John Watt Poet Sonnet

Notes About The Poem

My sonnet about writing sonnets was inspired by two of my favorite sonnets; click on the links if you wish to visit them to see what these two poets have written about this beautiful form ~ JW

Nuns Fret Not At Their Convent's Narrow Room - by William Wordsworth
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52299/nuns-fret-not-at-their-convents-narrow-room

Inside This Little Room - by Andrea Dietrich
https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/inside_this_little_room_208023

 

 

A Word Canvas

The sheet is blank, the pencil sharp. But still
no lightning bolt of creativity
lights up the night. No muse awakes my quill
with inspiration longed for patiently.
Just then, intriguing thoughts invade my mind
as Wordworth's sonnet lines jump off the shelf -
of convents, bees, and weavers. Soon I find,
 inside this little room, it writes itself!

Why sonnets? is a question I have heard -
is it not difficult enough to paint
an image without forcing every word
into strict rhyme and metrical constraint?
Yet even artists choose, when they begin,
 a canvas shape and size to paint within.


Written 15 Oct 2020

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Alexis Y. October 18, 2020 at 5:55 PM Hi John, I enjoyed your well written write about a Sonnet. I’m trying to get better at the form because I enjoy Sonnets. Best wishes in the contest:-) Alexis John Watt October 18, 2020 at 8:38 PM Hi Alexis, thanks for your sweet comment. Keep doing sonnets and building up your prowess!

Gershon Wolf October 17, 2020 at 6:39 PM You're right. We've got on minds on the same kind of write!... Awaiting your baseball masterpiece, John. How about those Astros and those Dodgers?! ~ Root, root, root, Gershon John Watt October 18, 2020 at 12:18 AM Thanks, GW. It's a synchronicity we've got going.

Vijay Pandit October 17, 2020 at 2:43 PM You are a gifted writer, John--your creativity shines in this poem. John Watt October 17, 2020 at 5:06 PM Thank you very much Vijay!

Jennifer Proxenos October 17, 2020 at 11:32 AM A brilliant write John. This happens to all of us but then you suddenly hear or see a word or a phrase or think of something that happened in your life which would be an interesting write, and your words spill out of your pen, tripping over one another. Well penned my friend. John Watt October 17, 2020 at 11:48 AM Thank you for the lovely comment, Jenn. It's amazing how frequently it happens, it's as though your pen can't keep up with the thoughts. Then you go a week or two (or more) without a single poetic thought! So strange!

Angela Crabtree October 16, 2020 at 8:10 PM A wonderful poem, John. I love these forms of poetry and you do them, so well. :) ~Angie John Watt October 17, 2020 at 12:05 AM Glad to know you are also a fan. I appreciate your generous comment, Angie.

Andrea Dietrich October 16, 2020 at 6:19 PM just read the classic one by wordsworth too (what a cool poet name to have) LOVE that one. I wonder if I read it long ago? I seem to recall someone maybe blogging on it John Watt October 17, 2020 at 12:04 AM I agree, I love the name and the poem!

Andrea Dietrich October 16, 2020 at 6:17 PM oh yes, you have GOT the sonnet fever and you understand it so well now, my friend. Gotta fave this one (and thanks so much for the mention of my sonnet on the sonnet from long ago) John Watt October 17, 2020 at 12:04 AM That's an amazing vote of confidence from the sonneteer herself. Thank you, Andrea. Your fave and support mean so much to me.

Carolyn Devonshire October 16, 2020 at 4:44 PM The words of classic poets inspire me too, John, and the sonnet is my favorite serious poetic form. (Jack Horne and I became friends a decade ago because I love his sonnets.) When you write enough of them, you no longer have to worry about the syllable count and meter. It just comes to you. A very lovely sonnet, John! It comes naturally. Your painting certainly took shape on your poetic canvas! Hugs, Carolyn John Watt October 17, 2020 at 12:03 AM Thank you Carolyn for your kind words. There are some sonnet fans here at Soup, and some such as yourself who are quite experienced at the art of writing them. I still have much to learn!

Michelle Faulkner October 16, 2020 at 1:05 PM I often find inspiration from some of my favorite poets - and there is something about sonnets that have a musical magic to them - a shining ode to the form! Michelle Faulkner October 18, 2020 at 5:01 PM I hope you will like it as much as I do :) John Watt October 16, 2020 at 1:11 PM Thank you, Michelle. You and I are alike in that regard. I just now received the ESVM bio in the mail... looking forward to reading it!

John Hamilton October 16, 2020 at 9:02 AM Well done John I enjoyed this, is this an Italian sonnet 8-6 lines? John Watt October 16, 2020 at 12:22 PM It looks that way from the break, but no it's in the Shakespearian sonnet form. Thanks for the visit John, I'm glad you enjoyed.

Joanna Daniel October 16, 2020 at 4:39 AM Wow! John, love the imagery and the brilliant conclusion:) John Watt October 16, 2020 at 12:21 PM Thank you most dearly for visiting and leaving your kind words behind, Jo. Enjoy your day and weekend ~ John

Tom Cunningham October 16, 2020 at 2:40 AM Like Wendy I had this image of you in a darkened room quill in hand, a lone candle flickering with wax running down the stem, shadows jumping around on the wall. Then a lightning bolt and a clap of thunder and then inspiration and words flowed through your mind and onto a yellowed piece of parchment. Well composed John, good luck. Hope you're well. Tom. P. S. Also brought back a memory of when I went to Wordworths house in Cockermouth in the lake district, I can see where he got inspiration for his works. John Watt October 16, 2020 at 12:20 PM Yes, that's me in the powdered wig and knickers! Great poetry is one of the many excellent legacies we Americans have received from the motherland, not to mention our wonderful shared language. I would love to visit the site you mentioned, I'm sure it's in the national registry. Thank you for your kind words Tom ~ John

Wendy Watson October 16, 2020 at 12:24 AM Wow! I love the picture you have created here, John and could almost picture you sitting in a nightcap, brow furrowed, quill poised! As you can imagine, I would say a loud amen in praise of this poetic form which you have executed brilliantly in this thought-provoking verse and I also enjoyed reading the two linked poems. This one is going into my favourites. John Watt October 16, 2020 at 12:43 AM My dear Wendy, what a wonderful pleasure to see you commenting here. You are one of my favourite metre mavens here at Soup, and I know you can relate to the joy of reading or writing a piece with careful crafted cadence, rhyme, and structure, whether it be a sonnet or one of the hundreds of forms available to us which provide us a framework within which to paint our creations. Love your comment, and am humbled by your fave. Thank you deeply, my friend.