Celebration of Forms!  July 1, 2014 - July 31, 2014

For July, please submit your best sonnet! I know, I know, this is a big challenge, but we're celebrating forms! A sonnet is the 14-line poetic form most people remember from reading Shakespeare in high school. A sonnet does not need to be about love -- people have written sonnets about basically everything! What is important for writing a successful sonnet is the form. The poem includes 14 lines, usually of iambic pentameter (although other rhythms are not strictly taboo). The 9th line of the sonnet produces a "volta," or a turn in the poem -- this is basically the introduction of a second idea. The third component for a sonnet is a rhyme scheme (although there are definitely sonnets that don't include rhymes!): common sonnet rhyme schemes include:
a b b a a b b a c d c d c d (Petrarchan)
a b b a a b b a c d d c d c (Petrarchan)
a b b a a b b a c d e c d e (Petrarchan)
a b b a a b b a c d e c e d (Petrarchan)
a b b a a b b a c d c e d c (Petrarchan)
a b a b b c b c c d c d e e (Spenserian)
a b a b c d c d e f e f g g (Shakespearean)
For an example of the sonnet, you can read my "Nick's Sonnet," "Love-Crossed Stars," and "Rapture."

I am seriously looking for good efforts on these forms. I know forms are hard and some people would like to say that they feel "restricted," but if you are really serious about trying to become a good poet, you will challenge yourself to write in a few forms. Good luck!

DaughterNature

Chicago, IL

3 Contestants
4 Submissions
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Created May 14, 2014