A sonnet

The challenge for day 10 of the #introtopoetry course from WordPress is to write about the future.  The suggested form is the sonnet.  I have always fought shy of attempting a sonnet.  The rigorous rules of past generations of poets seemed too difficult.  However I have attempted a rhyming sonnet in something close to iambic pentameter.  Like my previous poem, this could be one I return to and find ways of improving.

I didn’t spend long composing it.  The title is somewhat facetious.  I believe it is the first sonnet I have ever written.  Shakespeare numbered his, didn’t he?

Some of the phrases may count as found poetry as for day 7.  I hope some of it is original in form.

Sonnet I

The past has gone and ‘now’ is here,
But what will happen in a future year?
We do not know the time or place
For salvation of the human race.

I know that Christ will come again
Bringing judgment to the sons of men.
To daughters too, to rich and poor,
And he will open heaven’s door.

Until we meet him face to face
We ought to live our lives by grace
And trust in God in every place.

Whatever the number of our days
We should try to follow his ways
With thanksgiving and praise.

 

 

The English Lake District

The prompt for Day 9 of the #introtopoetry course from WordPress is Landscape and the suggested poetic device is apostrophe – addressing someone or something directly.

 

My choice of landscape is the English Lake District.  I wrote a poem about it longer ago than I care to admit.  For this exercise, I have started with that poem and rewritten it using apostrophe.  The last verse refers to the work of the Calvert Trust.

The two versions of the poem are side-by-side below.  I think the device of apostrophe has improved the poem.  Do you agree?

 

The Lake District

How can I describe you,
English Lakeland,
So often drawn or painted
By man’s or woman’s hand?

The view in your hilly lands
Changes as the hours pass
Patterns of light and shadow
Show shapes beneath the grass.

Your lakes add atmosphere,
Colour, reflections,
Feed mists, rain, ice and snow;
Waterfalls make connections.

How varied your effect
On us mortals!  Some sail,
Row, hang-glide,
Walk, climb and then abseil.

Others watch birds fly,
Paint scenery,
Write stories inspired
By your hills, or valleys’ greenery.

You are a wonderful place,
For those who are fit.
And those with a disability
Can take part in spite of it.

The Lake District

How to describe in words
The English Lakeland,
So often drawn or painted
By man’s or woman’s hand?

 In hilly lands the view
Changes as the hours pass.
Patterns of light and shadow
Show shapes beneath the grass.

Lakes add atmosphere,
Colour, reflections,
Feed mists, rain, ice and snow;
Waterfalls make connections.

How varied its effect
On us! Some sailing,
Rowing, hang-gliding,
Walking, climbing, abseiling.

Others watching birds fly,
Painting scenery,
Writing stories inspired
By hills, or valleys’ greenery.

What a wonderful place,
For those who are fit.
And those with special needs
Can actively discover it.