A Salute to One of Our Own - Craig Cornish's Blog

Consider this challenge; first, write a proper English/Shakespearean sonnet which requires 14 lines with a rhyme scheme of ababcdcdefefgg all in iambic pentameter (not simply 10 syllables - that's easy, but true iamb meter). Now think of writing (stay with me) seven of those interlinked by the last line of sonnet #1 becoming the first line of sonnet #2 etc, until the 7th sonnet where it is concluded with the first line of sonnet #1, that's called a crown of sonnets -- you might say wow, but I'm not done. Now consider writing 15 sonnets where the first 14 are linked by the last line of each becoming the first line of the next and then sonnet #15 is made up of the last line of the preceding 14 (all rhyming the proper way etc.) That's called a Heroic Crown -- you might say "no way", but I'm not done yet. Consider writing a Heroic Crown and then another & another & another until you've written 14 Heroic Crowns and then the 15th Heroic Crown is derived from the first line of each of the sonnets contained in the previous Crowns. That's called a Heroic Crown of Crowns! It's over 200 sonnets and almost 3,000 lines of iambic pentameter. I understand it and I'm confused! Now consider writing a Heroic Crown of Crowns about a historical event like the American Civil War and you've done what our own Mark Massey has accomplished and published. Oh btw, from what I can find, there have been fewer than 10 ever written outside of Europe and certainly none on this topic. You can peek at a preview of his book on Amazon, it's called This War of Brothers. This may be the single greatest accomplishment by any of our peers here on the soup or anywhere for that matter.  Bravo MARK!