Thursday 8 January 2009

Top Sonnets 2008

The OMF Annual Sonnet Bash has come round again and, as promised, I am publishing today all those which were submitted.

These were not numerous, but I knew that in today's world it would be difficult to seduce many readers of OMF away from their questionable pursuits to undertake an intellectual challenge. Happily there were five who did take up their quills and then sent in the results of their labours, and in four cases these were very creditable or even admirable. I am very grateful to the writers of these four.

It has been suggested by cynical and unkind acquaintances that it is all a prank and that I wrote some of these sonnets myself, so I must state clearly that this is a despicable calumny, though all except one I would have been proud to have composed. They were written by 1: Elizabeth; 2: Anonymous; 3: Outeast; 4: Grumio (and friends); and 5: The Dark Lady.

I know only one of these personally and have no connection with any of the others. Honestly.

So here are the five sonnets.

3 comments:

Elizabeth said...

What a disappointingly small entry! I had expected many more of your readers to have had a go.
The Onlie Begetter is too hard on "Anonymous" but spookily accurate as to my previous employment. He doesn't seem to know, however, that I also spent five fulfilling years in the steel-wire section, knitting chain mail.

Anonymous said...

Elizabeth: Yes, disappointingly small entry, but here at OMF we go for quality, not quantity.

The Onlie Begetter sussed you out almost completely, didn't he? Chain mail, eh? What a full life you've had!

In the circumstances, Anonymous got off very lightly: the actual title of his sonnet was "CL". But I expect you knew that.

9:16 PM

Anonymous said...

I confess myself quite impressed at Elizabeth's contribution and am resolved to drum my thumbs at someone at the earliest opportunity. ('No sir, I do not drum my thumbs at you, sir; but i do drum my thumbs, sir.')