Hope

An old one from the archive, posted in response to the “Sod it Sonnet”.


Hope
Of all the blights, of all the banes that mar,
the wretchedness, the callous blows that grate,
the stinging left by Fortune’s bleeding scar,
the endless fight with unforgiving Fate;
 
Of all the bitter things that scrape and rasp,
the acid drip of days that bite, that grab,
the fumes of rotting years that choking, gasp
and leave behind a raw unhealing scab;
 
Of all the bricks, the sideswipes Life can dole,
the disappointments piled in putrid layers,
that seep through splinters of the weary soul 
catching hard-earned numbness unawares;
 
Of all Life’s fogs, through which I blindly grope,
God spare me from the worst: the stench of Hope.
© Elfstone  19/4/08
 
Gothicman posted a sonnet on Monday (which he has unfortunately deleted) and we had a ‘chat’ about rhythm (iambic pentameter).  That brought this to mind and, as it hasn’t seen the light of day for a number of years, I thought it might be worth reposting it.
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e-griff

Nice one, elf. This is a shakespearean sonnet. Just for your info, there are other types of sonnet with different forms but none as popular – for instance a Russian sonnet is also normally five feet to a line, but can have three four, or six. The original sonnets (Italian) had a abba rhyme pattern but English sonnets are always abab.
(there – Thankyou Google)

franciman

I’m not one for classical structure, Elf. I most certainly don’t know enough about the form to make more than a personal observation. I do love iambic pentameter though, especially when employed by Shakespeare and more effectively, Robert Burns. However, I know what I like. This I like… This I like enough to nominate it.
Great work.
Cheers,
Jim

gerry

Clever this Elf. I enjoyed it very much…I am not a poetic theorist I just know what I like 😉
gerry x.

sweetwater

Doesn’t matter to me what any type of poetry is officially called, if it’s as amazing as this one I call it wonderful. It’s the words that call to the soul not the list it is on. Loved every word, every letter of this one 🙂 Sue.