Sonnet 12

This time a different variation on the Italian sonnet. I use the CDDCDC scheme for the the sextant.

Though I do enjoy linguistic challenges, and am new to this variation, I don't think I'll be working with it much more. It may have to do with the nature of Italian itself. I don't speak it, but it could be that the particularities of that language make this set up musical, whereas in English it feels clumsy to me, and almost arbitrary. I've no doubt I could improve with repeated attempts at this variation, but I found it uninspiring on the whole, and would rather not delve deeply into it during this exploration. Perhaps a future one.

By all of that as it may, here is what I composed pursuant to this variation. I had to stretch with this one a bit. Satisfactory, but nothing of which to be especially proud.

*

Within the realms of my exhausted mind
I am a here. And a villain. And a knave.
I cannot make my deepest thoughts behave.
They always leave reality behind.
No longer can I know how I'm defined.
My crumbling sense of self, I cannot save.
Perhaps I could if only I were brave.
(Or if the world had only once been kind.)
My true identity is lost to pain,
Obscured by years of being all alone.
By now, however, history has shown
That men like me are simply called insane.
But if my chance at peace has not been blown,
I have to love myself and try again. 

Sonnet 11

After a brief hiatus, I am back posting poetry. Still on sonnets, but this time, I have moved to the Italian form.

I'm happy to move on to another sonnet form. Sonnets are easy to understand, yet challenging to keep fresh when composing them on a regular basis. Switching off to another form has helped a bit. I won't be writing ten of each form, but I will be writing several Italian forms, due to the fact that the rhyme scheme for same can vary. That is to say the scheme for the final six lines (the sestet) can go any number of ways, historically. The octave, or the first eight lines is more set.

I've had experience in the past with an ABBA rhyme scheme, though not for sonnets. I enjoy  composing in this form as well as reading in it. The challenge with the sonnet is that I must do it twice within one poem, without repeating a word to end the line with. That was its own challenge. I've only composed one Italian sonnet so far, (that which follows), but I'll have to keep this in mind for future attempts.

This one has a romantic bent, but I don't think I'm going to hold myself to that theme as I play around with Italian sonnets. I'm more interested in exploring the form and meter, having kept the traditional theme throughout most of the Shakespearean sonnets.

I consider it an adequate first attempt, not fantastic. I hope to improve with the next few Italian forms.

*

The tender whisper of my name at night.
I cannot even see her gentle face.
There's not another sound from any place.
My doubts are out of mind, and out of sight.

She stops my hand as I reach for the light.
We lay in silence in our darkened space.
Our life proceeds for us at our own pace.
"Right now I only ask you hold me tight."

She never has to ask. "I give at will
The comfort and affection that you seek.
"I'll be right here, if you are well or ill."
The last that night that either of us speak.
When dawn approaches we are silent still.
She strengthens me when I am feeling weak.