Wednesday Thyme to Rhyme (or not)

Triolet

The triolet is a short poem of eight lines with only two rhymes used
throughout. The requirements of this fixed form are straightforward: the first
line is repeated in the fourth and seventh lines; the second line is repeated in
the final line; and only the first two end-words are used to complete the tight
rhyme scheme. Thus, the poet writes only five original lines, giving the triolet
a deceptively simple appearance: ABaAabAB, where capital letters indicate
repeated lines.

Here's a Triolet by Thomas Hardy

In "How Great My Grief," Hardy
displays both his mastery of the triolet and the potency of the form:

How great my grief, my joys how few,
Since first it was my fate to know thee!
- Have the slow years not brought to view
How great my grief, my joys how few,
Nor memory shaped old times anew,
Nor loving-kindness helped to show thee
How great my grief, my joys how few,
Since first it was my fate to know thee?

Try one, post it in comments, enjoy each other's poetry. For more go to www.poetry.org

Monday Mash-up (Tarot and Magical Tiddly-bits.)

I'm started a new blog schedule, if I can keep it up.

Mondays will be "Monday Mash-up", a mixture of everything from Tarot Tips, to funny sayings.

Wednesdays will be "Thyme to Rhyme (or not)" Will have poetry I write, poetry challenges or forms. I like poetry but I'm not a poet or teacher, I just have fun with it.

"Tricks or Treats of Writing." Just like it sounds, writing stuff I find and like and share.

Today, "Tali's Tarot Tips"

Find a deck you like and stick with it. (It can be traditional or one of the new kinds. But use the same one so your energy is absorbed and you connect with the cards.

Pick simple spreads at first, like a three card past, present, future spread. (Shuffle the deck (thinking about the question you have, cut the deck by three, take a card off each deck and arrange in a horizontal row, face up. If a card is upside down leave it that way, that also has a meaning. Don't hesitate to use a booklet to tell you the meaning of the cards until they become familar. Soon, you will begin to see deeper meanings as you practice.

Practice on yourself, your friends and have fun. Remember the meanings are not literal, and the cards are fluid, as is your life. Anything the cards tell you about the presence or future can change according to your actions or those of others.

Remember to enjoy, practice a lot and then move on to more complicated spreads. Go to www.Llewellyn.com for more tips, Tarot books and tips.

Tali

Middle Eastern Poetry meets Bollywood and more.

I went to a creative writing festival last weekend. Saw friends, had my picture taken with a hunky thriller writer (Picture later),learned all about Ghazals and won a prize.

I know you want to hear all about Urdu poery and Ghazals. I'm not a poet or Ghazal expert. I am facinated by a poem that has an overall theme, comprised of 5 to 15 couplets that must contain the over-all theme yet each stand alone, have a rhyming word in the second line of each couplet just before the refrain phrase and contains the poet's name in the last line of the last couplet. Other than that, it's a piece of cake. Oh, and it should be in Arabic, Urdu or lately, English.

The themes dwell upon love, loss of love, things that are missed, regreted, loss of home, the king.

Modern poets are using this poetic form to write poetry and love songs for Bollywood movies. The ancient poets and courtesans used to make them up in their heads and sing them at parties. For much more and many examples see: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5781

Careful, you could get hooked.

The Significance of Oranges

Did you know that in the movie, The Godfather, the director used a motif of specially-placed oranges to signal coming danger?

The Don kicks over a basket of oranges when he’s attacked by Sollozzo’s men. Fanucci tosses an orange during his final stroll through Little Italy. Clemenza grabs a pitcher of wine with floating oranges as he tells Paulie to go do his job, then later kills Paulie for not doing his job. Tessio reaches across Mama Corleone to grab an orange during the wedding, literally crossing the Corleone Family, which later has him killed.

There are many more examples and the oranges are just some examples of Coppola’s mastery of mise-en-scene, or in laymen’s terms, the symbolic placement of all elements in the frame. In Part I, Coppola shows a fish pattern on the bar window where Luca Brasi is strangled, foreshadowing the scene where Sonny receives a Sicilian message: “Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.”

In the Lake Tahoe scene where Michael tells Fredo, “You’re nothing to me now,” check out the row of life rafts outside the window. Across the left of the frame, where Michael sits, there are plenty of rafts (safety), but to the right, behind Fredo, there are none (danger). These particular rafts take on even more significance when you consider where Fredo ends up at the end of the movie. (Dead in a lake.)

Now I need to watch the movie again and see how to use this in writing, forshadowing. I’ve heard about themes, and symbolism in stories but this is the first clear picture I’ve had in my head of how that can work. How can I translate this from a visual art form to words that make the vision clear? I think it will take work, but be challenging to try. Anyone know of other examples?

One commenter will win an electronic copy of Privy to Murder.

Spring is here.

Rain and clouds and spring, all here today. Yay-flowers will bloom. Trees already in bloom. I need to spring forth and start writing more. I've been in a promotion mode, reading mode and neglecting putting new words to the page. Not good.

If I want more books out there, must write them. But, I have to admit, I'm not displeased. The new Privy has been out for less than a month, and I've sold a couple a day. Thing is, selling is good but the actual writing is where it's really at.


http://tinyurl.com/6nmqhos

Free on Kindle

Yay, Privy to Murder is free on Kindle. I'm having a problem with links on this computer, but if you go to Amazon and do a search for Privy to Murder, you will see that the Kindle edition is free today and tomorrow. Get your copy now. Even better, write a review for Amazon. Tali Cates would love to live on your phone, Kindle or PC.

Still working on my urban fantasy and a new Tali Cates mystery.

Completely off the subject, I discovered a lot of the music styles I like start with C, like my name. Classical, country, celtic, classic rock. Strange. Never noticed that before. But then, I'm a mixture of odd likes and skills. I play the hammered dulcimer (could you have a more obscure instrument?) I paint with pastels, write paranormal mysteries, non fiction infection control books and poetry. I bird watch, clog dance, like experimenting with different wines and know a little karate. I'm also a registered nurse. So, what do you think, Rennaisance woman or ADD?

New Cover

Here's the new cover for Privy to Murder. It will be out this month and I love the cover and model. I also created a fan page on Facebook. Haven't managed to create a like button yet but will figure it out. In the meantime, go to
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Privy-to-Murder-by-Carol-Shenold/301713779887800

Like us please