An Ugly Place

Poet's Notes

(Show)

Become a Premium Member and post notes and photos about your poem like Emile Pinet.

Quatern
A Quatern is a sixteen-line French form composed of four quatrains. It has a refrain that is in a different place in each quatrain. The first line of stanza one is the second line of stanza two, the third line of stanza three, and the fourth line of stanza four. A quatern has eight syllables per line. It does not have to be iambic or follow a set rhyme scheme. line 1 line 2 line 3 line 4 line 5 line 6 (line 1) line 7 line 8 line 9 line 10 line 11 (line 1) line 12 line 13 line 14 line 15 line 16 (line 1)

Our planet's not an ugly place, it's beautiful; despite its scars. For Earth’s green jungles still exist, as do seas of aquamarine. Antarctica boasts white on white, our planet's not an ugly place. And the Arctic's frozen sea ice, over which the northern lights dance. Deserts of tan-colored sands create abstract mocha motifs. Our planet's not an ugly place, here a scarlet sun inks pink clouds. Volcanos sculpt land from lava, and freshwater falls from the sky. So, no matter what folks may say, our planet's not an ugly place. (Quatern) 01/10/2022

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem.

Please Login to post a comment

Connie Marcum Wong

Date: 1/10/2022 4:16:00 PM

Everything on earth was created in perfect balance with nature as designed by God. Things only go awry when man tries to change the balance of nature. Your poem is beautifully expressed Emile. I witness the beauty of our planet every day. If man concentrated on what is right instead of what is wrong we would have an abundance of the former. Blessings my friend. xxoo

Emile Pinet
Date: 1/11/2022 9:14:00 AM

Thanks, Connie, we live in a world of beauty and wonder, but unfortunately, we are blinded by our egos and oft try to alter nature to match our interpretation of perfection my friend, Emile.

Greg Hladky

Date: 1/10/2022 11:06:00 AM

Well said, and great form! I'm curious about the refrain. Is this a reply to Tennyson's description of nature as violent, as "red in tooth and claw"? I like to think of our planet as not only an oasis in the vastness of space, but our only home. It would be a shame if we squandered it in the hope that something better awaits us elsewhere.

Emile Pinet
Date: 1/10/2022 11:25:00 AM

Thanks, Greg, Earth is our only home! We tend to be blind to what we have, in hopes of finding better, never accepting that we have all the best Nature has to offer right here at home, my friend. Tennyson's description of nature is one of a violent natural world, but violence is a man-made concept, and not suitable to describe nature, Emile.