I shall use this page to write a Sonnet from start to finish.
Cheers !! Ray. 
I have been asked to MAKE A POEM for Remembrance Day and to read it
out. I think this will be on Sunday 10th. November. I was asked about this, last
Sunday on 6th. October. So let’s see. I am writing for a Spiritual Church, so I
think it would be an idea, to write the SONNET, on behalf of the soldiers. So
I now have to think like a soldier, who has died in Battle. Some famous POETS,
suggest that you should write your POEM and give it the title last. I don’t have
any rules, but I usually think of a THEME, then make a STORY for the THEME.
I specialise with SONNETS, or as near as I can get to a SONNET. I usually think
of a TITLE, before I startwriting. In the case of a SONNET, I consider the TITLE
to be the most important PART. When I say PART, then I mean PART. I think of
the TITLE as being PART of the POEM. It would be nice to find a way of making
a surroundingfor these SONNETS. As I become more skilled, I will no doubt
discover a way. I have found some backgrounds, that were extremely expensive,
so I gave it a miss. Anyway, lets get back to our POEM. The best thing to do is to
write one line. So here goes. Sorry, I can’t think of anything. I am silly. I don’t have a
TITLE. The THEME is Remembrance Day. The message will be from a soldier,
but I just had a thought, that lots of soldiers, came back from the war, but they have
died since. Lots of soldiers, will have lived their lives, with the memory of good
friends and heroes, that they lost, during the war. So perhaps, I will write our
SONNET, from their point of view. I wonder, if you can think of an old soldier, that
used to put his uniform on, with all his medals and maybe march or take a reef to a
memorial. The WRVS used to do this as well, every year, they would make a neat
presentation of a reef to one of the various memorials, which we often see erected.
Women were also involved in the war. So I am not a soldier, who has died in battle. I
am a soldier, who fought and maybe lost friends. I have died since, from natural
causes, maybe as a result of my age. I have become involved in the memory of my
friends, trying to keep their Memory going strong. I think this STORY, should now
be enough to MAKE A POEM. So what is my TITLE ? I was thinking of a local man,
that I used to know. He would go from door to door, just SELLING POPPIES. So I
think, that will make a good TITLE. A SONNET should ideally have TEN BEATS
with a balance like this DI-DAAR, DI-DAAR, DI-DAAR, DI-DAAR, DI-DAAR,
which is called IAMBIC PENTAMETER, just like SHAKESPEARE SONNETS.
So here we go : –
SELLING POPPIES.
All my life, I have been selling Poppies. [1st. line]
First line, if I can make it work.
So would you like to buy a Poppy ?
It was the First World War, that officially ended, at the eleventh hour
of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
I was not born to see the First World War. [2nd.line]
So what rhymes with poppies ?
Once they were real, but now they are copies. [3rd.line]
With a SHAKESPEARE SONNET every other line has to rhyme,
except for the last two lines, which have to rhyme together.
SHAKESPEAREAN SONNETS, or any SONNET have fourteen lines.
One battle was plenty, but man wants more. [4th.line]
I just go through the alphabet and hope something rhymes.
Another war came, with my turn to fight. [5th.line]
Starting to flow a bit now. I hope I don’t get stuck.
I was young and it was the thing to do. [6th.line]
To support our our homeland, we thought was right. [7th.line]
And all my friends, came to fight with me too. [8th.line]
more than half way now.
So now I have a poppy to sell you. [9th.line]
I have many medals on my lapel. [10th.line]
To earn these medals, was easy to do. [11th.line]
I had to stay and survive living hell. [12th.line]
Throughout the war, my friends died, one by one. [13th.line]
While I have been sad, they were having fun. [14th.line]
I am writing the Sonnet for a Spiritual Centre,
so in order to make it a little light hearted, I will add a message.
[I wish I had listened to the Medium]
Just by chance this rhymes, but it would not be important.
I now show it to my friends and ask them, what they think.
So we have written a Sonnet. I never worry too much
about the beat, as long as it flows OK.
I hope you have enjoyed my short tutorial.
Cheers !! Ray.
