Spring

#51

Welcome back. This week’s (random) pick may be a bit late as we’re already into Spring’s final third, but random is as random does. This sonnet is Petrarchan in nature, but with a mirrored twist. It’s as if it was written backwards. I feel comfortable in the rule bound world of the sonnet but I daren’t argue with my muse too often. The octet is a straight up Crybin until it reaches the Volta. The sestet is Sicilian yet follows the second half of the octet. The rhyme scheme here is ABBACDDC CDCDCD. I vaguely remember chuckling as I wrote the Volta, knowing how this would pan out.

There’s a shared phrase in line eleven. I will sometimes write a “sentence” where a middle phrase finishes the previous thought and begins the following. That is, the sentence can be broken into two separate, complete thoughts or can be read as one. It all depends on the mood and rhythm, I suppose. It’s possible that my intention (or that of my muse) is to be a rebellious traditional poet and throw a Free Verse feel into the works, but I’m not sure. I’ve read that former California Poet Laureate Dana Gioia (brother of Jazz Historian and Substacker Ted Gioia, good reading even if you’re not a Jazz aficionado) is a proponent of traditional verse, and I’d love to someday meet him. Not having gone to college, and my high school teachers all passed on, I’m running mentorless here.

Springtime by Claude Monet

Spring
#51


A verdant flash 'pon every bough and twig
Greets my expectant heart as I walk 'round
In sunshine bright, this season thus is crowned.
From Winter's death we presently renege.
A feathered symphony now meets my ear
As did the frogs' song all the night before.
And floating on a breeze, I can't ignore,
A fragrant blossom, like a souvenir.


No longer will the cold winds interfere,
I've waited patiently, I'll now explore
The winding paths, before me, now appear
In luscious colors, and Spring can restore
The hope of Man and drive away all fear
Instilling in us all with God's rapport.

Frank Garnick

© Copyright The Archer's March
20 April 2022

This is basically a brother sonnet to February Stroll #36, which I posted on January 30th of this year. It is a reflection on a walk I took and nothing more. I suppose the only difference being the last two lines. They are not at all enigmatic, but they do exceed the journalistic aspects of this piece. A bit of gratuitous pontification that Mrs. Orrio would cover in red ink, were this actually a piece of journalism.

I’ll ask again for you to peruse my website and choose a sonnet for a future newsletter.

The Archer's March

And pick something from my Playlist for a future Sunday post.

Take a moment to also consider upgrading to a paid subscription.

Or, as I’ve seen elsewhere, buy me a coffee.

Please share,

And

Thanks for reading and have a great day. I am starting to get a little feedback, which will improve my writing.