Writing a Curtal Sonnet today. The best definition I found states that: “the Curtal is a curtailed or contracted sonnet, refers to a sonnet consisting of a sestet with a rhyme scheme of a. b. c. a. b. c. and a quintet rhyming, d. c. b. d. c.. or.. d. b. c. d. c. with the last line preferably a spondee, but at least a tail shorter than the previous lines.” In other words – a short sonnet.
So, if you are like me and thought sonnets always had fourteen lines – SUPRISE. Here’s a sonnet with eleven lines, or maybe we should call it ten and a half, since the last line should be a short one or a spondee (a foot with two stressed syllables).
I’m sort of following today’s NaPoWriMo prompt: it’s about flowers, but I’m also following a favorite old prompt – use the first line from a favorite poem or song.
O my Luve is like a red, red rose, With limbs subtle and leaves of green Entwining hearts with passions wild. As from a budding heart that grows, Embraces close and kisses with no lien. Far from that smile, I am not beguiled. Let others to their lovers crave. My heart remains above such mean Never tempted nor beguiled, Never standing, true and brave, Loving mild.
I like it! I will copy and paste your directions into a folder I keep on different types of poetry. Typically when I try to write different forms I have to actually see the format as I go along because I can’t remember it at all. I wrote a poem a while back on Poetry Soup and I will have to go look to see the form but it was pretty difficult!
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I like that rhyme scheme. Lovely and well crafted, Kathrine.
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