Fresh buds

New to poetry? Unsure about the quality of your work? Then why not post here to receive some gentle feedback.
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arunansu
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Sat Mar 08, 2008 1:55 pm

Daylight is sprinkling upon
an infantry of trunks
dressed in ebony.

My unfinished sonnet is in disarray,

its colors got drained
weaving dreams for you.

I rummage around
every nook and corner of me,
but verses have evanesced,

left behind
imprint of lips on a mirror.

I observe the branches in full bud.

An army of ants
ascend a withered bark
carrying bits and pieces of life,

some shiny webs are
in anticipation.

At times I feel
the breeze may bring me
back to my verses

and flowery perfume
of your shampoo.
dl04
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Sat Mar 08, 2008 2:29 pm

I kinda like this. It's very flowery with some nice imagery. The structure's a bit erratic for me, as it tends to go from 3 line stanzas to just a solitary line which puzzles me a little. maybe also some of it is a little bit too wordy, but overall some nice descriptions.

its colors got drained
weaving dreams for you
- It's corny and cliched but i like this line :lol:

Overall it's a very nice read. Gentle and uplifting( at least for me anyway).

Good stuff

dl04.
' Everybody's saying that hell's the hippest way to go, well i dont think so but i'm gonna take a look around'

-Joni Mitchell
David
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Sat Mar 08, 2008 5:13 pm

Aru, I'm going to be hard on you now, because you're up to it.

Daylight is sprinkling upon
an infantry of trunks
dressed in ebony
- lovely image, but I think you're using sprinkling as an intransitive verb, and I don't think you can. How about splashing? (Trouble with that is it tends to suggest swimming trunks in the next line, which can't be good.)

Similarly, I don't think you can use evanesced in that way. People use evanescence, yes, of course, but I've never seen evanesced.

left behind
imprint of lips on a mirror
- gimme an article. Definite, indefinite, I don't care.

some shiny webs are
in anticipation
- nope, I don't think so. That's just not English.

But but but ... I like your poem. Did I say that already? Well I do.

Cheers

David
TDF
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Sat Mar 08, 2008 5:20 pm

David wrote: That's just not English.

But but but ... I like your poem. Did I say that already? Well I do.

Cheers

David
But just to throw mixed opinion in here, aru, I like the use of words outside of how they are 'meant' to be used. And I love making up words, so intransitive sprinklings and evanesced rolls well with me. That said, I got demoted to beginners lol, so take my tastes with a pinch of salt.

Tom
meh and bah are wonderful words
David
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Sat Mar 08, 2008 5:31 pm

Intransitive sprinklings ... why am I thinking of doughnuts? And evanesced rolls as well. Mmm, snacks.
walrus

Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:07 pm

I think this is terrific! You have a style that is very much your own, and I'm so glad I picked this to be my first poem to read as I am brand spanking new to the forum. Sorry to disappoint, but I have nothing constructive to offer in the way of criticism I wouldn't change a thing. :wink:

walrus
kirgd
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Wed Mar 12, 2008 3:22 am

Perhaps the main idea in the poem is that the unfinished
sonnet was in disarray.

If so, the "shiny webs...in anticipation" might become a
metaphor for the author's mind gathering ideas off a
"breeze" including the "flowery perfume.." so that writing
may recommence.

Thereby, the author might leave the reader with a
construct for thoughts of the work, love and nature.
Last edited by kirgd on Thu Mar 13, 2008 1:06 am, edited 2 times in total.
kozmikdave
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Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:58 am

Gidday Anu

I'm a bit of a fan of your writing, for the most part. This one has some of the qualities I admire but isn't as well nailed down as usual.

I didn't quite agree with David's crit of "sprinkling" or of "evanesced" (http://www.answers.com/evanesce&r=67) as they work perfectly well for me, despite my lack of formal grammar training. Sorry David.

I did find some of the expressions bordering on cliche... E.g.

weaving dreams

and there are a few spots that don't work for me grammatically. E.g.

some shiny webs are
in anticipation
.

Give it a little more work and wath those buds start flowering.
Cheers
Dave

"And I'm lost, and I'm lost
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
I'm handcuffed to the bishop and the barbershop liar
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
"
[Tom]
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ElleW
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Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:24 pm

Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:45 pm

Daylight is sprinkling upon
an infantry of trunks
dressed in ebony.

I like this personification of the trees


My unfinished sonnet is in disarray,

its colors got drained
weaving dreams for you.

I enjoyed this defense of the unfinished sonnet. The studied rhyme and meter of a sonnet give way to the riot of flowers and the feelings of the narrator.

I rummage around
every nook and corner of me,
but verses have evanesced,

left behind
imprint of lips on a mirror.

I'd almost like to see these two stanzas combined and kept entirely in the present tense (verses evanesce,//leave behind....)

I observe the branches in full bud.

An army of ants
ascend a withered bark
carrying bits and pieces of life,

some shiny webs are
in anticipation.

There seems to be a verb missing in this stanza

At times I feel
the breeze may bring me
back to my verses

and flowery perfume
of your shampoo.

Consider "the flowery perfume" to create a better parallel to "my verses"

Interesting poem. I enjoyed reading it.

Best,
ElleW (brand new member)
ccvulture

Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:59 pm

arunansu wrote:Daylight is sprinkling upon
an infantry of trunks
dressed in ebony.

>> I think "sprinkling" is ok as intransitive. I do it all the time when I go to the toilet.

My unfinished sonnet is in disarray,

>> If you want to be ultra-conceited on this line, it must be put into pentameter, eg "My sonnet is in disarray, undone".

its colors got drained
weaving dreams for you.

>> Yes, good excuse ;-)

I rummage around
every nook and corner of me,
but verses have evanesced,

>> "Evanesced" is too purple here, it's been used for show not meaning. In any case, it means "to grow smaller, tending to nothing", so why not use "vanished" here, which is a more honest word in-context?

left behind
imprint of lips on a mirror.

I observe the branches in full bud.

An army of ants
ascend a withered bark
carrying bits and pieces of life,

>> I would prefer "ascends" as I see "army" as a singular.

some shiny webs are
in anticipation.

>> I think this works. It begs the question "... of what?" which is a nice poser. I think the construction suggests a paradigmatic definition of a web. Also like the double-meaning in this, the Age of the Internet.

At times I feel
the breeze may bring me
back to my verses

and flowery perfume
of your shampoo.
I don't like "flowery" - I mean, all shampoo ultimately smells the same, and none of it smells of sh*t, so either find a more interesting description, or bring it back to "perfume // of your shampoo.".

Cheers, I really enjoyed reading this.

Stuart
arunansu
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Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:19 am

Thanks for the reviews, all of you. I value each input. Earlier I was quite scared of posting in this website, as I know my writing is quite immature. I am having problems with these 'intransitive' verbs lately.However, i wish i would be better placed in the future with all your support.
Cheers.
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