A Year of Bad Poetry

This Monday, DJ Nezz posed our toughest Poetry Challenge to date: the Petrarchan Sonnet. This particular style of sonnet refers to a concept of unattainable love first developed by Italian humanist and writer, Francesco Petrarch. Petrarch either invented – or made famous the Italian sonnet pattern, which is known to this day as the Petrarchan sonnet or the Italian sonnet.*

So what makes this style of poetry particularly challenging for poet posers like DJ Nezz and I? The rhyming pattern. The Petrarchan Sonnet consists of 14 rhymed lines, more than any other sonnet.  The first eight lines create an octave, with the rhyme scheme a b b a a b b a. The last six lines make up a sestet and may consist of following rhyme schemes: 1) c d e c d e 2) c d e d c e 3) c d c d c d 4) c d c d e e. So let’s see how we did!

MADE FOR…SOMEONE ELSE

A giddy youth, you appeared the very essence of divine.
Like your drums beat the synchronous rhythm of my heart,
closing the distance: to be near you and to never be apart.
Over time the gap was bridged, you drew me closer to your side;
as the days turned into months, your love was more than just implied.
Happier I never was than when we were together;
Such pride I took in knowing no one else would dare to ever
mistake you for anyone’s other than mine.

We traveled far and wide together; differences grew.
The company of others soon you came to seek.
But still I was convinced, holding tight and fast to you;
Even though our romance had long since reached its peak.
Several years have passed since you chose another bride,
I realized it’s been twice as long since over you I cried.

-Essaytch

*   *   *   *   *   *   *

GRASSHOPPER

You were the older girl down the street–
ahead in age, grade, and adolescent displays.
My youth gave you opportunity to control this phase
and push my awkward advances to the backseat.
However, fate dealt me a cruel trick and happy treat,
you never stopped plying your wicked ways
and using my lust to stoke your blaze.
I was forever eager to be a piece of meat.

As time passed and I started to mature,
you also grew up to more adult things.
We spent less time together, our friendship strayed.
I found I was in your former position, having the flings,
with those yournger girls who were more innocent and pure.
The apprentice had become the master in applying your trade.

-DJ Nezz

*From Wikipedia