Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Summer (the season) (07/09/09)
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TITLE: Variations on a Theme (Cyclical or Not): Summer | Previous Challenge Entry
By Steve Fitschen
07/16/09 -
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First, with regard to the poems forming a cycle, the reader will notice that the poems are presented from longest to shortest (in terms of line count). This represents the cycle’s events starting during summer’s longest days of the first poem (“summer’s height”), moving chronologically, and ending during summer’s shortest days of the last poem, which occurs when the rubrum lilies are in bloom (late summer).
Second, with regard to the poems not forming a cycle, only the first poem explicitly involves a young teenaged couple. The second poem involves a couple, but it could one of any age. The other poems are even less tied to the characters in the first poem. For example, the third poem could be about a mother and her children, an entire family, or a group of friends. The forth poem most naturally reads (outside the cycle) as if the characters are younger than teenagers. Similarly, the last poem could be about, among other people, someone who is separated, divorced, or widowed.
To assist the reader in encountering the poems from both perspectives, no poem except the first tells the reader the age or sex of the main character. Furthermore, several of the poems used are of types that—by the nature of the type—intentionally require the reader to read much into the poem.
Finally, a word about the types themselves. The poems are (in order of presentation) a villanelle, a Shakespearean sonnet, a roundel, a triolet, a Crapsey Cinquain, and a haiku. I have followed the traditional “rules” for each. Enjoyment of the poems will be enhanced, I believe, by briefing learning these “rules,” which are easily found on the Internet.
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First Kisses at Thirteen (1964)
I met you at the summer’s height.
I thrilled at every bright long day
And cherished every too short night.
The maiden and her shining knight:
Sir Galahad—I’ll always say
I met you at the summer’s height.
Each day my hope of love grew bright.
At dusk two children stole away
And cherished every too short night,
Your hand found mine ’neath pale moonlight,
As much a child as on the day
I met you at the summer’s height.
One night you turned and held me tight.
’Twas then I gave my heart away
And cherished every too short night.
Next night your lips brushed mine so slight.
“O, let him kiss me more,” I prayed.
I met you at the summer’s height
And cherished every too short night.
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Fourth of July Thrill
The bombs bursting in air illuminate
The Fourth of July crowd, which aahs and oohs.
A sea of blankets form a quilt, ornate
Beneath concussive bursts of greens and blues
And reds and whites. Small children run between
The blanket-patches squealing with delight.
And laughter rises from families unseen
Whose voices ring with joy this special night.
Teenagers roam around rambunctiously
But no one cares—it’s Independence Day!
The grand finale booms thunderously.
With hearty cheers the crowd dwindles away.
We linger, cuddling, calm, contented, still.
These sublime moments give the bigger thrill.
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Picnic
Beside the stream we came and sat,
Without a care, with time to dream.
We spread our blanket and our mat
Beside the stream.
The grapes and berries and whipped cream,
The watermelon, big and fat—
The very best we’d ever seen
We played and laughed and after that
We made our plans, a simple scheme
To once again spread out our mat
Beside the stream.
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Dances of the Fireflies
The fireflies do dance and dart!
They glow and fade, now here, now there.
In imitation play the part
The fireflies do. Dance and dart
Around the yard as through the air
The fireflies do dance and dart.
They fade and glow, now here, now there
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Summer Vacation is Over
This year
I visited
Like many years before.
This year’s different. This year, we met.
I cry.
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Hand-in-hand walked two.
Woodland path; rubrum lilies:
Now walks one alone.
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Beautiful work.
Thank you for the explanation of a cyclical poem. Although I do agree, the poems themselves stand well without it.