Sorry.

About This Poem

Editing Stage: Editing - rough draft

About the Author

Region, Country: United Kingdom (Scotland), GBR

Favorite Poets: Robert Burns, Robert Lewis Stevenson, Kipling., I like things childish.

More from this author

Comments

Keith Logan

Keith Logan

8 years 4 months ago

It is written in fun

but I think holds a message worth considering. Can one force a good poem into being simply to fill a niche. Maybe so, but it certainly won't be as satisfying as one that flowed effortlessly from your pen.

lovedly

lovedly

8 years 4 months ago

technical sonnets I could never compose

but simple ones
in my free style
I have many composed

I know no style of poetry
that's why some like me
only one says
CRAP
and
by now all Neopoet knows
who could say so
HE HAS made so many weep
and flee
gracious is he

Keith Logan

Keith Logan

8 years 4 months ago

I have

no linguistic qualifications but have read and enjoyed famous poets such as Robert Louis Stevenson, Robbie Burns and Rudyard Kipling. That is why I have said what I did about reading. It is my experience that if one appreciates different styles they tend to rub off on you, even sonnets.

lovedly

lovedly

8 years 2 months ago

great

sorry for the reply
so late

I am a creator of my own
when I read Shakespeare
yearszzzzzzzz ago
I reproduced
MACBETH
to the very last word
in Cambridge exams
two and a half hours
and
earned laurels ..

Thanks to the fairness of mind
of instructors then
who were a Gold mine
divine

today's,
need to be more refined
so seeking Shakespeare.s
invisible blessings
many started calling me
the small bard
ask any Neo

Rula

Rula

8 years 4 months ago

I can't

agree more. I like both the text and the subtext.
Thank you for sharing keith.
The last couplet sums up all

Keith Logan

Keith Logan

8 years 4 months ago

Thank you Rula

I am glad to have your approval and I will look into the workshop you mention.

Keith Logan

Keith Logan

8 years 4 months ago

We are in agreement then,

And also with Rick Nelson who wrote a song called "Garden Party" which included this chorus;
It's all right now
I learned my lesson well
You can't please everyone
So gotta please yourself.

weirdelf

weirdelf

8 years 4 months ago

I hate parsing, it is a chore, especially for this piss-take.

However learning structure gives you incredible power over the sound, meter and meaning of your work.

Belab/oring /seman/tics o/vermuch
can dead/en souls /to rhy/thms they /should heed,
explain/ing why /some po/ets nev/er touch
the mus/ic of /the ca/dence sonn/ets need.
To hear /that in/ward sound/, a grand /huzza --
dispense/ with an/y tricks /you might /employ:
tap out /a beat /and sing/, la LA /la LA --
then write /the way /gives you /greatest joy. [Dactylic or Trochaic with hanging foot?]

While por/ing o/ver po/ems we /adore
we take /to heart /the less/ons mas/ters teach,
so pick /up those /loose i/ambs from/ the floor
and use /them for /sweet mel/odies/ of speech.

Leave lin/guistic/ studies/ on the/ shelf, [Trochaic with hanging foot]
write first/, to en/tertain/ and please /yourself.

That said, if you learn these forms you will gain an incredibly strong grasp and control of your word-crafting and expression.

Not many bother. Not many become really good poets.

Keith Logan

Keith Logan

8 years 4 months ago

I don't hate parsing

I simply never bother. I go with the flow. If it sounds right it can't be far wrong.
Line 8, I missed out a word by mistake. It should read "then write the way that gives you greatest joy."
Line 13 could start "so leave" but as is, I read it as a headless iamb.
Parsing, in my opinion is less a science and more an art-form, where more than one interpretation of the same word form is possible.

weirdelf

weirdelf

8 years 4 months ago

I was thinking of running another advanced meter workshop.

It is hard when different regional accents stress words differently. Southern States Americans use long vowels instead of stressed vowels (it's the French influence). Some people don't like the technical terms and are obstructive.

Then again meter is possibly the single most important aspect of the poetic craft. Really.

If someone, preferably several someones, wanted to help, I would consider giving it another go.

We could do it without that painful parsing I did above. A microphone and Soundcloud would help too, so we could hear each other.

Any takers?

jane210660

jane210660

8 years 2 months ago

Just seen this

Yes, I'd be very interested Jess.
By advanced, do you mean a step on from Wesley's?

lovedly

lovedly

8 years 2 months ago

AUDRIE

You are no less

a sonnet must be composed

ask snow man the syllables
but all I know is
a sonnet has to be

abab cdcd efef and gg
14 lines
4 4 4 plus2 =14

but here Keith says 8 4 and 2 =!4 too

need a clarification
what say you?

a=gay
b=dry
a=way
b-fry

cd cd and efef also gg
must have different soundings
not gay and fry

some other words do try
cdcd
cried sigh
fried high
got it?

lovedly

lovedly

8 years 2 months ago

yeah

Know I know thanks jess

Keith Logan

Keith Logan

8 years 2 months ago

Audri

I have not forgotten my offer to work with you so that you can produce a sonnet of your own. Be in touch anytime.

judyanne

judyanne

8 years 2 months ago

One tiny nit Keith

So pick up those loose iambs from the floor
'Pick up' comes out spondee to my ear....
Imo it would read smoother as
So pick those loose iambs up from the floor

Just a suggestion
I like the write
Love judy xxx
.

Keith Logan

Keith Logan

8 years 2 months ago

Parsing is an art

not a science. Often the same line can be read in different ways according to the specific understanding of the reader. As the rest of the line is so obviously iambic, I would see the start as a headless iamb.

PS: have you tried reading this line out loud?
So pick those loose iambs up from the floor

judyanne

judyanne

8 years 2 months ago

Lol

I read everything aloud Keith... all the time
I stand by my suggestion - suggestion being the operative word...
Love judy
xxx
.

weirdelf

weirdelf

8 years 2 months ago

I record them out loud

I recommend it.
Poetry is not music lyrics where you can stretch any vowel to suit the beat, you have to use natural language as your base.
I recommend vocaroo or soundcloud

lovedly

lovedly

8 years 2 months ago

Keith ur becoming famous ------day by day

let others not become jay

I am a fan of yours
as always

Poetry just falls like the
NIAGARA FALLS
my way
As Niagara can't hear itself
even when guys i
n the QUEENS MIST yell
I can tell
halfx10000 tomes heartedly
I louder than others yell
but my deaf ears
can't tell

your poetry sounds to me
like the one I composed before

FOR WHOM THE BELLS TOLL
NOW NO MORE!
EARNEST HEMMING WAY
HOPES HE DOES HERE
EVEN THOUGH HE IS NO MORE
A lovely poet as he for sure

Keith Logan

Keith Logan

8 years 2 months ago

For whom the bell tolls

John Donne (1572-1631),
Perchance he for whom this bell tolls may be so ill, as that he knows not it tolls for him; and perchance I may think myself so much better than I am, as that they who are about me, and see my state, may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that.