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Geek Culture / Sonnets

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Philip
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Posted: 24th Sep 2006 15:45
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I've just been composing a sonnet for a certain young-ish lady (don't ask) but in the process I've realised how difficult it is. Its mental. Especially trying to get the tone into iambic pentameter.

Shakespeare et al must have been a goddamned genius.

Cheer if you like bears! Cheer if you like jam sandwiches!
"I highly recommend Philip's Vector Tutorials" (RiiDii)
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Dazzag
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Posted: 24th Sep 2006 15:49
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Indeed. Just make sure it doesn't start with something like "There was a young lady from Bristol...."

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
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Philip
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Posted: 24th Sep 2006 16:57
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Nah. Actually, I've written something that according to unbiased third parties is quite moving. Although there is one moment of typical Philip-ness absurdity when I had to rhyme "tease" with "knees". (wince)

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"I highly recommend Philip's Vector Tutorials" (RiiDii)
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Scraggle
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Posted: 24th Sep 2006 17:26
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Love is like a pic-a-nic basket


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Philip
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Posted: 24th Sep 2006 19:07
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Wouldn't work for the first line of a sonnet. You've got to have 10 syllables in iambic pentameter

Cheer if you like bears! Cheer if you like jam sandwiches!
"I highly recommend Philip's Vector Tutorials" (RiiDii)
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IanG
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Posted: 24th Sep 2006 19:37
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be sure you post it philip, especially if you've put so much work into it


amd athlon xp 2600+,1280mb,FX 5200 128mb,200gb & 120gb,xp pro sp2
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Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 24th Sep 2006 20:08 Edited at: 24th Sep 2006 20:15
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I see, believe it or not, I'm a poetry guy planning to study creative writing at degree level. I think the sonnet structure is too cliche for love poems, although it was clever how in one sonnet shakespeare noted all of his girlfriend's/wife's features to be not so wonderful, but at the end saying how he loves her because she is who she is. Or something like that.

My personal favourite of Poetic structures is the villanelle, I've probaly only come across 3 villanelles, one by Dylan Thomas and one about how difficult it is to write one and one written as a kids poem, but with a sinister twist where the Mum is doing stuff with the milkman whilst Daddy is away. But in reality they aren't that difficult, try one and see how you do, I did one on one way love, where I'm describing the mysteries of atlantas, but having a deeper meaning.

But if you want to struggle and come out with crap poems try the Sestina, they are difficult and don't get good results in my opinion.

Quote: "Wouldn't work for the first line of a sonnet. You've got to have 10 syllables in iambic pentameter"


No but....

Love is like a pic-a-nic basket
You look beautiful in that casket
I wish I did ask
But really couldn't be arsed
But how much I love you
Is as much as a big tub of glue
But you are dead
But to me you are alive
To justify my fantasies
As a necrophiliac.

Perfect, it will turn any girl onto to anyday.

[edit]
Or you could take the John Keats route, like Endymion, which is something like 40 pages long, I think so far I've read ten, (I've read his 20 page unfinished poem Hyperion)

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PowerSoft
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Posted: 24th Sep 2006 20:54
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One of the greatest sonnets in the world.....




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Scraggle
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Posted: 24th Sep 2006 21:25
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Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't a sonnet have to have 14 lines?


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Kentaree
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Posted: 24th Sep 2006 21:29
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That's a shakespearian sonnet I think, there's different types

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Mikey P
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Posted: 24th Sep 2006 21:48
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Quote: "although it was clever how in one sonnet shakespeare noted all of his girlfriend's/wife's features to be not so wonderful, but at the end saying how he loves her because she is who she is. Or something like that."


Bleh. That's one of the poems I need to study for my English Literature exam, this is the last place I expected to bump into it I hate poems.

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Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 24th Sep 2006 22:11
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Quote: "Bleh. That's one of the poems I need to study for my English Literature exam, this is the last place I expected to bump into it I hate poems."


Yes its the one I studied for my English Lit exam for GCSE, I think you find most people in England do.

As for hating poems, well most poem's you look at up until GCSE level aren't that good in the sense of making people like poetry. I mean you are studying Carol Ann Duffy as well right? Well here's one you won't see in your Poetry Anthology, its about two lesbians in bed.



Our English lit class is made up of 3 people, me and two girls, when we studied that poem, I was ill with the flu, so there were only two girls discussing a poem about lesbian sex, I got told off by them when I came back.

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Mikey P
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Posted: 24th Sep 2006 22:55
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Haha. Now that is something that would make me enjoy English Lit. They really ruin poems for you

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Scraggle
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Posted: 24th Sep 2006 23:11 Edited at: 24th Sep 2006 23:15
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Since we have moved away from pic-a-nic baskets and on to poetry in general. Allow me to share my favourite poem with you:

Let me die a young man's death

Let me die a young man's death,
not a clean and in between
the sheets holywater death,
not a famous-last-words
peaceful out of breath death.

When I'm 73
and in constant good tumour
may I be mown down at dawn
by a bright red sports car
on my way home
from an allnight party.

Or when I'm 91
with silver hair
and sitting in a barber's chair,
may rival gangsters
with hamfisted tommyguns burst in
and give me a short back and insides.

Or when I'm 104
and banned from the Cavern
may my mistress
catching me in bed with her daughter
and fearing for her son
cut me up into little pieces
and throw away every piece but one.

Let me die a youngman's death,
not a free from sin tiptoe in
candle wax and waning death,
not a curtains drawn by angels borne
'what a nice way to go' death.

----

Roger McGough.

... back on to pic-a-nic baskets: It seems I was correct about sonnets being fourteen lines.


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Philip
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Posted: 24th Sep 2006 23:39
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I've always preferred the shakespearian form.

And I'm NOT posting my sonnet. Sorry, but my foot is well and truly down.

Cheer if you like bears! Cheer if you like jam sandwiches!
"I highly recommend Philip's Vector Tutorials" (RiiDii)
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jinzai
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Posted: 25th Sep 2006 00:31
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As it should be. You really should not post any of those formulae at all, imo
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Zappo
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Posted: 25th Sep 2006 00:51
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Said Hamlet to Ophelia,
I'll draw a sketch of thee,
What kind of pencil shall I use?
2B or not 2B?

Spike Milligan
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Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 25th Sep 2006 02:02
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Quote: "Haha. Now that is something that would make me enjoy English Lit. They really ruin poems for you"


They can do, I preferred it when we did the prose stuff, but once I got into A-Level Poetry I thought that I really liked some of the stuff and even wrote a 1000-word poem for my English Language coursework, thats what got me started on it. But the sex peom, thats this year's work, we only get to study Carol Ann Duffy for the poetry side, her work is quite clever I say.

Quote: "And I'm NOT posting my sonnet. Sorry, but my foot is well and truly down."


Probaly for the same reason I'm not gonna post the villanelle I did and used as an example.

Quote: "Said Hamlet to Ophelia,
I'll draw a sketch of thee,
What kind of pencil shall I use?
2B or not 2B?

Spike Milligan "


Great quote, from a great man.

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jrowe
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Posted: 25th Sep 2006 02:16
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Quote: "You've got to have 10 syllables in iambic pentameter"


Ahh, like any rule there are exceptions, someone doesn't know about feminine endings at al. ...

Tinnedhead Productions

For Fathers and Sons who enjoy wholy spirits.
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Jimmy
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Posted: 25th Sep 2006 15:59
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Quote: "And I'm NOT posting my sonnet. Sorry, but my foot is well and truly down."


Aww, give us the first line, Phil!

After I gave you this? You can't give me that?



Bloggy
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Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 25th Sep 2006 19:10
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How Sonnets work varies depending on what time period you are looking at, but a typical consists, of 14 lines, 3 sections (sestets and octanes or something like that, I'm not much of a Sonnet poet), with an iambic pentameter

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PowerSoft
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Posted: 25th Sep 2006 20:07
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My 'sonnet' was a song by The Verve of the legandry album 'Urban Hymns'

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Tinkergirl
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Posted: 25th Sep 2006 22:48
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I have two favourites, both by Robert Graves, which I have only just realised unrelatedly demonstrate two of the cardinal sins of programming - recursion and unclosed tags. Geeky? Oh yes.

Leaving The Rest Unsaid.

A Warning To Children.

When I found these poems in my school library, I liked them so much, I created a secret puzzle paper trail throughout the library with little notes with clues to the next book, all the while leading to the book of Robert Graves poetry. Never told anyone at school, but when I went back to visit about 5 years later, mentioned it to the librarian. Apparently it had been a school mystery all that time

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Philip
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Posted: 26th Sep 2006 00:29
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@Tinkergirl

You're mad in an interesting way. So I declare you officially eccentric.

@Jimmy

Good to see you back. But I know you didn't really compose that poem for me.

@All

The sonnet had its desired effect today. The young lady blushed like a tomato and then became putty in my hands. I mean paws. Muhahahahaha.

Don't forget blokes: if you've already got chemistry with the chick, just add poetry and perchance some alcohol for that "nuclear weapon" effect on the lass you fancy.

Cheer if you like bears! Cheer if you like jam sandwiches!
"I highly recommend Philip's Vector Tutorials" (RiiDii)
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Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 26th Sep 2006 01:18 Edited at: 26th Sep 2006 01:18
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Quote: "Don't forget blokes: if you've already got chemistry with the chick, just add poetry and perchance some alcohol for that "nuclear weapon" effect on the lass you fancy."


And bribe the judge to remove the restraining order

Congrats mate, glad it worked, I guess its time I made a move myself.

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Jimmy
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Posted: 26th Sep 2006 05:47
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Quote: "@Jimmy

Good to see you back. But I know you didn't really compose that poem for me."


I did, I did.

Look at the date it was made... and the title. It all goes back to that one time you said something and then I did that and then for unto us a poem was given.

Bloggy
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Philip
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Posted: 26th Sep 2006 23:39
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*confused look*

(opens mouth)

*thinks better of it*

(closes mouth)

*wanders away in search of pic-a-nic basket*

Cheer if you like bears! Cheer if you like jam sandwiches!
"I highly recommend Philip's Vector Tutorials" (RiiDii)
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