I just noticed that this morning’s newsletter had a formatting problem. My apologies. Here is the corrected version.
Last newsletter I brought a Petrarchan Sonnet with a Sicilian Sestet that delved a bit more into one of my methods of writing that I introduced with The Rose of Ardennes.
This sonnet is a standard ABBAABBA CDECDE Petrarchan. You’ll notice in line number five I chop a two syllable word into one (never becomes ne’er). I, and many other writers, do this often. Sometimes I write it purposely this way because that’s an accepted thing to do, as in using o’er for over. Poetry often requires one to adjust meter to A: fit the mold (iambic pentameter in this case) and B: to generate a flow. At times I’ll write the word properly with the assumption that people will pronounce the word in it’s chopped form due to colloquial usage. As an example, the first line in Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley,
I met a traveller from an antique land
If you count the syllables as written they total eleven and iambic pentameter requires ten per line. People will often pronounce traveller as trav’ler. With the old adage that every rule has an exception, you could easily give Shelley a pass with eleven syllables too. With that in mind it’ll work either way.
He That Turns the Cogs The dripping on my roof ensures a day Refreshed for all that thirst for soul's delight. Like dawn that always follows darkest night, Tomorrow's promise should ease all dismay. For He that turns the cogs will ne'er delay The bounty that awaits that says all's right. The plan He holds, though hidden from our sight, Is always just, our faith He will repay. We all should understand we can achieve All that which Soul of Souls knows that we can. The obstacles we face but chances to Fulfill our purpose, this we must believe. He knew us long before our lives began And holds our hand through all that will ensue. Frank Garnick © Copyright The Archer's March 22 August 2022
Yes, I mention God. I do that a lot. I’m what’s called a believer and that’s not going to change.
The cycle that keeps our world hydrated is a constant reminder that life is not haphazard. For this reason I write about rain often. The fact that the general pulse of life provides ebb and flow (yes, with “hiccups along the way” as well) shows that there IS One who “Turns the cogs”. Things often seem bleak and we find ourselves struggling to carry on, but the darkest night is always followed by dawn. We are all given the tools we need to succeed. We don’t always trust in our own abilities and the primary reason is that we don’t really know what we’re capable of. When faith is deep seated we can push on even when we don’t see the possibility of success. We haven’t a clue what success really means either. We set our own goals and sometimes we triumph and sometimes we seem to fail. Yet God knows what we need. Failure is merely a word that takes on a different meaning when we view it as a step. Obstacles are opportunities to grow. As children we could not read and thought we’d never be able to decipher the strange symbols laid before us. Yet here I am typing and here you are reading.
I’ve said that my writing is often my way of deconstructing emotional states to get to the bottom of things. This sonnet was one of those instances.
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Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day. As they say, you’ve got this.