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04-29-2012, 08:43 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Breaux Bridge, LA, USA
Posts: 3,487
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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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04-29-2012, 08:45 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Breaux Bridge, LA, USA
Posts: 3,487
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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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04-29-2012, 09:25 AM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: NY, USA
Posts: 4,602
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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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04-29-2012, 09:38 AM
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Lariat Emeritus
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Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Fargo ND, USA
Posts: 13,816
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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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04-29-2012, 09:39 AM
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Administrator
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Middle England
Posts: 6,950
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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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04-29-2012, 10:12 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Cambridge UK
Posts: 1,214
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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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04-29-2012, 12:18 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Irving TX USA
Posts: 623
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like
I like how accessible and light this is even with the archaic syntax. A satyr at work here . WSell done.
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04-29-2012, 12:48 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 528
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The premise is faulty: Sonnet 1 belongs unambiguously to the Young Man series.
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04-29-2012, 12:50 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sweden
Posts: 14,175
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A wonderful parody on Bill Shakey's Sonnet I. No nits.
Crossposted with Brian.
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04-29-2012, 02:46 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 1,843
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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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