Long Iambic pentameter Poems

Sweet Rose of Virtue
by William Dunbar (c. 1460-1530)
loose translation/modernization/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

after William Dunbar

Sweet rose of virtue and of gentleness,
delightful lily of youthful wantonness,
richest in bounty and in beauty clear
and in every virtue that...

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The tears well up, and scarce could she not moan
When father, brother, husband, all have died.
She now has no possessions, neither home,
But travels to a distant, unknown land:
Once so secure, yet now compelled to roam;
Once...

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Thus it begins—
A free-verse epic
Into the mind of
A writer and an idiot—
A romantic and, 
Often a pessimist
Conjoined in arbitrary glory
Are the thoughts and words 
Of one overly-worked mind—
Charismatic and, of course,
On the pushover, pitiful
And usually...

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Pardon any absent adulation, bequeathed capitulation, devoted dedication, indiscretion, blabbering peroration, improper salutation or any unintended vexation if this unknown earthling sent a nearly identical message. He over-looked a small number of errors and hoped...

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“ChatGPT-4, can you give me your literary opinion on the following sonnet? By the way, it is preambled by an explanatory prolegomenon which discusses the sonnet’s theme and my inspiration for composing it:”

Mental “Masturbation”

(The title...

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Telling tales or stories is a favourable pasttime;
But using pictures to tell stories of past and present,
Yours remind me of days back in time,
Would not be all very  recent,
Last ones of grateful recline
To golden...

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O to tune in to good times of childhood—
To re-live gone-by years, not just to brood,
To lighten dust-laden baggage’s dead tare,
To unburden mind of deadwood afloat, 
To fast-forward to dusky days of old, 
To turn...

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I move my hurtful head and stare forlorn
Over my non-existing boundary,
Where past is seen and future laughs decayed.
Here language is an unwelcome guest,
In stillness awkward, clean environment.
My eyes stay empty, yet insist and glare
Through looks...

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My Prayer of the Day

I’m broken Lord, I’ve come here now to pray
To beg forgiveness, for I’ve lost my way
I’ve done and said things, lived outside Your will
For that I’ve suffered, and I suffer still

I’ve...

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What are words other than coffin nails be?
Who does it belong to when it rails me?
An empty vessel at best that bails thee.

Lend me your ear and draw your heart near;
my words might seer, but...

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Me: "Bing, the intended rhyme scheme for the poem below is ABABAB; and I made additional changes in line 9 of the poem in order to improve its meter and make more vivid and clarify...

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Regarding merit: absent, missing, void
Of all redeeming qualities, save one,
The apple of His eye, His "very good.”
Was He, in pleasant garden, much annoyed
When they His one divine decree did shun
To taste forbidden fruit because they...

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MONSIEUR L'VAMPYRE & THE BLACK LADY OF PARIS
Just south of Paris, lives the soul of me,
at my chateau, where few will ever see,
I'm compensated for the way
death lingers on from day to day
and makes each...

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MONSIEUR L'VAMPYRE & THE DARK LADY
Just south of Paris, lives the soul of me,
at my chateau, where few will ever see,
I'm compensated for the way
death lingers on from day to day
and makes each night a...

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The root word for religion is not kind – 
Latin verb that means to tie or to bind – 
as it tends to play tricks on anyone’s mind. 

For some, the edicts lash; they mercilessly...

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They met one summer’s end. He was in town
for not too long and needed to get back
to his own country. Meanwhile, he hung out
with family. His sister lived in that
small town, and he was staying...

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Dear budding poet,

Regarding modern poetry this is a result of poets such as you redesigning forms of poetry written through the ages by different nationalities, famous and just ordinary people like you and me.

When composing...

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Not Taller At All

There were birds in the garden. There were birds in the air. 
There were birds on the rooftops. There were birds everywhere. 
But one certain blackbird thought he could be best. 
He...

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September I gazed outside with unease
When I heard it will fall in the sixties.
Then dad said we’ll soon be losing degrees;
To me these things sounded like tragedies.

Why do we have say bye to degrees?
I never...

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Spirit’s Journey 
I’m sailing on the sea upon a sunbeam; 
I’m hovering on a cloud that’s made of snow; 
I’m flying on an asteroid round the planets; 
The universe is guiding spirit’s flow. 
 
I’m...

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Dapper Drac had a panic attack, and topping off the dread
His trendy boots clashed with his suit, plus his white shirt was stained red

Sure his hair was right, and dynamite, as seen in the mirror
Yet...

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Appearance was your entire routine.
But truth is found if one looks deep enough.
A walking good first impression machine,
Yet something else when we cut through the fluff.

If not a teammate, what is a colleague?
No possible chance...

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Frigoris Sereni verses Crisium Lu Atis
both combatants were hyped up
and the crowd seemed to be in it.
to the surprise of the regional promoters
who put these talents on exhibition to
show the Big City Promoters
who were on...

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To balance on a bike

you've gotta keep moving

but

 

since we can't

always move

 

our lives will improve

if we learn just when

it's time time time

to put a foot down

 

to keep

from falling

and breakin

our crown

 

wise is the...

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Speak to me in iambic pentameter
and weave Shakespeare sonnets with Milton anecdotes.
Read me riddles and rhymes divulged 
over uneaten dinners and swing-sets with broken chains.
Allow me to lip-synch to your ballad of broken piano-fingers
and I...

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