Concerning Sonnets, Et cetera

Two posts in one week? Whoa!  Well, I thought it would be a good idea to kick off my first week of blogging with a bang! Also, I'm posting again today because I want to dwindle down my stockpile of sonnets.  I've decided I'd like to keep my posts a little more recent so there's not an entire month between when I finish a sonnet and when I post it, so this should help with that.

This sonnet is one that I wrote in response to finishing my first sonnet.  I don't really want to give too much of my intended meaning away because I feel that takes away from allowing you to interpret it in the way you choose; but I must mention that with this sonnet I wanted to capture the process of writing a sonnet (at least for me).  You probably already noticed this but I based the name of my blog on this sonnet.  Enjoy!

Concerning Sonnets, Et cetera

I chose persistent battle locked amidst

Fermented words. Dismember judgement; hack

And mangle every prized appendage. Black

Repugnant blotches splattered outward didst

Obscure the pure quixotic view betwixt

The portal's lustrous pulse. Oh flee this fact:

Without a key my way shall ever lack

Admittance through this passage ere affixed.

Ye evil tendril wrapped around my quill,

I have no fear if thou lead me askew.

For solely through the writhing wretched will

The gleaming gate be opened up anew.

To pass, to see, to be; in me instil

A fervour felt by only those who flew.

Completion date: 2/22/2012

Unpublished Material, ©2012 Neal Digre

As this august gem strikes the briny sea

The first post!  Most importantly, thank you for reading this!  This is something I've had a lot of fun with so far and I hope you get as much enjoyment from reading my poems as I get from writing them.  Secondly, I want to use this first post to outline what each blog will contain.  I will always try and start out like this - just talking about my week, the poem, the inspiration that went into the poem, and anything else I feel like talking about.  Then, of course, will be the sonnet.  Following each sonnet I will put the date I completed it.  I'm planning on writing each sonnet three or four weeks ahead of when I post it, so I think posting the completion date will be helpful.  I was a bit anxious to get this first post out there so I'm posting it today, but in the future I will try and post every Wednesday.  If you have any questions, suggestions, or just want to let me know if you enjoyed the week's sonnet PLEASE feel free to leave a comment.  I've rambled on about this long enough.  Now to my description of this week's sonnet.

The week before Valentine's Day in my AP Lit class we studied the love sonnets of Elizabeth Barrett Browning.  As something fun, I wanted to write my own love sonnet to share with the class.  What started out as just something fun to do for a few extra points has turned into so much more than that.  And now, without further delay, I present to you my first sonnet of many.



As this august gem strikes the briny sea

As this august gem strikes the briny sea,
Enveloped, constant churning, frantic! - lost;
As loathsome, trifling, freakish blights accost
Almighty men encouraged well to flee.
As frightened children conquer vile debris;
As crimson sunrise reaches out to most
Who feel the lurid, icy sting of frost;
As those amended shed light unto me.
As fallible as I may be - oh Stay!
A many mortal thing amid us may ensue
Yet salty tears we spill are washed away.
No woe nor rime shall ever more subdue
This feeling causing two in one to say,
With all my being, always, I love you.


Completion date: 2/12/2012
Unpublished Material, ©2012 Neal Digre