Saturday 23 April 2016

to the Bard...





If poets be the soul of life, write on.
Give me a feast of words that fill the mind,
Where meaning trumps the sturdy lexicon
And warms the coldest heart of our mankind.
If poets be the touch of dusks and dawns,
The tune of leaves bereft of mother tree,
The dance of lively youth like playful fawns,
Please let their landscapes linger close to me.
If poets be the eyes of dreams, dream well.
Give me a vision laced with rhythmic sounds
Where music rings the senses like a bell
And porters shine in priceless golden crowns.
A bard once felt the pulse of inner lives.
He breathes within our darkest, deep archives.




NOTES
There are a couple of connections with Shakespeare drizzled through the sonnet.
- the first line and the reference to a bell and porter.
Orsino, in Twelfth Night says - If music be the food of love play on... - upper class romance and style
The bell is often a warning of a significant turn in Shakespeare's plays - often associated with death
The porter has a significant cameo scene in Macbeth - for serious humour and a representation of the lower class
Also, Shakespeare's plays include many references to nature - often symbolic references


Linking to:
Imaginary Garden With Real Toads - Let's Tip our Hats to the Bard

18 comments:

Kerry O'Connor said...

This is simply stunning, Gemma. It gave me gooseflesh as I read, and I marvelled at the excellence of your meter and rhyme.

If poets be the eyes of dreams, dream well.

That is a perfect line among many.

Kerry O'Connor said...

P.S. I have many copies of individual plays, but I also own the same Illustrated Stratford Shakespeare as you do.

Rosemary Nissen-Wade said...

Wonderful! Very Shakespearian!

Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost said...

What a wonderful tribute! 🙌

Ellecee said...

Yes, a wonderful tribute to the bard, and written beautifully,,

Anonymous said...

Wow Gemma, that's incredible. You write large with such economy -- no wonder lovers slept on the eye of the Uffington Horse. (Great shouders to stand upon.) Please let landscapes like these linger, indeed.

kaykuala said...

What a classic offering of lines you have here Gemma! Very beautiful set of words befitting to that of the Bard!

Hank

Sanaa Rizvi said...

Oh! Such a stunning tribute in honor of the bard :D

brudberg said...

This is a stunning sonnet... I love the thought of dreaming well, and how we are still so connected to the bard...

Outlawyer said...

Gemma-- I had a very odd thing happen to my computer trying to comment first time--not sure what it was but taken to some strange alert--

anyway, lovely poem, great tribute--good work with the sonnet! Really well done. k.

De Jackson said...

STUNNING tribute to the bard, in his own sonnet form. Floored by this one.

C.C. said...

This is so lyrical, Gemma. I love the way it sounds when read out loud. This is utter brilliance: "If poets be the eyes of dreams, dream well." And those last two closing lines are really such a cool tribute to the Bard!

Anonymous said...

Oh, yes - write on! ;-)

Gillena Cox said...

luv this Gemma, actually its one that first comes to my mind when i think of the Bard, even though my response this time, shifted to a quote from Romeo and Juilet

much love...

hedgewitch said...

I absolutely love this--illuminated and glowing with life, and so gentle as it turns over every soft beautiful thing the bard has given us, and some not so soft as well--yet the end impression is lioght and the joy of a creation that makes the most of what we are, even while it knows the worst. Really one of the best I've read for this prompt, Gemma--a great pleasure to encounter it.

Marian said...

This is fantastic! Each line starting with "if poets..." I felt in my heart. That sounds tacky but something like that. :) Wonderful.

Hannah said...

The closing breath is powerful.

Helen Patrice said...

This is delicious, and the sort of poetry I wish I could write.

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