Photo by Mike Tinnion on Unsplash Modified by me Using Photoshop
Hi fellow poets of The Ink Well community. This is
@raj808 here to provide a spark of inspiration in the dark fallow fields of the current steem political battleground.
If you're bored with the drama
and want to breath a sigh of relief,
why not set yourself free,
jump on board and sail away
to shores evergreen.
Fill your glass and drink
the sweet mead of poetry.
The first of these weekly poetry prompts will be a double edged challenge containing a word prompt, and a suggested traditional poetic form in which to write your poem.
I wanted to provide flexibility in this challenge offering the choice to take the more structured path of writing in a poetic form, or if you feel this would inhibit your creativity please don't hesitate to write in freeverse.
The only thing I would ask is that you use the prompt word to inspire memories, thoughts and ideas on which to base your poem.
This week's prompt word is: legend
This could take you down any path, there is no limit other than your imagination.
You could write a poem based on a local legend in your country.
Your poem could describe a personal legend - a set of circumstances or life story that effected you deeply, making you who you are today.
Your poem could describe a legend set in a fantastical world of your own imagination.
Let your imagination run wild... the sky is the limit.
An optional challenge - write a ballad based on the word prompt.
The ballad is one of the most well known forms in the English poetic tradition. This poetic form follows an end of line rhyming structure and traditionally also adheres to a meter called common meter, which consists of alternating lines of iambic tetrameter (eight syllables) with lines of iambic trimeter (six syllables).
Don't worry too much about studying how to construct
perfect meter unless you want to do this research. The link in the previous sentence will take you to a great site to study the ballad's traditional form in more detail.
To be honest it is enough to know that the rhythm when you read your poem should flow in a da-dum, da-dum, da-dum type pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. Often poets find that they write in this way naturally, so really don't fret too much over it.
Modern ballads tend to sacrifice the need to stay exactly to the traditional meter and syllabic structure in favor of focusing on concise modern word choice and strong imagery. A pet hate of mine is the, o'er hills yonder type poems which use archaic language in modern times when it is completely inappropriate. Try to avoid this if you can. Both my poetry tutor at university and an editor I know agreed with this sentiment, contemporary poetry should be contemporary.
Ballads are often plot-driven, with one or more characters unfurling the story through events that lead to a dramatic conclusion. A ballad should not tell the reader what is happening. As with all forms of creative writing you should show the reader events that are happening through description to construct the story.
Ballads can vary in their verse structure, but I tend to write at least three quatrains (four line verses) or more, but as you can see in the example below, Edgar Allan Poe wrote his famous poem Annabel Lee in Sestets (six line verses).
Experimentation is encouraged but try to keep most of the form's conventions consistent. There is a big difference between experimental deviation and simply throwing away the rule book. The rhyme scheme for ballads follow a pattern of ABCB or ABCBDB (with rhyming words at the end of lines two, four and perhaps six if you write in sestets), and the ballad needs to tell a story.
It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe
Modern poetry tends to deviate away from strict form, replacing end of line rhymes with internal rhyme structures while focusing on other rhythmic uses of poetic technique such as assonance.
I personally find there is huge benefit in writing poems to a strict form as it helps the poet tighten up their choice of words and slows down the thought process while seeking end of line rhymes. I have found writing various forms of poetry really stretches me as I naturally write in freeverse. Tackling form is a great teacher... plus it's satisfying and can be great fun.
For those who are considering writing a ballad, but are still a little unsure I would like to provide an example of a poem I wrote about a Cornish legend that fits this prompt perfectly. Hopefully this will encourage you, and I promise that once you get into the rhythm of rhyming it will flow like water.
The Ballad of Morveren
Dim light cast through stained glass,
plays across the tiled floor,
while warm wind-blown waving grass
dances at the door.
In the church at Easter mass
they sing a joyous song,
a sudden still hush descends
upon the reverent throng.
The pastor's son, Mathey Trewella,
stands up in choral praise,
uplifts his voice in joyous canticle,
as he casts aloft his gaze
to hallowed beams of ships wood,
plain in carpenter’s skill,
his sweet song lifts up the morn,
winging Swifts’ across the hill.
As tremulous song echoes
in heaven's hall aloft,
the soft sound of footfall,
en-spells the swaying flock.
At the door mirror-skinned
haloed by the sun,
golden haired Morveren
sings forth to everyone.
Her feet beveled pearls
shod in sparkling scales,
as gilt and gilded silk unfurls
from gown of cinereal shale.
As if a dream had caught them
in the mingling of the voice,
all follow as she leaves the porch
bereft of will and choice.
Hamlen-like she leads them on
along a lonely path,
never once looking back,
then with a joyous laugh,
leads Mathey out to sea
as the waves cry out loud,
she fades from the tear stained eyes
of the weary milling crowd.
Every seven years or so
she returns to sing in waves,
but never seems to age a day
and her memory never fades.
© Rowan Joyce, all rights reserved.
Read my original post to learn more about this legend
As you can see from my ballad I have deviated from the rhyme scheme a little by rhyming line one and three in the first verse, but the essential rhyme lines remain mainly consistent. I deviate from the accepted rhyme scheme in verse five and eleven where I use half rhymes. This exemplifies what I mean by experimental deviation in form. In those instances I could find no end rhyme that would maintain the narrative of the poem. In that instance half rhymes were an acceptable alternative as they don't disrupt the rhythm set up by the rhyming structure.
This challenge will run for seven days until next Thursday when I shall provide another poetic prompt and challenge.
I hope you guys have fun writing around the theme of 'legend' and I look forward to reading all of your poems.
Thanks for reading.
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Whoopie! I'm looking forward to participating, and to the other entries. Thanks for running this contest.
Love the Mathey ballad. Led him and his song right out to sea, she did.
I had a feeling I'd find you here! 🌻
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I was JUST thinking about tagging you on this!
Likeminds ♡
excellent @owasco
We're looking forward to reading your entry. Whether free verse or a ballad I'm sure it will be.... wait for it.... legend....ary 😉
Sorry, I couldn't help myself. That will only make sense if you've ever seen a show called 'how I met your mother'
I've seen it, one of my daughters was really into it. They were a cute bunch. Great casting.
I'm going to try writing a ballad, why not? I'm still waiting for my idea to present itself to me though. I have one single line I'd like to put in - "The sound of one paw scratching" and that is as far as I've gotten!
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@sunravelme... can I entice you to join me in writing a legendary ballad? ;-)
I have an idea for one- lets see if I can get it on paper!
Excellent! I'm channeling the spirit of poetry your way Sun. I've been getting all poetic in the fantasy story I wrote today, but what is left is winging its way to you.
I love a good old fashioned contemporary ballad. Ha ha, and a quality oxymoron ;-)
I am realising that I have been a random poet using random ways to sound cool. I'd like to try this challenge because I think I should start diversifying my work.
I have said that I 'can't' do some things for too long. I want to know them. Or at least how to do them if I am going to be calling myself a poet. Looking forward 🎯
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hi @tezmel
That is great that you're going to give this challenge a go. We're looking forward to reading your entry. Whether free verse or a ballad I'm curious to see your take on the prompt of Legend.
Thanks for taking part in The Ink Well's first poetry challenge :)
Was editing my comment first. How did you even connect what I was saying in all that typo? Lol.
Thank you for the warm welcome though my feet already feel cold already. Straightens self But still looking forward :)
You're a poet for sure. I've never written a ballad before.
You flatter me. Let's see how it goes :)
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hello, I have written something for this but I have ended up using odd beats in some lines for emphasis, but they do fit the ba-bum ba-bum and just end on a ba. If this is disqualified for any reason, please let me know because I will probably end up writing a few more within these constraints as not only is it a great prompt, but rather like sonnets, the structure is strangely liberating.
The Ballad Of Bobby Boy
Awesome... and welcome to The Ink Well @letalis-laetitia
I just read your entry... wow! Great ballad.
No, this is an easy going prompt and challenge. As far as I'm concerned experimentation is all part and parcel of great poetry. Also, I read your poem and it does tell a personal legend as I mentioned in suggested creative paths the poem could take.
Love it! If you want to write more poems off the prompt fill your boots. I am just happy to help inspire creativity as this is the main reason I started The Ink Well :)
Congratulations @theinkwell!
Your post was mentioned in the Steem Hit Parade for newcomers in the following categories:
Woohoo!
This is just what I need to get back into my steem groove.
I learnt to ballad on steemit. @quilfire a poet (and an advertising man), told me to look up the 70s Hilltop coca-cola jingle. He said it was a perfect ballad to write from. I found it very helpful, although I must caution, it gets stuck in your head.
ha ha, I might give it a miss to be honest as I'm so tired that I don't need any ear worms ;-)
I do know quillfire from back in the day on steem. He's a very good poet and particularly writing in form.
Glad to see that you're thinking of giving our challenge a try @girlbeforemirror
I look forward to reading it :)
Here it is, and I am very happy with it. I hope it gives some of you goosebumps. It does me.
https://steempeak.com/hive-170798/@owasco/a-ballad-about-a-ballad-in-two-parts
Congratulations, on the successful launch of @theinkwell :) Here's my 11th hour poetry entry based on the word: Legend. Thanks, again, for encouraging me to migrate to @steempeak and granting us this creative playground.
Narcissa
The Ballad of Morveren - #loveit!! - Fantastic imagery and awesome story, and the rhyme and rhythm, put it right in league with my old favorite, Poe's Annabel Lee. It's the form employed in oral tradition, easy to remember. Even my mom, who hated school and didn't like reading, memorized and recited to us at bedtime The Ballads of Sam McGee by Robert Service. I only memorized parts of it, but now I feel compelled to commit all of it to memory. How did I not read this post sooner? I saw the submissions but somehow missed this. You're the best, Raj! Steemit is blessed to have a writer and poet of your caliber AND with your Master-Builder organizational skills, you'll set the world on fire. Ooh, I see smoke on the horizon--the fire is growing already! GO RAJ!
Johnny Cash - Cremation of Sam McGee
Hi, here's my entry. Looks I'm a bit late but shoot your Shoot they say