Saturday, February 23, 2013

The Sunday Mini-Challenge ~ 14-Liners

© Isadora Gruye


If I were to say: ‘Write a poem in 14 lines’, you would immediately think I want a sonnet for today’s Mini-Challenge. Maybe I do, and maybe I don’t. Maybe I want a poem that is 14 lines long, with no further stipulation regarding meter, rhyme scheme, divisions, volta etc. Instead, I shall leave all decision making entirely up to you, because I want to see some experimentation today.  Do not be restricted by form – let the form work for you.




© Isadora Gruye


 Those who are interested in traditional sonnets may find the Wikipedia entry informative, but I would encourage you all to read the innovative approach to 14-liners by e.e. cummings and take a look at what happens when the love sonnets of Pablo Neruda are translated into English and lose their rhyme scheme. 




© Isadora Gruye


Take a look at Elizabeth Bishop's, Sonnet (1979), or peruse Rainer Maria Rilke's Sonnets to Orpheus and the Sonnets of Dark Love by Federico Garcia Lorca.




© Isadora Gruye


The sonnet has remained a popular form of poetry since it first appeared in the 13th Century and the very fact that it has been constantly innovated has kept it alive. I see no reason why poets should stop now.



© Isadora Gruye


Real Toads is featuring the photographic art of our member, Izy Gruye of The Nice Cage Blog.  If you upload an image to your blog please acknowledge the name of the artist.

The Sunday Challenge is posted on Saturday at noon CST to allow extra time for the form challenge.  Please provide a link on your blog back to Real Toads.  We stipulate that only poems written for this challenge may be added to the Mr Linky.  Management reserves the right to remove unrelated links, but invites you to share a poem of your choice on Open Link Monday.


27 comments:

Grace said...

Thank you for the wonderful links and post Kerry ~

Happy weekend to everyone ~

Janine Bollée said...

Oh Kerry: 14 lines is hard.
I have either too few or too many.
After struggling all week to try and write at all, I whittled away at painful lines. I'll welcome critique and help.
Happy and cool weekend to you.

LLM Calling said...

Kerry I love your prompt and all your links but I'm afraid my sonnet took.on a mind of its own and went a little astray, sorry

Mixi said...

Since I had to write a new piece, I chose to write about dowry in India. While I usually use the Monday open-link opportunity to post about gender inequality in India, I decided to share this issue today itself.

Awareness, Acknowledgement, Action!

hedgewitch said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
hedgewitch said...

A wonderful challenge, Izy and Kerry. You get a twofer from me--a free verse offering, and an old but very-revised sonnet. I'll be around later this evening to read what everyone else has come up with, and also to check out some more of the excellent examples Kerry has given us--the Lorca sonnets and the Rilke I know, but want to check out the Neruda and the others.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kerry - I am running a bit behind - just posted a desert poem! But I will try this sometime today or tomorrow. Sonnets are one of my favorite forms in fact and will look at your examples. k.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kerry - I am running a bit behind - just posted a desert poem! But I will try this sometime today or tomorrow. Sonnets are one of my favorite forms in fact and will look at your examples. k.

Hannah said...

What an informative and inspiring post with the links to all of these sonnets, Kerry, thank you for these I've enjoyed the poems and learned some things I didn't know and Izy, for your inspiring photography...thank you, your image with the child prompted the direction of my thoughts...I for got to feature it though...hmm.

Thank you for this challenge!! :)

Margaret said...

Always challenged,always learning here in the garden. Can't wait to check out the dissenters of form. Hope to post by Sunday evening, but if not, I will show up on Open Link on Monday. Thank you.

Isadora Gruye said...

oh....what treat to see some of my photos being featured for a sunday mini! Great selection, Kerry! I will have to put my head down for this one!!!! Viva la

Anonymous said...

Hi Kerry- I am on a roll today with silly poems. I think there is much I am trying to escape from! Ha! Take care, k.

Lorna Cahall said...

I love the modern forms of a sonnet. So interesting.

Gail said...

I accepted your challenge and used no form...I just wrote.

Thanks for the fun.

Mary said...

I shared a 14-liner I wrote tonight. Not a sonnet, just 14 lines. I enjoyed the challenge, Kerry.

Ella said...

Great blended thoughts-I m thinking.
I would love to pen in e e Cummings style ; )

Ella said...

Thank you Izy for your photos!
Thank you Kerry, for this challenge ;D
I'm an ee-but didn't challenge Cummings~

Marian said...

i've been sick and don't know whether i can respond to this timely, but i will try. just checking in, i'm here. xo

Fireblossom said...

I set out to do 14 lines, but somewhere in the editing in ended up being nine, so I have removed my link. I did use Isadora's photo, though.

Marian said...

okay, i've added my link twice now but can't see it there. technology is killing me today! can anyone else see it? apologies if it's there twice, i see zero. i'm going back to bed.

Marian said...

here's my link: http://www.runawaysentence.com/2013/02/cold-kerfluffle.html

i'm trying not to be all upset; this week, everyone in my house is sick plus my beloved netbook broke and i'm getting used to a new computer. but blogger is giving me a really hard time, and not being able to link up here is making me want to cry. okay i'm done whining and will read all your lovely sonnets when i've re-arranged my attitude. sigh. xo

Fireblossom said...

I see your link, Marian. Dun cry. It will be okay.

Panchali said...

Had a busy weekend, wrote a quick 14-liner just before going to bed. Tomorrow, I'll come back to read the other entries. Thanks :)

Fireblossom said...

Okay, I think I learned to count this time.

Siggi in Downeast Maine said...

This is difficult for me...
I am not used to rhyme...which I chose to do,
and limited lines...
I do tend to get wordy.
Am happy I accepted the challenge ... and in the future may get more agile with my ideas words and phrases.

Thanks for the challenge
Peace
Siggi

Timoteo said...

Nice to be back, Toads!

Margaret said...

I;m late... so also linked this with Open Link Monday.