Pigmas 2023-2024

[RiverNotch]

I started this midwinter thing a couple of years ago, and this year, instead of doing 12 days of various forms, the challenge will last fourteen days, from the 24th of December to the 6th of January, and the goal will be to produce a crown of sonnets! Or, at least, something approximating it....

What I'm curious about for this thread is the question of what exactly constitutes a sonnet. I hesitated to not qualify our goal because a crown of sonnets, from what I understand, is defined strictly enough: fourteen (or fifteen) poems where the last line of the last is the same as the first line of the first (or the last line of each is the first line of the succeeding). Of course, all these parentheticals suggest that the form isn't that strict at all, especially when compared to what is supposed to constitute it, but take for instance that sonnet collection by which I first learned meter -- Shakespeare's 126th has but 12 lines -- or George Meredith's Modern Love, where all the so-called sonnets have 16. I'd likewise hesitate to suggest that sonnets, especially modern ones, need to follow a particular rhyme scheme or meter, e.g. Ted Berrigan's The Sonnets, and obviously whether a sonnet's sub-units have to be three quatrains and a couplet or two quatrains and two tercets has been in question since the Middle Ages. All this leaves me with but two ideas -- that a sonnet must have a volta, and that it must be lyrical -- supplemented with how a sonnet must be around 14 lines, but what do you think?

[Wjames]

I think in the context of a daily challenge, the looser the definition used for what constitutes a sonnet, the better.

I don't think I've written fourteen sonnets in my life (probably around five), it's difficult to write one in a short period of time.

I will definitely try to take part as much as I can, though. I don't think I've written enough bad sonnets to be able to write a good one.

I like these challenges a lot because it turns the goal in to simply to make something, regardless of the result. Of course, there should be some guidelines for a sonnet challenge, but I think they should be fairly broad - I have no real opinion on any specifics because I know relatively little about sonnets.

[CRNDLSM]

Crowns are big jobs, id suggest it a separate challenge, like the telephone game during napm. A worthy challenge for sure, but kinda intense

[Tiger the Lion]

Crowns are big jobs, id suggest it a separate challenge,  like the telephone game during napm.  A worthy challenge for sure, but kinda intense

I agree this is a huge challenge. Especially over the holidays. I'd be lucky to complete a Crown of Limericks. 

[Quixilated]

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I started this midwinter thing a couple of years ago, and this year, instead of doing 12 days of various forms, the challenge will last fourteen days, from the 24th of December to the 6th of January, and the goal will be to produce a crown of sonnets! Or, at least, something approximating it....

What I'm curious about for this thread is the question of what exactly constitutes a sonnet. I hesitated to not qualify our goal because a crown of sonnets, from what I understand, is defined strictly enough: fourteen (or fifteen) poems where the last line of the last is the same as the first line of the first (or the last line of each is the first line of the succeeding). Of course, all these parentheticals suggest that the form isn't that strict at all, especially when compared to what is supposed to constitute it, but take for instance that sonnet collection by which I first learned meter -- Shakespeare's 126th has but 12 lines -- or George Meredith's Modern Love, where all the so-called sonnets have 16. I'd likewise hesitate to suggest that sonnets, especially modern ones, need to follow a particular rhyme scheme or meter, e.g. Ted Berrigan's The Sonnets, and obviously whether a sonnet's sub-units have to be three quatrains and a couplet or two quatrains and two tercets has been in question since the Middle Ages. All this leaves me with but two ideas -- that a sonnet must have a volta, and that it must be lyrical -- supplemented with how a sonnet must be around 14 lines, but what do you think?

Hello River, I think that a challenge over the holidays will be difficult for many members pull off if the rules and requirements are too strict or complicated. The more lax the definition of a sonnet is, the easier it will be for people to attempt it.  

Also, is the crown of sonnets a collaborative effort, or is each member attempting to write a sonnet a day?  Or, if it’s individual, could there also be a collaborative thread on the side for those who want to participate but will be too busy during the holidays to write more than one or two?  Just some thoughts.

[CRNDLSM]

Crown of limericks is happening, thank you tiger!

[RiverNotch]

It'll be individual. Aside from a loose definition of "sonnet", I could probably just do "Crown of x", where the answerer gets to pick their form (though they have to follow that form for the entire fourteen days). A collaborative version sounds fun, though, albeit maybe the answerers could just choose to respond to others' prior work?

[Tiger the Lion]

It'll be individual. Aside from a loose definition of "sonnet", I could probably just do "Crown of x", where the answerer gets to pick their form (though they have to follow that form for the entire fourteen days). A collaborative version sounds fun, though, albeit maybe the answerers could just choose to respond to others' prior work?

Hey River, just trying to understand this. I'm not an expert but from my understand the last (14th) sonnet almost needs to be written first when mapping out a Crown. Not sure how you are going to swing the prompts but at this point I say keep your cards close. My interest is piqued.

[CRNDLSM]

The crown can also come at the beginning, which would be 'a little' easier

[busker]

I have a brief attention span
Something about sonnets and the Middle Ages?
I love the idea

A bit of ye olde poesie with euphemisms for genitalia and the doing of things with them.

[CRNDLSM]

Hope your doing alright river, covid can he pretty painful

[CRNDLSM]

2 more you got this!

[CRNDLSM]

Boom shakalaka! Thank you rivernotch for helping me write a Christmas crown! Couldn't have done it without you! Or tiger too( limericks), thanks again!

[RiverNotch]

Thanks for the participation! Also massive kudos to you completing a Christmas crown!

[CRNDLSM]

I must admit I was a little disappointed to be the only one, looking at you particularly rivernotch since it was kinda your idea but hey! If you really wanna write one I can try to help, the first time I did one was a race with justmercedes (more like a mutual deadline)

[Wjames]

I must admit I was a little disappointed to be the only one, looking at you particularly rivernotch since it was kinda your idea but hey! If you really wanna write one I can try to help, the first time I did one was a race with justmercedes (more like a mutual deadline)

Awesome work finishing the whole thing mate, I was too lazy to do them all, but I do want to write more sonnets. I might chip away at them and do some more when I feel up to it.

Thanks for running it, River.