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Unread 04-29-2012, 08:43 AM
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Gail White Gail White is offline
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Default Sonnet #6 - plain speaking

PLAIN SPEAKING

From fairest creatures we desire increase
That thereby beauty's rose might never die.
Yet beauty often grows where brains decrease
And empty heads appeal most to men's eye.
In this respect it is most often said,
So often as to be a rule of thumb,
That beauty always crowns an empty head
And blonde girls are particularly dumb.
Yet plainer women, too, must ply their wiles
And seek to turn a strapping lover's head
Who lacks the range of wheedling, amorous guiles
To lure attractive women to his bed.
For plainer women, also, must give birth
Else would intelligence pass from this earth.

Last edited by Gail White; 04-29-2012 at 01:05 PM. Reason: adding italics
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Unread 04-29-2012, 08:45 AM
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Gail White Gail White is offline
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Of the several entries that might have been considered "light verse", this was the one that made me laugh.
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Unread 04-29-2012, 09:25 AM
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Martin Rocek Martin Rocek is offline
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Hilarious! (Though I do feel guilty for laughing). A perfect use of archaic tone for satirical effect.
The trochaic sub "most to" in L4 bothers me a tiny bit.

Last edited by Martin Rocek; 04-29-2012 at 09:34 AM.
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Unread 04-29-2012, 09:38 AM
Tim Murphy Tim Murphy is offline
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Shakespeare was probably not familiar with dumb blonde jokes, but I think he would have liked this tribute to his imitable style.
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Unread 04-29-2012, 09:39 AM
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Jayne Osborn Jayne Osborn is offline
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Very funny!

I agree with Martin about L4's 'most to', particularly as 'most' appears again in the next line.

And empty heads appeal most to men's eye

could become something like 'And empty heads do seem to catch men's eye'; it would be an easy fix anyway.

But this dumbe blonde enjoyed the sonnet!
(Someone told me they thought it was mine, to which I replied "I wish!")

Jayne
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Unread 04-29-2012, 10:12 AM
Mary McLean Mary McLean is offline
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I'm another dumb blonde in favour. This is archaic in tone and full of cliche, but it works. Very elegantly done.
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Unread 04-29-2012, 12:18 PM
Vernon Sims Vernon Sims is offline
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I like how accessible and light this is even with the archaic syntax. A satyr at work here . WSell done.
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Unread 04-29-2012, 12:48 PM
Brian Watson Brian Watson is offline
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The premise is faulty: Sonnet 1 belongs unambiguously to the Young Man series.
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Unread 04-29-2012, 12:50 PM
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Janice D. Soderling Janice D. Soderling is offline
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A wonderful parody on Bill Shakey's Sonnet I. No nits.

Crossposted with Brian.
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Unread 04-29-2012, 02:46 PM
conny conny is offline
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want to dislike it, but can't.

+probably 10 lines too long. but saved by the couplet.
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