I was reading some Shakespeare, as you do, specifically Venus and Adonis and decided I loved one aspect of the form, the rhyme scheme. It shares a beautiful device with the Shakespearian (and Eusebian) Sonnet and the Ottava Rima, the closing couplet. The rhyme scheme being ababcc. Shakespeare used iambic pentameter but I am not looking for that, but I do want an ode so each stanza should use the same meter (if you aren't good at meter start with making sure the syllable count matches on each matching line in each stanza).
Anyone who has read any of my poetry knows I love love songs but the subject matter is up to you. Many things work well in an ode, but you are probably best to aim for a story.
A couple of stanzas from Bill ...
'Vouchsafe, thou wonder, to alight thy steed,
And rein his proud head to the saddle-bow;
If thou wilt deign this favour, for thy meed
A thousand honey secrets shalt thou know:
Here come and sit, where never serpent hisses,
And being set, I'll smother thee with kisses;
'And yet not cloy thy lips with loathed satiety,
But rather famish them amid their plenty,
Making them red and pale with fresh variety,
Ten kisses short as one, one long as twenty:
A summer's day will seem an hour but short,
Being wasted in such time-beguiling sport.'
An example of my own As I walk
I shall be judging on the content as well as the form, but if you haven't got six line stanzas rhymed ababcc you won't win, and I want odes which means that each stanza should have the same pattern, you can bend that a bit but the less you bend the more I will probably like it. If you come up with a really good couplet I don't mind if you treat that as a refrain as in The Trident of the Tritons
OK gimme lots of great stuff to read please
And a special note to Allan Emery and his many fans, he wrote an excellent poem in aabcbc rhyme scheme and I will allow those too but as a heads up I prefer it my way
Anyone who has read any of my poetry knows I love love songs but the subject matter is up to you. Many things work well in an ode, but you are probably best to aim for a story.
A couple of stanzas from Bill ...
'Vouchsafe, thou wonder, to alight thy steed,
And rein his proud head to the saddle-bow;
If thou wilt deign this favour, for thy meed
A thousand honey secrets shalt thou know:
Here come and sit, where never serpent hisses,
And being set, I'll smother thee with kisses;
'And yet not cloy thy lips with loathed satiety,
But rather famish them amid their plenty,
Making them red and pale with fresh variety,
Ten kisses short as one, one long as twenty:
A summer's day will seem an hour but short,
Being wasted in such time-beguiling sport.'
An example of my own As I walk
I shall be judging on the content as well as the form, but if you haven't got six line stanzas rhymed ababcc you won't win, and I want odes which means that each stanza should have the same pattern, you can bend that a bit but the less you bend the more I will probably like it. If you come up with a really good couplet I don't mind if you treat that as a refrain as in The Trident of the Tritons
OK gimme lots of great stuff to read please
And a special note to Allan Emery and his many fans, he wrote an excellent poem in aabcbc rhyme scheme and I will allow those too but as a heads up I prefer it my way
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on September 7, 2008
- Rewards: Gold: 1000, Silver: 300, Bronze: 150, Honorable mention: 6 people
- Final notes: I do adore this rhyme scheme, and I love odes so I had hoped for some great entries and after 2 weeks I had just one!!! Fortunately extending the contest has had my desires met.
First I must apologise to the Silver Bronze and first HM winner, when Sue Cardwell enters one of my contests (or I enter hers) I mark it first and tell her where she came then demotre her if needed to an HM to avoid charges of favouritism as we normally judge together. She is however on 99 Golds and as she came top of the judging, and she honestly did, I refuse to demote her this time.
Second I must thank you all for entering this is, I think, the only form that Shakespeare appears to have invented, I can find no earlier examples, many great poets have used it at times but it has never picked up a cult following. I find it flexible and fun and I hope some of you will use it again when it seems right.
A very strong entry, Sue and I may be used to 50+ entrants in our large challenges but nine of the ten here met the contest perfectly and made judging really hard, and I love that. I had entries from poets I know well as friends and admire as people and poets, from those I know only by reputation and from their work and from those I don't know at all, from 16 to lets say "older than me", from free versers and form specialists, and from across the world. you all honour me greatly.
A final word to those who don't know me, "Not Bad" is my chosen accolade for a great poem. So many comments on AP apply hyperbole by the bucket that I chose to go the other way, gentle understatement from me is sometimes hard to get, so those of you who got one can know I really loved your poems. Thank you all very much I enjoyed reading and re-reading all ten poems.
Contest Winners
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There’s a poet that I’ve come to know it’s been just past a year
he’s been my mentor and the dearest friend,by Sue Cardwell 59 lines, 9 comments, on Aug 29 10:07 AM 2008. In Form, Sixtains, Personal, Love, Thoughts, Dedication
Gold trophy winner
• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 4530513, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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Forsooth this wench could break a thousand hearts,
Her brazen curls from molten gold are spun,• Commented on by judge. [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 4551405, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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I sit at the table of tragedy, lost
with all those who’ve recently failed in life;by Justplainwaynethen 25 lines, 9 comments, on Aug 28 9:28 PM 2008. In Life, Classic Poetry Forms, Sixain
Honorable mention
• Commented on by judge. [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 4551445, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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• Commented on by judge. [remove]
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• Commented on by judge. [remove]
Bronze trophy winner
Entries [10]
1 - 10 of 10
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1 - 8 of 8
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Wondeful idea for a contest.
Hope your graced with many entries.
love
Passions -
I will definitely try and enter - although, I am not one for forms often - but this one surely has a muse in my head.
Bookmarked. -
Interesting!
It will be interesting to see how this contest unfolds! Thoughful idea! Best of luck -
nice contest . . good luck to all !!
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Hi, I need until sunday,great idea, regards Di
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extended
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Thank you so much for the HM. Congratulations to all the winners.
SarahJane
slayed -
Hi, thank you for the bronze, congratulations to the winners, kind regards Di
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