Whether to write a rondelay or ode
(Horatian, Pindaric, softly Sapphic?),
Ottava rima, ballad or ballade?
Vilanelle, pantoum or something epic?
Whether a Shakespearean soulful sonnet,
Triolet, sestina or graceful ghazal?
Whether and how to mix iamb, pyrrhic,
Trochee, spondee, anapaest and dactyl?
Whether a poem can ever be ideal?
Whether blank verse might be more impressive
Or whether rhyme might make you love me still?
Whether the feet should be five, six or eight?
Whether to hasten with words from the heart?
Should a love poem prevaricate? Or not?
Category Archives: Sonnets
Clasics in Ñspel: Two loves I have of comfort and despair – William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 144
Sonit 144: Tū luvz I hv v cumf̣t n dsper
♥ ♥
Tū luvz I hv v cumf̣t n dsper,
Ẃć lîc tū spirits d sjst m stl:
Ɖ betr enjl z a man rît fer,
Ɖ wrsr spirit a wmn culrd il.
T win m sn t hel, mî fīmel īvl,
Temtiʈ mî betr enjl fṛm mî sîd,
N wd c’rupt mî sent t b a devl,
Wuwñ hiz pyṛti wɖ hr fǎl prîd.
N ẃɖr ɖt mî enjl b trnd fīnd,
Sspct I me, yt nt d’recli tel;
Bt biyñ bʈ fṛm m, bʈ t ć frend,
I ges wn enjl in anɖr’z hel:
Yt ɖs śl I ner nǒ, bt liv in dǎt,
Tl mî bad enjl fîr mî gd wn ǎt.
♥ ♥
Clasics in Ñspel: Lo, as a careful housewife runs to catch – William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 143
Sonit 143: Lǒ, az a cerfl hǎswîf runz t cać
⇒
Lǒ, az a cerfl hǎswîf runz t cać
Wn v hr feɖrd crīćrz brouc awe,
Sets dǎn hr beb,
n mcs ol swift dspać
In psyt v ɖ ʈñ ś wd hv ste;
Ẃlst hr nglectd ćîld
holdz hr in ćes,
Crîz t cać hr huz bizi cer z bnt
T folo ɖt ẃć flîz bfr hr fes,
Nt prîzñ hr pur inf̣nt’s discntnt;
So runst ɖǎ aftr ɖt ẃć flîz fṛm ɖi,
Ẃlst I ɖî beb ćes ɖi afar bhnd;
Bt f ɖǎ cać ɖî hop, trn bac t m,
N ple ɖ muɖr’z part, cis m, b cînd;
So wl I pre ɖt ɖǎ mêst hv ɖî ‘Wil,’
F ɖǎ trn bac n mî lǎd crayñ stil.
⇐
Clasics in Ñspel: Love is my sin, and thy dear virtue hate – William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 142
Sonit 142: Luv z mî sin, n ɖî dir vrću het
♥ ♥
Luv z mî sin, n ɖî dir vrću het,
Het v mî sin,
grǎndd on sinfl luvñ:
Ǒ! bt wɖ mîn cmper ɖǎ
ɖîn ǒn stet,
N ɖǎ ślt fînd it merits nt rpruvñ;
Or, f it d, nt fṛm ɖoz lips v ɖîn,
Ɖt hv pṛfend ɖer scarlit orṇmnts
N sìld fōls bondz v luv
az oft az mîn,
Robd uɖrz’ bedz’ rvenyz
v ɖer rents.
B it lwfl I luv ɖi, az ɖǎ luvst ɖoz
Hūm ɖîn îz wu
az mîn importyn ɖi:
Rūt piti in ɖî hart, ɖt, ẃn it groz,
Ɖî piti me dzrv t pitid b.
F ɖǎ dst sīc t hv ẃt ɖǎ dst hîd,
Bî slf-xampl mêst ɖǎ b dnaid!
♠
Clasics in Ñspel: In faith I do not love thee with mine eyes – William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 141
Sonit 141: In feʈ I d nt luv ɖi wɖ mîn îz
♥ ♥
In feʈ I d nt luv ɖi wɖ mîn îz,
Fr ɖe in ɖi a ʈǎznd errz not;
Bt ’tiz mî hart ɖt luvz ẃt ɖe dspîz,
Hu, in dspt v vy, z plizd t dǒt.
Nr r mîn irz wɖ ɖî tuñ’z tyn dlîtd;
Nr tndr fīlñ, t bes tućz pron,
Nr test, nr smel, dzîr t b invîtd
T eni snśụl fīst wɖ ɖi alon:
Bt mî fîv wits nr mî fîv snsz cn
Dswed wn fūliś hart fṛm srvñ ɖi,
Hu līvz unsweid ɖ lîcnis v a man,
Ɖî prǎd hart’s slev n vasl reć t b:
Onli mî pleg ɖus far I cǎnt mî gen,
Ɖt ś ɖt mcs m sin awordz m pen.
♥ ♥
Clasics in Ñspel: Be wise as thou art cruel; do not press – William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 140
Sonit 140: B wîz az ɖǎ art cruwl; d nt pres
♠
B wîz az ɖǎ art cruwl; d nt pres
Mî tuñ-taid peśns wɖ tù mć dsden;
Lest soro lend m wrdz,
n wrdz xpres
Ɖ manr v mî piti-wontñ pen.
F I mt tīć ɖi wit, betr it wr,
Ɖo nt t luv, yt, luv t tel m so;
Az tsti sic men, ẃn ɖer deʈs b nir,
No nyz bt hlʈ fṛm ɖer fziśnz nǒ;
Fr, f I śd dsper, I śd gro mad,
N in mî madnis mt spīc il v ɖi;
Nǎ ɖs il-réstñ wrld z groun so bad,
Mad slandrrz bî mad irz b’līvid b.
Ɖt I me nt b so, nr ɖǎ b’laid,
Ber ɖîn îz stret,
ɖo ɖî prǎd hart g wîd.
♦ ♦
Frank Poems: STREET-NAME SONNET
Here’s to the streets and roads of CV2!
Here’s to Hastings, Henley and Highfield Road!
Here’s to Manfield and Mercer Avenue!
Here’s to Wigston, Walsgrave and Wordsworth Road!
Here’s to Coventry, Keats and Cressage Road!
Here’s to Stratford, Sundew and Shakespeare Street!
Here’s to Haseley, Hyde and Honiton Road!
Here’s to Clara, Camden and Clements Street!
Here’s to Richmond, Milton and Mowbray Street!
Here’s to Woodway, Brays and Blackberry Lane!
Here’s to King Richard, Wren and Walnut Street!
Here’s to Shilton, Smeaton and School House Lane!
Since TLC’s the least the area merits,
Here’s, for CV2, my heartfelt sonnet.
Clasics in Ñspel: O! call not me to justify the wrong – William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 139
Sonit 139: Ǒ! cōl nt m t jusṭfî ɖ roñ
♥
Ǒ! cōl nt m t jusṭfî ɖ roñ
Ɖt ɖî uncîndnis lez upn mî hart;
Wūnd m nt wɖ ɖîn î, bt wɖ ɖî tuñ:
Yz pǎr wɖ pǎr, n sle m nt bî art,
Tel m ɖǎ luvst elsẃr; bt in mî sît,
Dir hart, fōrber t glans ɖîn î asd:
Ẃt nīdst ɖǎ wūnd wɖ cunñ,
ẃn ɖî mît
Z mor ɖn mî o’prest dfns cn bîd?
Let m xkz ɖi: ā! mî luv wel nz
Hr priti lcs hv bn mîn eṇmiz;
N ɖrfr fṛm mî fes ś trnz mî foz,
Ɖt ɖe elsẃr mt dart ɖer inɉriz:
Yt d nt so; bt sins I am nir slein,
Cil m ǎtrît wɖ lcs, n rid mî pen.
♥
Clasics in Ñspel: When my love swears that she is made of truth – William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 138
Sonit 138: Ẃn mî luv swerz ɖt ś z md v truʈ
♥
Ẃn mî luv swerz ɖt ś z md v truʈ,
I d b’liv hr ɖo I nǒ ś laiz,
Ɖt ś mt ʈnc m sm untytrd yʈ,
Unlrnid in ɖ wrld’z fōls sutltiz.
Ɖus venli ʈncñ ɖt ś ʈncs m yuñ,
Olɖo ś nz mî dez r past ɖ bst,
Simpli I credit hr fōls-spīcñ tuñ:
On bʈ sîdz ɖus z simpl truʈ s’prest:
Bt ẃr-fr sz ś nt ś z unjust?
N ẃr-fr se nt I ɖt I am old?
Ǒ! luv’z bst habit z in sīmñ trust,
N ej in luv, luvz nt t hv yirz tld:
Ɖrfr I lai wɖ hr, n ś wɖ m,
N in ǎr fōlts bî laiz w flatrd b.
♥
Clasics in Ñspel: Thou blind fool, Love, what dost thou to mine eyes – William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 137
Sonit 137: Ɖǎ blînd fūl, Luv, ẃt dst ɖǎ t mîn îz
♥
Ɖǎ blînd fūl, Luv,
ẃt dst ɖǎ t mîn îz,
Ɖt ɖe bhold, n si nt ẃt ɖe si?
Ɖe nǒ ẃt byti z, si ẃr it lîz,
Yt ẃt ɖ bst z tec ɖ wrst t b.
F îz, c’rupt bî oṿparśl lcs,
B ancrd in ɖ be ẃr ol men rîd,
Ẃ v îz’ fōlshd hst ɖǎ forjid hcs,
Ẃr-tu ɖ jujmnt v mî hart z taid?
Ẃ śd mî hart ʈnc ɖt a sevṛl plot,
Ẃć mî hart nz
ɖ wîd wrld’z comn ples?
Or mîn îz, siyñ ɖs, se ɖs z nt,
T pt fer truʈ upn so fǎl a fes?
In ʈñz rît tru mî hart n îz hv ŕd,
N t ɖs fōls pleg r ɖe nǎ trnsfŕd.
♥
Clasics in Ñspel: If thy soul check thee that I come so near – William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 136
Sonit 136: F ɖî soul ćec ɖi ɖt I cm so nir
⊗
F ɖî soul ćec ɖi ɖt I cm so nir,
Swer t ɖî blînd soul ɖt I wz ɖî Wil,
N wil, ɖî soul nz, z admitd ɖr;
Ɖus far fr luv, mî luvsūt, swīt, flfil.
Wil, wl flfil ɖ treźr v ɖî luv,
Ai, fil it fl wɖ wilz, n mî wil wn.
In ʈñz v gret rsit wɖ īz w pruv
Amñ a numbr wn z recnd nn:
Ɖen in ɖ numbr let m pas untld,
Ɖo in ɖî stor’z acǎnt I wn mst b;
Fr nʈñ hold m, so it plīz ɖi hold
Ɖt nʈñ m, a smʈñ swīt t ɖi:
Mc bt mî nem ɖî luv, n luv ɖt stl,
N ɖen ɖǎ luvst m
fr mî nem z ‘Wil.’
♥
Clasics in Ñspel: Whoever hath her wish, thou hast thy Will – William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 135
Sonit 135: Huevr hʈ hr wś, ɖǎ hst ɖî Wil
⊕
Huevr hʈ hr wiś, ɖǎ hst ɖî Wil,
N Wil t būt, n Wil in oṿplus;
Mor ɖn inuf am I ɖt vxt ɖi stl,
T ɖî swīt wil mcñ adiśn ɖus.
Wilt ɖǎ, huz wil z larj n speśs,
Nt wns vǎćsef
t hîd mî wil in ɖîn?
Śl wil in uɖrz sīm rît greśs,
N in mî wil no fer axptns śîn?
Ɖ sì, ol wōtr, yt rsivz ren stl,
N in abundns adiʈ t hiz stor;
So ɖǎ, biyñ rić in Wil,
ad t ɖî Wil
Wn wil v mîn,
t mc ɖî larj wil mor.
Let no uncînd, no fer bsićrz cil;
Ʈnc ol bt wn, n m in ɖt wn Wil.
⊕