Need ideas for epic poem

[Magus]

It looks, though, that I'm working at a poetic challenge of a different sort. I promised a friend of mine that I'd write her a fully cycle of 150 sonnets. And after intense negotiations we've agreed that I'll simply write one every two days until they're all done with. And if I were to do that for a year I should end up with about 183 sonnets. So that's my new challenge for the year.



So, Aldan, how far has your idea progressed. I remember when you said what it was about but I'm not sure if you ever said how far along you had gotten in it.

[aldan]

You've read 'Treachery', so you know off of what it will be based. I am still trying to come up with a good "major character" that will survive past the death of the MC captain from Treachery, because I can't seem to come up with a strong enough story just using the captain. Still struggling with it, though...

[Tremayne]

I'll take 4000 lines of couplets over 183 sonnets any day! Are you starting now, Magus, or at the first of the year? Will you be sharing them with us? It would take me at least a week for each sonnet. Heck, I'd consider one sonnet a month taxing. First there's the writing of it and then there's the getting over what a dismal failure it was before starting the next one.

I'll have to look up Aldan's Treachery. I assume it's in the poetry thread here.

[aldan]

It is indeed, along with quite a few others...

[Magus]

I have two down already. So of the ones I owe my friend in accordance with our deal I have 148 left to write.



Even the second compared to the first I noticed it became easier as I became more used to iambic pentameter. I suspect that soon it won't seem so bad. But to amuse myself I've decided to write some English Sonnets, some Italian ones, some in Spenserian style and others I'll simply write in Spanish.



It'll be... interesting.

[Tremayne]

Awright, Magus, quit bragging about your nimble young mind!

I agree that while you're being a sonneteer you might as well mix it up.

I have taken a graduate level poetry class in forms, which included of a variety of writers. Lo and behold when everyone was trying sonnets, those who wrote primarily fiction seemed to have a natural knack for sonnets. The poets were lousy. One of the fiction writers was already known for his sonnets before entering the class. That's what he wrote: fiction and sonnets. Interesting phenomenon.

[Magus]

Interesting indeed.

And I have to be on my guard. My friend is a starving hyena simply waiting to pounce on any mistake I make. She grabbed one, actually fishing through my things while I wasn't looking, to find a sonnet that I had purposely kept from her on account of several lines where I accidentally had 11 syllables. She apparently liked it, but was quick to point out errors. In part this is the reason why I let her read almost everything I write. She's good at what she does.

[Tremayne]

Don't forget to ask your friend whether the "errors" detract from the poem or not. It's not a mortal sin to have nine or eleven syllables or to switch feet on occasion. It's part of the art of the thing.

If I manage to get past the Keats challenge maybe I'll try sonnets, though at the moment the idea threatens to make me pass out. I think it's great that you're doing it and I'm confident you're going to succeed.

I'm going into a huddle with my epic idea for now so may not post much until I've got something to show.

[aldan]

Ah, but it's art if there's a purpose to it. It's not art just because you couldn't think of a better way. That's one of the true things about real art. The artists 'break rules' to make a point, but if they're not making a point, their work is considered amateurish and not worthy of consideration.

[Magus]

It was simply something I overlooked. I wrote the entire sonnet in Math instead of paying attention (we had a sub, so technically it was instead of doing the work assigned to us). So when you consider that everyone was shouting across the room and I wrote what I considered a good poem in that length of time a single error is better then what it could have been. Anyway, it's something that I can easily work out.

Tomorrow's sonnet is a vindictive one, written about how I hate her for making me do this. She said it was O.K., so long as there's no swearing. So much for me calling her a "vindictive *beep*". I'll just have to settle for "vindictive hag".

[Magus]

***Please note that she's an awesome-awesome person and that the entire idea behind this sonnet was approved by her and taken with good humor too. Just thought that I should add this.***

[aldan]

By the way, it should be "better THAN" not "better then"....