Now I remember whence the impulse for a shrunken sonnet competition
came. Before taking Holy Orders and emerging as LdP I was ragamuffin Barrett
Bonden, blogging about technology. I noticed other bloggers (Lucy, Plutarch,
Marja-Leena) were as justifiably proud of their photos as of the stuff they
wrote. I invited each to provide details of their camera.
Et voila! I cobbled their answers to create a post which I hadn’t needed to write. A vista of easy-come,
easy-go posts opened up as I envisaged a blog written by others, for which I
would take credit.
This easeful project failed. Whereas each was prepared to go
on (to excess) about their beloved Leica none cared to extend coverage to BSW
screws, washing machines, car gearboxes and valve characteristic curves that
typified the BB canon.
In musical terms the sonnet comp is a valedictory coda to
that blissful expectation. Here’s my bit of dehydration. The rules allowed a
title which didn’t count towards the total.
LdP. Blonde angels (probably
in fur coats) bid
tearful goodbye to
the man who understood
their needs and enhanced
their glory. 71 words
Defunct in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Strauss,
Who gave sopranos lux aeternitas,
Stared upwards at vainglorious gloss
Illuminating coifs of misted brass.
Mourning, they’d mobilised their plangency
To venerate his open-hearted art,
Of launching vocal lines seductively,
Enthroning women’s souls in worlds apart.
Progenitor of Rosenkavalier,
Immured below this buxom wall of grief,
This proudful expert German puppeteer
Received a letzte Lied for his relief.
In metamorphosed words, liquidity
Bore Richard’s coffin to eternity.
That's good! There's a feast of juicy words in there, I like 'Illuminating coifs of misted brass'. and also the 'buxom wall of grief'!
ReplyDeleteYou were right about eliding da Ponte, wasn't meant to be a cheat but I should probably put it straight - still only 57 words though!
Syllables are exploding like bubbles in my brain. Have to go and lie down.
ReplyDeleteLucy, Lucas and you are all clever wordsmiths - I'm in awe. Now I'll just skulk back into picture making mode.
ReplyDeleteI really think this is a class act!
ReplyDelete"immured below this buxom wall of grief..." is my favourite line. A winged chariot of a poem gliding low over the composer's last breaths.
Thanks to LdP for dreaming this up!
ReplyDeleteAll: I wish I had time to attempt more sonnets. Thanks for kind thoughts.
ReplyDelete