HOPE. Wyleian (Extended) Sonnet XII
I am cancelling the paper, disconnecting the TV,
I won't listen to the radio or any forms of news
Coz' they only spell disaster, cataclysm, catastrophe,
So I'm going to spend twelve months with happy topics I can choose.
When I at last return to face reality again
And let the media back into my life,
I hope I’ll find things much improved, the world in much less pain
Wars will have ceased, there will be no more strife.
I hope they will have cancer licked and found a cure for AIDS
And other cruel diseases that are rife;
That criminals and vandals and abusers are waylaid
And murd’rers locked, behind strong bars, for life.
That trafficking in drugs and kids for sex will be stamped out
And so the general crime-rate will reduce.
That churches will be filled with congregations of devout
And politicians put to better use.
I hope that felling forests just for timber will have ceased;
All countries of the world at last united
In conservation plans to benefit both man and beast;
Pollution and ecologies now righted.
That better distribution of the world’s wealth will commence
So health and education can improve;
Our better children start to rule this world with common sense,
Their children well, and happy in their love.
You may consider that my hopes are way beyond the norm
But they’re my guiding rays of light amid the gath’ring storm.
Hugh Wyles & Nogenreneeded, September 4th. 2004.
(Written in the aftermath of the Beslan Tragedy)
Author notes
This is an extended Wyleian Sonnet consisting of six quatrains and a couplet in iambic metre.
The first quatrain and the couplet are in septameter, the second to sixth quatrains in mixed septameter and pentameter.
Written September 3rd, 2004
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Comments
1 - 15 of 15
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beautiful
Dear Hugh
Where would we be without hope? Congratulations on yet another fine piece of collaboration. We quite often escape from the woes of the world when we go 'on the road' in our bus but unfortunately they are allstill there and often many more when we get back. I wish....I hope.... -
Impressive and thought provoking
Thanks for penning this one
No stone left unturned in this sonnet
Loved it
Love you all too
Hugs
Susan~~~
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this is great!!! i'm proud to see an awsome write!! keep up the great work!!!
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magnificently written
Dear Hugh and Susan, a very beautiful Sonnet, we all wish we lived in a perfect world, but alas, it can never be while there are so many evil people in the world. Congratulations on a magnificent piece-Sally
I applaud you both.
Edited on Sep 05, 8:36 p.m. because ''. -
This may have intended to be hopeful, yet for me, it only came to remind me of all the hardships hope faces. A well written perspective though, reminding us all to continue striving to live a life that fills our own personal news with good.
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A brilliant write, Hugh and Susan, a very impressive undertaking.. I keep wishing I had this talent to do the different kinds of poetry, but I seem to be stuck in a few different types...hmmm.. now, wonder who's fault that is.
This is a very thought inducing poem. You know, I stopped watching TV back in 1995, even my favorite soaps. I went a solid four years without watching except for watching Princess Di's funeral. My TV sat in the corner of my family room with the cord draped over the top of it. And believe me, ignorance IS bliss! I didn't miss a thing, I wasn't even aware of the fighting in the middle east until someone mentioned it at work.. 3 weeks after it started.
Now I don't think sticking our head in the sand is the answer but maybe not thinking about things sometimes helps the mind a bit. I still rarely watch TV, and usually will fall asleep five minutes into it, anyway.
So... to get back to your poem, I can really identify with this one, and wouldn't it be nice to finally turn it back on and have only good news
Excellent collaboration, you two. And great form and style.
Dee
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This is outstanding! I wish it could happen! My sonnets pale in comparison, you guys did a great job here! I must confess that I am totally confused about the meanings of "pentameter" and "septameter", I gather that the numbers 5 and 6 are involved because of the prefixes, but other than that BLANK!!
I know my sonnets usually have the requred syllables, but I am clueless about the meter. Anyway this is how they are supposed to be done- super job you two!!
Take Care-TGR (Theresa)
Edited on Sep 04, 9:06 because 'kant schpel tuday'. -
I think you two have covered almost every woe the world faces, well done, an excellent poem. will be back later to comment.
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Hi again, I came online so early today and this was the 1st and only poem I read, half sleepy still, I forgot to applaud. Well, now my hands are clapping the way they should 4 hours ago
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Dear Mari,
I think the answer I would give to Tess is that there are so many bad people in the world today and this is why we must all try harder to be good. Thankyou for your comment.
Love and hugs, XXX Hugh. -
Dear Joan,
Thankyou for your kind comment. Yes Gen and I work well together and this is a good example of the saying that "Two heads are better than one."
We are all shocked at the outcome of the hostage crisis in Beslan and felt that it was appropriate to post this poem at this time. Thankyou for your applause.
Love and hugs, XXX Hugh. -
I can't even write a quatrain and you guys come with an extend version, how humiliating!!!
To read a sonnet as this one, I wouldn't mind a double extend version.
The hope you talk about is shared with many. My father uses to say that if we squeeze the newspaper it will bleed, so much are the tragedies written in there. My 11 years old daughter gets very sad and kind of depressed if she watches the news, and how can I answer when she asks me 'why so many bad things happen?
Yes, I wish to turn my back to the news and come back later to see that all have changed.
An excellent poem, congratulations!
Kisses and love,
Mari
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breathtakingly beautiful
My heartiest congratulations to the two of you for a magnificent piece you have created here between you, for you both work so well together like your minds are linked,I enjoyed reading it, beautifully written we all wish the world was a better place, in light of the horrors that just happened in Russia we have a long way to go.Love and kisses to both of you~Joan
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You actually had both hands in this one and thankyou for the background border. Love and hugs, XXX Hugh.
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One of the advantages of creating our own style of sonnets is that we can be flexible! I like how this came together and the mixed metre keeps it from getting repetative.
Thank you for letting me have a hand in this one. I feel it is timely in light of world events this week.
Gen
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