The Sonnet: a Deceptively Simple “Little Song”

by Holly Jahangiri | Jul 11, 2023

The Sonnet

Today, I want to talk about sonnets. Whatever you prefer to read or to write, I think there’s value in learning to write poetry using fixed forms. It’s like hanging your hat and coat on a rack, rather than tossing them artfully across the sofa like a decorative throw. It’s a discipline that requires you to think imaginatively within strict constraints.

“To have something to say ; to say it under pretty strict limits of form and very strict ones of space ; to say it forcibly ; to say it beautifully ; these are the four great requirements of the poet in general ; but they are never set so clearly, so imperatively, so urgently before any variety of poet as before the sonneteer.” [A History Of English Prosody Vol. 1 : Saintsbury George : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive]

I used to say that writing a grammatically correct, properly punctuated Tweet in exactly 280 characters was an excellent exercise in writing tight, chopping off every unnecessary character. Writing formal verse is similar, in that respect; every word must pack a punch and land it.

The rules of the form are deceptively simple. Two major sonnet forms are the Shakespearean, or English, sonnet and the Petrarchan, or Italian, sonnet. These are the basis for all variations:

• Shakespearean / English sonnet:

  • 14 lines (divided into three quatrains – 4 lines each, and a couplet – 2 lines).

  • Meter: Iambic pentameter: da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM.

  • Rhyme scheme: ABAB  //  CDCD  //  EFEF  //  GG

  • Typically, there is a volta – a turn or shift in thinking or emphasis in the third quatrain. You may want to think about starting with the word, “But…” or “Yet…” or “And yet…” though you needn’t signal the turn of thought so obviously.

• Petrarchan / Italian sonnet:

  • 14 lines (divided into an octave – 8 lines, and a sestet – 6 lines)

  • Meter: Iambic pentameter: da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM.

  • Rhyme scheme: ABBAABBA // CDECDE or CDCCDC

  • Typically, there is a volta – a turn or shift in thinking or emphasis at the start of the sestet. You may want to think about starting with the word, “But…” or “Yet…” or “And yet…” though you needn’t signal the turn of thought so obviously.

The Miltonic and Spenserian sonnets involve minor variations of these two, and the four together are generally regarded as the major sonnet forms; however, there are many varieties of “sonnet,” and you can peruse 179 of them at Every Sonnet – Just another Poets Collective site. Can you invent one that doesn’t already exist? Can you write one that is achingly beautiful but conforms perfectly to the prescribed rhyme and meter?

Remember: Practice never makes perfect. But practice makes good. Perfectionism never means attaining perfection; it just means you’ll die (and drive others nuts) trying.

Question: If reading formal verse, is there a form you prefer?

Critique and Feedback FTW!

In a previous post, I asked which term readers preferred for “constructive criticism”: criticism, critique, feedback, or analysis. Critique and feedback tied for the win. It was a very small sample size, though, so before giving any, I suggest asking the recipient which term they’re most comfortable with.

I don’t want any of you having to enter the witness protection program like R____:

Learning to Love the Red Pen

by Holly Jahangiri | Jun 17, 2023

And How to Critique a Poem

Is There a Difference Between “Criticism” and “Critique”?

Both words share the same Greek root: kritikos “able to make judgments,” from krinein “to separate, decide” (from PIE root *krei- “to sieve,” thus “discriminate, distinguish”.

Apparently, the English decided (erroneously) that “criticism” was primarily a fault-finding exercise, and that connotation has stuck. The French word “critique” has retained the more objective sense of analysis, identifying both the strengths and weaknesses of a work.

Some may prefer the word “evaluate,” but I would argue that “evaluation” has its roots in the determination of the value or worth of a thing, the sum total of its merits and deficits, rather than an objective analysis of its strengths and weaknesses, giving an opportunity for improvement. Evaluation is what we do when we choose to buy one apple and not another from the same bin. Evaluation is what a publisher does when deciding whether to accept or reject a submission.

Poetry – indeed, all writing – might benefit from a SWOT analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (to publication, perhaps). But whatever name we give it, it’s important to recognize what’s constructive and what is merely destructive.

It’s also important to realize that most of us are not expert critics; our judgment is just that – ours. It is not some objective Everyman’s. We may accidentally, though with the kindest of intentions, give critique that is not helpful or even representative of what the majority of readers might think. So, ultimately, the decision to employ our suggestions must fall squarely on the writer’s shoulders.

Do the suggestions ring true? Have several people, independently, given the same feedback? These are good indications of constructive critique.

Are the suggestions unclear, imprecise, or confusing? It’s up to the writer to ask questions until they understand what’s being said.

Is the feedback hurtful? Is it mean? Straightforward critique, given without sugar-coating, is not meant to be cruel. It’s up to the writer to consider the source and to recognize that defensiveness is never necessary. Each piece of feedback can be used or ignored. It need not be taken as a dagger to the heart. If I say “The language is unnatural and stilted,” this is not the same as, “Little old ladies have no business writing poetry. You should stick to knitting, instead.”

The former is intended to be helpful. You can work with that. It has to do with your word choices in a particular work, but not with your worth as a human being or as a writer in general.

The latter is useless, sexist, ageist, and unkind. Treat it as such – chuck it into the wastebasket and forget it, recognizing that there are some miserable people in the world who desperately want the company of other miserable people.

Smile and tell yourself that perhaps you’ve given their dog a brief reprieve from being kicked. You are a hero!

Somewhere, in between, lie people who truly want to be helpful but have difficulty eloquently and clearly expressing themselves, sometimes. They’re trying. They will never improve their critiquing skills if they feel they’ve hurt people’s feelings – they will only get better at it through practice. We might ask them questions and encourage them to be more specific. Odds are, the novice critic is more uncomfortable giving feedback than the experienced writer is at receiving it. They must feel safe if they’re to be honest and truly helpful.

The Red Pen

I learned to love the red pen in middle school. My English teacher “bled all over” my first essay. She marked up mechanical errors using proofreaders’ marks. She filled the margins with critique. And I was delighted! I knew that she had taken time out of her day to really read what I wrote, think about it, and to try to turn me into a better writer. In that moment, my love of writing was born.

I briefly took Taekwondo lessons from Grandmaster Dong Won Kang in Oklahoma. “Briefly,” because I was very, very bad at it. But he didn’t just teach martial arts. He would talk to the class, afterwards, and impart life lessons and wisdom. One thing he stressed was that when someone took precious moments out of their own life to help you improve your skills at anything, you should take it as a compliment and a gift. You should recognize that out of all the fun things they could be doing with their limited and valuable time on this earth, they chose to try to help you grow. He said that to give praise is easy. It costs us absolutely nothing to say, “Great job.” It takes time, thought, and effort to critique and offer suggestions for improvement.

Again, some people have had damaging and destructive experiences involving red pens, and have developed a fear of or aversion to red ink. To them, it represents negativity. It symbolizes their “failure.” Someone has led them to feel this way, and that someone is a negative and destructive force. Sometimes, it’s as simple as switching from red ink to green or purple. But the only real cure is kindness and trust.

For a tragicomic take on the the dangers of giving critique, read Delicate Sensibilities. Excerpt:

I worked hard to make it that bad, and I am not even 324,567th in line for Poet Laureate.

R____, then, was to come along after I posted it and rip it apart — er, critique it constructively on all fronts, to show the class how it was done. Afterwards, I would graciously thank him, act upon his suggestions, and post my revisions.

You may already see the flaw in our plan.

True story.

Rest in peace, R____.

Till next time, practice giving and receiving constructive critique. You can use something as simple as the “sandwich method” – a few compliments, a few suggestions for improvement, and observations on strengths and opportunities for growth as a writer. When you’re feeling a bit more confident, try this: How to Analyze Poetry: 10 Steps for Analyzing a Poem – 2023 – MasterClass

Or you can grab all your colored pens and go for it, following the suggestions (do’s and don’ts) in How To Give Feedback on Another Writer’s Poem: A Guide – Ken Craft (kencraftauthor.com)

I’d rather have benefit of the latter, but that’s a fair bit of work. Start small, unless you’re feeling brave – but start.

The Jolly Zeugma

by Holly Jahangiri | Apr 30, 2023

The Jolly Zeugma

Calm he held his scissors and his horses
Unfurling sails of paper and his brow
He stood, within his mind, upon the prow
Ready to control the rough sea's forces.

He heard the ocean and his mother's cry:
"Naptime!" He laid his keel and sleepy head
Upon the desk and longed for sea and bed.
He woke, at last, the Elmer's glue was dry - 

His paper pirate ship was set to sail.
He ran, with boat and mother both in hand
A fair breeze blew: brave sailors bid goodbye to land
As storms raced in and turned fair winds to gales.

But sinking fate's not always what it seems;
One wave can't capsize boats and boyhood dreams.

Today’s Poets

Daisy Zamora – a contemporary Latin American poet whose work covers daily life, human rights, politics, revolution, feminist issues, art, history and culture. Read more here.

April is National Poetry Month. This year marks its 27th year. NaPoWriMo – 30 days of writing poems – is poets’ answer to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

This coincides with the A to Z Blogging Challenge, now celebrating its 13th anniversary. Some participants choose a theme; others wing it. Doesn’t matter! The real challenge is to build a practice of writing daily. I think I stuck with it…once. You can see the list of participants – I’m sure they’d love it if you’d visit and comment on their blogs.

This month, my goal is to:

1. Write a poem a day and share it – uncurated – here; and
2. Highlight some poets you may be unfamiliar with.

I encourage you to click the links to read about them and their work. I plan to choose a diverse array of classical and contemporary poets – indigenous poets, Black poets, women poets, LGBTQ poets – that challenge us to see the world differently while also tapping into universal themes and emotions.

Remember, too, that comments and conversation are always welcome here. (Spammers, on the other hand, will be tossed into the moat or mocked, so before you leave an irrelevant comment or drop a link, consider that it’s fair game!)

Yes

by Holly Jahangiri | Apr 29, 2023

Yes

She practiced, in the mirror, saying "no" - 
An easy word; it should be simpler than this.
But she was taught from childhood, "Say yes,"
Lest disobedience be dealt a blow.

"No!" she longed to shout, but "yes" was safer
Lest his anger seek her as its target.
Words of hate and love their mingled argot,
Obedient, she, and none could save her.

She set aside her plans and fondest dreams
And learned to meet each expectation
Daily fearing loss his affection
She learned in time to smile, stifling screams.

Stripped bare of personality, she sighs
And entertains herself with little lies.

— Holly Jahangiri

Today’s Poet

Yevgeny Yevtushenko – a Soviet and Russian poet whose Nobel-nominated poem, “Babi Yar” denounced the revisionist history of the Soviets and the still rampant anti-Semitism that existed. It was set to music by Shostakovich, and you can listen to it below. Read more here.

April is National Poetry Month. This year marks its 27th year. NaPoWriMo – 30 days of writing poems – is poets’ answer to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

This coincides with the A to Z Blogging Challenge, now celebrating its 13th anniversary. Some participants choose a theme; others wing it. Doesn’t matter! The real challenge is to build a practice of writing daily. I think I stuck with it…once. You can see the list of participants – I’m sure they’d love it if you’d visit and comment on their blogs.

This month, my goal is to:

1. Write a poem a day and share it – uncurated – here; and
2. Highlight some poets you may be unfamiliar with.

I encourage you to click the links to read about them and their work. I plan to choose a diverse array of classical and contemporary poets – indigenous poets, Black poets, women poets, LGBTQ poets – that challenge us to see the world differently while also tapping into universal themes and emotions.

Remember, too, that comments and conversation are always welcome here. (Spammers, on the other hand, will be tossed into the moat or mocked, so before you leave an irrelevant comment or drop a link, consider that it’s fair game!)

Xanthippe

by Holly Jahangiri | Apr 28, 2023

Let's get this one thing straight, ere we begin:
I never threw a piss-pot on his head. 
No other suitor suited me; my kin
Would have me married off or see me dead.
But Socrates, his mind still sharp, saw grit:
In me, and he prefered to spend his days
With one whose fiery tongue could match his wit
And my outspokenness left him unfazed.

Wife, daughter, nurse - the outside world be damned
Companion, mentor, husband, man: He was
My world, and I was his. Our lives are dimmed
In history's pages; mine, made small because
The feminine, possessed of intellect
Is feared, though man's deemed worthy of respect.

Today’s Poet

Halima Xudoyberdiyeva – an Uzbek poet whose themes at different times of her career have dealt with Uzbek nationhood and history, liberation movements, and feminism. She was awarded the title People’s Poet of Uzbekistan. Read more here.

Sacred Woman – Happy 60th birthday, Halima!: johanna_hypatia — LiveJournal

April is National Poetry Month. This year marks its 27th year. NaPoWriMo – 30 days of writing poems – is poets’ answer to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

This coincides with the A to Z Blogging Challenge, now celebrating its 13th anniversary. Some participants choose a theme; others wing it. Doesn’t matter! The real challenge is to build a practice of writing daily. I think I stuck with it…once. You can see the list of participants – I’m sure they’d love it if you’d visit and comment on their blogs.

This month, my goal is to:

1. Write a poem a day and share it – uncurated – here; and
2. Highlight some poets you may be unfamiliar with.

I encourage you to click the links to read about them and their work. I plan to choose a diverse array of classical and contemporary poets – indigenous poets, Black poets, women poets, LGBTQ poets – that challenge us to see the world differently while also tapping into universal themes and emotions.

Remember, too, that comments and conversation are always welcome here. (Spammers, on the other hand, will be tossed into the moat or mocked, so before you leave an irrelevant comment or drop a link, consider that it’s fair game!)