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Poetry Friday - Roundel

10/17/2013

38 Comments

 
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First, I’d like to thank Laura Sassi for having me as a guest blogger this past Monday on her blog, Laura Sassi Tales. I blogged about the poetry/music connection and I was delighted that many poets in the Poetry Friday community stopped by!

In honor of the season, I’m posting a scary poem today. This poem was first published in the online zine, Underneath the Juniper Tree in June, 2011, along with the artwork shown. I just recently learned that literary agent, Bree Ogden, is the co-founder and managing editor of Underneath the Juniper Tree.

This poem is a roundel, a form with an interesting history. First devised by Algernon Swinburne, it is the Anglo-Norman form corresponding to the French rondeau. It makes use of refrains, repeated according to a certain stylized pattern. A roundel consists of nine lines each having the same number of syllables, plus a refrain after the third line and after the last line. The refrain must be identical with the beginning of the first line: it may be a half-line, and rhymes with the second line. It has three stanzas and its rhyme scheme is as follows: A B A R ; B A B ; A B A R ; where R is the refrain (from Wikipedia). I know it sounds complicated but it's really not too bad once you get going. The roundel is another favorite form of mine.

This poem also fits into the category of speculative poetry. Speculative poetry is comprised of science fiction, fantasy, and horror (The Science Fiction Poetry Association). For children, that would be mild horror. I love to write speculative poetry. 



And now, the poem:

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artwork by Underneath the Juniper Tree
The Things I Saw
By B.J. Lee

The things I saw when I was lost
and followed signs for "Devil's Claw."
I took that road at such a cost--
the things I saw!

Through forest trees I peered in awe
at witches standing in the frost,
who handled things -- an ear, a paw,

then quickly, in their cauldron tossed

these objects with a birdie's craw.
I turned and fled. My eyes had crossed--
the things I saw!



(c) 2011 B.J. Lee All Rights Reserved
Thank you to Cathy at Merely Day by Day for hosting.
38 Comments
Nancy Mulder
10/17/2013 07:09:14 pm

COOL!!!!!

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B.J. Lee
10/18/2013 06:11:06 am

Thanks Nancy! Glad you could stop by!

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jama link
10/18/2013 12:01:32 am

*shivers*

Wonderfully evocative and just scary enough for young readers. Love the details (ear, paw) and your drawing too!

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B.J. Lee
10/18/2013 06:12:30 am

Hi Jama and thank you! The drawing was done by the magazine. I forgot to caption it but I've corrected it. I could never in a million years draw something like that! Thanks for stopping by and I'm glad you liked the poem!

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Cathy link
10/18/2013 12:09:40 am

Perfect poem to this time of year (and I learned a little something while visiting). However, I think I will steer clear of Devil's Claw.

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B.J. Lee
10/18/2013 06:13:11 am

LOL, Cathy! Yes, best to steer clear of Devil's Claw!

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Tricia link
10/18/2013 01:26:15 am

We just wrote roundels on my blog last week or the week before as part of our weekly stretches. This one is just lovely! (Yes, I know that's an odd term for a spooky poem, but that's the word that came to mind.)

Thanks so much for sharing.
Tricia

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B.J. Lee
10/18/2013 06:14:28 am

Hi Tricia! Glad to hear you're writing roundels! I love, love, love the form! I'll look back and find them. thanks for stopping by!

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Michelle Heidenrich Barnes link
10/18/2013 01:36:44 am

Awesome poem, BJ! And they sure did a great job with the artwork too. I feel very grateful to have a poem in the current issue of Underneath the Juniper Tree. As it turns out, my special blog guest today, Carrie, has a poem in the current issue as well!

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B.J. Lee
10/18/2013 06:15:53 am

Thanks Michelle! I love the artwork they did for this poem! Congratulations on your poem in the current issue!

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Heidi
10/18/2013 02:56:35 am

Wow--nice one, BJ! Like an introductory version of "Double, double, toil and trouble"! Now I'll go familiarize myself with the Juniper Tree...

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B.J. Lee
10/18/2013 06:17:24 am

Hi Heidi! Glad you liked the roundel! Yes! Double, double, toil and trouble!

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Violet N. link
10/18/2013 05:01:06 am

Very cool scary poem with a wonderful ending! Well done and congrats on all the "nominated" poems in the sidebar!

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B.J. Lee
10/18/2013 06:18:50 am

Thanks Violet! and thanks again about the nominations!

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Laura S. link
10/18/2013 06:16:01 am

I LOVE the history of the ROUNDEL as a form, that accompanies your poem. I also love your poem. The theme is nicely enhanced by the form. I'm off to try my hand at one now. (And it was a true pleasure having you over in my neck of the blog woods this week.)

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B.J. Lee
10/18/2013 06:20:59 am

Hi Laura! I was hoping you'd stop by. I just tweeted you, but I see now there was no need. I had a blast on your blog this past Monday!Good luck with your roundel!

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Ruth link
10/18/2013 06:57:18 am

Nice!

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B.J. Lee
10/18/2013 07:09:51 am

thanks Ruth!

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Matt Forrest link
10/18/2013 07:23:51 am

Great job, BJ! I love this...spooky, lyrical, and kid-friendly!

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B.J. Lee
10/18/2013 07:56:15 am

Why thank you, Matt!:)

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Buffy Silverman link
10/18/2013 10:15:26 am

Spooktacular, B.J.--love the choice of things tossed in the cauldron. And you're inspiring me to try a roundel.

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B.J. Lee
10/18/2013 11:29:35 am

Thank you, Buffy! Definitely try one - they're fun!

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Myra from GatheringBooks link
10/18/2013 11:31:14 am

Perfect for Halloween, BJ. I love both the artwork and the poem. Thanks for sharing this with us.

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B.J. Lee
10/18/2013 11:33:59 am

Thank you, Myra!

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Mary Lee Hahn link
10/18/2013 10:29:14 pm

I don't think I've ever heard of this form. You're right, it sounds complicated, but what I like about your poem is that I can't tell it's a form. Success, right? Your topic and words work perfectly inside that container!

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B.J. Lee
10/19/2013 03:56:01 am

Thanks so much, Mary Lee. What amazes me is that I dashed this off in about a half an hour and didn't tweak it at all. It just seemed to write itself.

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Robyn Hood Black link
10/19/2013 11:50:00 am

Delightfully dark and fun, B.J. - thanks for sharing! (And I agree that the spooky art serves the poem beautifully....)

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B.J. Lee
10/19/2013 06:27:42 pm

Thanks Robyn! I agree, the zine really produced some wonderful artwork for this. I don't know who the particular artist was. I love how they didn't show the witches, but the kid looking at the sign to Devil's Claw told it all!

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Linda Baie link
10/19/2013 01:20:50 pm

B.J., this is marvelous. I want to find time to try a roundel, but you've chosen such an apt form for a spooky, treat-or-treaty poem. It's both spooky, yet funny as relief too. I can see someone reciting this for Halloween!

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B.J. Lee
10/19/2013 06:23:22 pm

thanks Linda! I'm glad you like it. Definitely find time to write a roundel. They are so much fun! Maybe I'll recite it for Halloween! :)

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Diane Mayr
10/20/2013 02:28:14 am

I can add nothing to what has already been said! Brava!

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B.J. Lee
10/20/2013 03:00:37 am

Thanks Diane!

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Tabatha link
10/20/2013 07:27:58 pm

Your poem made me think of Macbeth, too! Wonderful, B.J., and the artwork is a good match.

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B.J. Lee
10/21/2013 03:05:18 am

Thank you, Tabatha! Maybe I was subliminally inspired by Shakespeare; after all I did choose 3 witches!

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Laura Shovan link
10/24/2013 08:31:24 pm

I love the rhythm of this poem, B.J. And the place name, "Devil's Claw," is so spooky. Happy haunting!

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B.J. Lee
10/25/2013 01:40:21 pm

Thank you, Laura! Happy haunting to you too!

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Carrie F link
10/31/2013 09:33:30 am

Wonderful, BJ! This is so spooky - I'm glad I read it today...

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B.J. Lee
10/31/2013 11:27:37 am

Thanks Carrie! I'm glad you saw it! Happy Halloween!

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    B. J. Lee is a children’s author and poet. Her picture book, There Was an Old Gator Who Swallowed a Moth, is launching with Pelican Publishing on February 15, 2019. She has poems in 25 poetry anthologies published by  Little, Brown, Wordsong, BloomsburyUK, National Geographic, Otter-Barry Books, Pomelo Books, and Chicken Soup for the Soul. She has worked with anthologists Lee Bennett Hopkins, J. Patrick Lewis and Kenn Nesbitt. She has written poems for such children’s magazines as Spider, Highlights and The School Magazine. Follow her on Twitter @bjlee_writer.

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