This is for my wonderful little sister, Mary. Hopefully a similar poem for my big sister, Anne (who is equally fabulous), will soon be written.
My little sister wrote to ask me why
Her name had not been framed within my verse;
I thought, "A sonnet will this trend reverse,"
So affirmation now I will supply.
I think it wise to write in verse, no peer
In prose, she far outstrips my meager style;
In fashion, well, she seems at home on mile
Magnificent; to each friend, she's so dear,
A blessing and a comfort. What can one
Say? If you know her not, then meet her soon;
If oldest friend, thank God for such a boon
(the only strike - she will not let me pun)!
The highest praise I am able to give
Is that she lets her stupid brother live!
Thank heaven for Marys (and this one in particular).
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks for the sonnet, Will! You're a good big brother.
ReplyDeleteabba, cddc, effe, gg - I like that, Will! Is it a Italian form?
ReplyDeleteMom, you know full well that's Shakespearean! Didn't you use that for most of your sonnets? Or was Shakespearean abab cdcd efef gg? Either way, three quatrains followed by a couplet is normally considered Shakespearean, as opposed to Petrarchan, which is an octave followed by a sestet.
ReplyDeleteOk, I got out my sonnet reference book. You were close to an "envelope sonnet" a variation of the Italian/Petrarchan (but that's just the first octave). I know I've read your form, but can't remember where. Shakespearean is abab cdcd efef gg, as you say. At any rate, the pattern you used is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYou'll enjoy my book, The Penguin Book of the Sonnet.