z

Young Writers Society



A Land of Setting Suns

by Swirl Antara


So I wrote this for english class this weekend and am rather pleased with it. It is a Shakespearean sonnet, so the format is very strict. I don't know for sure, but this might have been subconsciously inspired because of my grandmother, who is in the hospital, but sadly won't be around much longer. :cry:

here goes nothing!

oh, and title ideas are very welcome too! I just made up this title off the top of my head

So backwards is the setting of the sun,
So beautiful yet saddening as well;
The moment that the honeyed light is done,
We're dunked benath a cold farewell.

The golden ship rests in it's final berth
Light's drowned forever in His abs'lute keep
Not one can see past the edge of the earth;
that final cliff that one day all must leap.

The darkness casts a frost round ev'ry eye
Who stayed to watch the golden sphere blink closed.
That soothing lively heat at last does die,
Our hidden fears to elements exposed

After a true long life full of sunsets,
One hopes the last will be gracefully met.


Note: You are not logged in, but you can still leave a comment or review. Before it shows up, a moderator will need to approve your comment (this is only a safeguard against spambots). Leave your email if you would like to be notified when your message is approved.







Is this a review?


  

Comments



User avatar
53 Reviews


Points: 1090
Reviews: 53

Donate
Fri Jun 05, 2009 1:04 am
Swirl Antara says...



In the first line of the third stanza: why did you cut out the syllable in 'ev'ry'? You don't need to cut a syllable, so 'every' would work just as well. When you do the apostrophe thing and it's not needed, it can get too pretentious too quickly.
Several of your problems seem to be with the number of syllables. The reason that I had to use certain words was to match sonnet format (10 syllables per line + iambic pentameter). That's another reason that I said "ev'ry" - to make sure that whoever was reading it wouldn't say "ev-e-ry", as some people do pronounce the word.

In the second line, I'd replace the 'who' with 'that' as it's referring to the eyes, not a person.

The 'eyes' in the second line are referring to people! Does it sound better with 'that'?

In the third line, 'soothing' and 'lively' seem a bit contradictory; I'd actually just remove 'lively' and then I think the line would read more smoothly as well.

I can't just remove the word lively without adding another word in it's place to fit sonnet format (again, I know. sonnet format is really strict and truly constricts the freedom of writing, but that's the way that it has to be). I liked the line, but do you have any other ideas for words to put in it's place?

Also, the last line of the couplet has 10 syllables:
"af/ter/a/true/long/life/full/of/sun/sets"
Again, do you have any recommendations to replace the 'filler' words?

In the first line of the second stanza, it should be 'its' not 'it's', and in the third line it should be 'lights' instead of 'light's'.

I'll fix the typos next time that I edit this sonnet.

Thanks for the reviews!




User avatar
312 Reviews


Points: 6403
Reviews: 312

Donate
Wed Jun 03, 2009 8:25 pm
Mars wrote a review...



Zomg a sonnet, I absolutely love sonnets! Here goes my two cents:

I love all of the first stanza except the second line; it needs more syllables, as it is now it messes up the rhythm of the poem. I also think that you could use stronger words than 'beautiful' and 'saddening'; they're bland, boring, and don't really invoke the feeling that a setting sun slash death should.

In the first line of the second stanza, it should be 'its' not 'it's', and in the third line it should be 'lights' instead of 'light's'.

In the first line of the third stanza: why did you cut out the syllable in 'ev'ry'? You don't need to cut a syllable, so 'every' would work just as well. When you do the apostrophe thing and it's not needed, it can get too pretentious too quickly. In the second line, I'd replace the 'who' with 'that' as it's referring to the eyes, not a person. In the third line, 'soothing' and 'lively' seem a bit contradictory; I'd actually just remove 'lively' and then I think the line would read more smoothly as well.

And the first line of the couplet needs a couple more syllables as well, but not just filler words (like true). Basically, I think you have wonderful ideas and images here, but you need to work on the rhythm. To do this, I suggest reading it in your head many more times, but also reading it out loud so that you can really hear how it sounds.

Cheers.




User avatar


Points: 300
Reviews: 0

Donate
Wed Jun 03, 2009 5:28 pm
Fallen says...



I thought it was great ^^
Dark but True. That's something that people don't like about poetry, is that it can be very dark. But sometimes darkness is the truth and the only real way to express one's self.




User avatar
321 Reviews


Points: 12611
Reviews: 321

Donate
Wed Jun 03, 2009 2:18 pm
Flower~Child says...



I think it is interesting, but I don't quite understand it.





Live your life how you want, but don't confuse drama with happiness.
— Ron, Parks & Rec