Tuesday, May 20, 2008

A Fun Activity

So I'm home sick (again) today and was working on some homework. One of the resources for our creative writing class includes a webpage filled with writing experiments. I did one that is called an Acrostic Poem. What you do is pick a random book and take the title. For each letter in each word, go to the page number in the book that corresponds (a=1, z=26) and copy as a line the first word that begins with that letter to the end of the phrase or sentence. It was a lot of fun!!

I decided I would try this experiment with The Scarlet Pimpernel. Here is what I came up with:

“The Scarlet Pimpernel”

Take up arms, because one set of Frenchmen chose to murder another
Horror for the loathsome malady—
Express contempt for the comrade’s stupidity.

Smugglers brought snatches of news from over the water—
Catching an aristo in the very act of trying to flee.
A surging, seething murmuring crowd of beings that are only human in name
Round the corners of thin lips
Looking cheerful and cozy in the extreme
Express contempt for the comrade’s stupidity—
Take up arms, because one set of Frenchmen chose to murder another.

Pardon me
In a corner—
Moisture trickling down the windowpanes—
Pardon me—
Express contempt for the comrade’s stupidity,
Round the corners of thin lips:
Now one of these persons I shall see
Express contempt for their comrade’s stupidity—
Looking cheerful and cozy in the extreme.


These experiments are fun to do:) I even get to turn it in for credit! If you're ever bored, or just feel like being creative, this is a fun way to cheat:) I also was inspired as I looked at other assignments I could do with this class and decided to try to write a sonnet.

In our sonnet assignment, we had to follow the traditional rules of 14 lines, strict rhyming scheme, iambic pentameter (look it up on wikipedia if you don't know what that is -- I had to), and a volta (or turn). After looking up some of Emily Dickinson's poems for fun, I came up with the topic of mermaids for some reason and this is my first draft of my sonnet:

“Mermaid’s Jewels”
I stare at the glassy sea in the morn
In the summer sun’s sil’vry daybreak rise
Shimmering jewels to be all adorned—
Mermaids shall find their vanity’s demise.
In a world of watery, shallow lies,
In hope to build trivial self-esteem,
Hidden in sunlight’s clever, cru’el guise,
Perhaps they shall reach out to touch a dream—
Only to find beauty not quite as it seemed .
But as I look down, upon all of this
Perchance it is I, who needs be redeemed.
For with mine eye I regard Mermaid’s bliss,
Hands gracefully reaching t’ward the sun,
Her enjoyment, fulfillment ever won.


Anyway, let me know what you think -- if you like it, hate it, love it... whatever:)

4 comments:

Rebecca said...

Sonnets are really hard to write. I've never even attempted one. I would say you did a pretty good job!

This is the second poem with illusions to mermaids (Convert's Song had imagery of a Siren). Did you recently read the Odessey?

Elizabeth said...

hey thanks... we need to talk online soon!

grandma said...

this is way over my head!!! but sounds good to me...when will you be home again..and how are you feeling???? better I hope. miss you and love you so much...email me some time....

not2brightGRAM said...

I think they are both BEAUTIFUL!

I love the Old English feel. A lost art!