withoutverona: (Default)
Romeo Montague ([personal profile] withoutverona) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2012-07-30 09:34 am
Entry tags:

Poetry 101, Monday, 7/30

Romeo gave the students a tired smile as they came in. He'd been dead the week before, which was frightening to think about but relatively easy to live through. As far as he could tell, he'd gone to bed the night of Sunday the 23rd and not woken up until the 30th.

But it was already clear to him that Yurika had not been so lucky.

"I understand," he said, taking his place in the circle of desks, "that the last week did not tread lightly on many of you. If its weight is such that you need to take this session and walk in the sun, or write in your journals, or anything, I've been here long enough that I'll not fault you for it."

"For the rest of us," he continued, "this week is about sonnets. A sonnet is a 14-line poem written in a highly stylized manner. In English tradition -- though of course there are other traditions -- they are written in ten-syllable lines of iambic pentameter, with a rhyme scheme of a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g. And within the corset of that format, great beauty can unfold. Listen:

Fair is my love, when her fair golden hairs
With the loose wind ye waving chance to mark:
Fair, when the rose in her red cheeks appears,
Or in her eyes the fire of love does spark:
Fair, when her breast, like a rich laden bark
With precious merchandise she forth doth lay:
Fair, when that cloud of pride, which oft doth dark
Her goodly light, with smiles she drives away
But fairest she, when so she doth display
The gate with pearls and rubies richly dight,
Through which her words so wise do make their way,
To bear the message of her gentle sprite.
The rest be works of nature's wonderment,
But this the work of heart's astonishment. 


"That's by Sir Edmund Spenser," he said, when he was done. "And your assignment for today is to write a sonnet of your own. Don't chain yourself too firmly to the rules, if they don't suit what you have to say."

Re: Sign In [7/30]

[identity profile] catchmeifyoucan.livejournal.com 2012-07-30 01:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Frank Abagnale
genesishero: (UM. BUH.)

Re: Sign In [7/30]

[personal profile] genesishero 2012-07-30 01:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Evan Sabahnur

Re: Sign In [7/30]

[identity profile] yinandyango.livejournal.com 2012-07-31 11:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Fawn Singleton Farrell

Re: Activity [7/30]

[identity profile] thatwasafreebie.livejournal.com 2012-07-30 08:31 pm (UTC)(link)
This past week was way, way too trippy for Maeby to think about long enough to write anything coherent. And she didn't have a boyfriend, and it turned out very few things rhymed with "STEVE HOLT." So instead she went to her favorite topic, that being, her crappy parents.

My mother is a useless drunken whore
She loves to shop and try to cheat on Dad
He's gay, so that one I can't blame her for
He drags me into schemes. I wish I had
New parents, ones who noticed that I'm gone.
I left a month ago and not a word
They're narcissists, and so I learned to con
My way through life. It really is absurd
That two people can be so self-obsessed.
Go ask my mom my age, she'll get it wrong.
I think it really would be for the best
If they were sent to go live in Hong Kong.
At least in three more years I will be free:
If I ever become them, please shoot me.

Re: Activity [7/30]

[identity profile] monkeymonkeydie.livejournal.com 2012-07-30 11:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Challenge accepted.

After spending grueling minutes scribbling out his masterpiece, Bucky stood on his desk to share it with the class.

"I call this 'Ode Upon My Favorite Things Which I Just Thought Of Right Now Here In Class'," he announced. "...In B Minor."

He cleared his throat, took a bow, and began.

Monkey monkey monkey I'm'na eat it.
Chicken chicken chicken fill my belly.
Monkey monkey monkey yummy treat it.
Chicken chicken chicken with lime jelly.

Monkey monkey monkey monkey want some.
Chicken chicken chicken chicken gimme.
Monkey monkey monkey monkey num num.
Chicken chicken chicken gimme gimme.

Monkey monkey monkey monkey monkey.
Chicken chicken chicken chicken chicken.
Monkey monkey monkey monkey monkey.
Chicken chicken chicken chicken chicken.

Die food die food die food die food die food.
Die food die food die food die food die food.


"You may all applaud now."

Re: Talk to Teacher + TA [7/30]

[identity profile] secretheritage.livejournal.com 2012-07-30 02:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Cassie was keeping to herself, trying to deal with everything she could remember from last week.

If she didn't enjoy this class and didn't like Romeo so much, she would be hiding.