11 Apr 2013

# 11

I've recently been introduced to the Sapphic Stanza, which was explained to me thus:-

A sapphic stanza is composed of 4 lines:

a) 3 hendecasyllabic lines - a line with 11 syllables
b) with a fourth line that consists of 5 syllables

There is also meter within each line too.

Line 1: trochee, trochee, dactyl, trochee, trochee
Line 2: trochee, trochee, dactyl, trochee, trochee
Line 3: trochee, trochee, dactyl, trochee, trochee
Line 4: dactyl, trochee


In honour of day number eleven and the wonderful word 'hendecasyllable', here's a piece I've worked on, using this form.


Follow!

Nights when moonlight's silvery beams come calling,
restful sleep's impossible; bed, a playground -
faerie dusted, glistening like an ocean
swelling with ripples.

Shadows' edges waver and mesmerise us;
objects lose their usual silhouettes and
phantom shapes arise in a grotesque fashion,
beckoning shyly.

"Come and follow! Into the realms of magic
let us go together and dance till daylight
dawns anew and wakes all the world from slumber.
Come now and follow!"


My silver-tinted poem is linked to Poets United, who chose colour as a prompt on Wednesday,  and to IGWRT's one, asking for a sense of place, and dialogue.


20 comments:

  1. That's a lovely piece of fantasy! Hendecasyllable is certainly a wonderful word and your layout of the metrical scheme is almost a poem in itself.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I totally agree with Dr FTSE, it is a lovely poem. Most impressive. You seem to have been truly inspired by something... I wonder, could it have been that word?

    ReplyDelete
  3. the language you use is just beautiful within this challenging and demanding form.

    ReplyDelete
  4. wow, impressive stuff to have prescribed form and two prompts

    ReplyDelete
  5. A fairytale like quality with such a structured poem? I would have said 'impossible" but you have proved me wrong!

    ReplyDelete
  6. When the beckon comes in the form of this piece...who couldn't follow! I applaude the work it takes to figure out and actually write somthing in that form. And for it to come out that flowing and oppulent is a miracle to me. Great job!!! Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love the imagery in this!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Beautiful and whimsical, "things that go bump in the night". Excellent work with the form as well. It's all good :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. If I had read the poem before your description of the form, I'd have thought "beautiful" but after reading about the form, I have to say "amazing and beautiful" — wow, Jinksy, you have aced this form and the challenge, too.
    K

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lilting, convincing call to action, almost hypnotizing!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love the magical setting of this. A pleasure to read.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ms. Penny ~~~ you have outdone yourself!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Beautiful language AND form, Jinksy.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Penny,

    I loved your silvery, moonlit poem, with its very unique style. Very thematic and reminiscent of a child's kind of poem from long ago:)

    Eileen

    ReplyDelete
  15. Love to read such a sophisticated verse constrained beautifully in an interesting form.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I am knocked out by this. Beautiful fantasy images, in a structured form. I do not do well with this kind of form, but you shine!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Jinksy, lovely, lovely. It read like a Maxfield Parrish poster, you know? Fantasy and romance in its own sweet way. This form is lovely, and I shall let you keep doing it - you know I'm not so good on that front! Magic. Pure magic.

    But pray tell, what does a "trocheedactyl" look like? I guess it would be able to fly...! wink
    Amy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amy, you are sharp in places other than your pencil! Hehehe! Trocheedactyl, indeed. :)

      Delete
  18. What beautiful fantasy. You have written beautifully in a form I am certain I won't attempt. :)

    ReplyDelete