B&P’s Shadorma and Beyond – A Hymn – December 26, 2015

Hello World!

Today is the Feast of Saint Stephen in the Catholic calendar of festivities … though we may not be Catholic, we remember this holiday in one of the best-loved Christmas songs of all times …

The hymn’s lyrics take the form of five eight-line stanzas in four-stress lines. Each stanza has an ABABCDCD rhyme scheme. Lines 1, 3, 5, and 7 end in single-syllable (so-called masculine) rhymes, and lines 2, 4, 6, and 8 with two-syllable (“feminine”) rhymes.

Good King Wenceslas looked out,
on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about,
deep and crisp and even;
Brightly shone the moon that night,
tho’ the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight,
gath’ring winter fuel.

John Mason Neale (1853)

So, I thought we’d try our hand at writing a poem inspiring ourselves with this lovely “classical” form which we’ll call a hymn … and what can we use to inspire ourselves … well, now that we’re officially at the beginning of winter, why not think a head a little, to spring!

 

Photo credits:  Deviant Art (Eredel)

Of course if you wish to use your own art work, or perhaps some music to inspire you that would be great, and if you prefer you may write a shadorma in place of the form chosen today. If you do use the above photo, please don’t forget to add the Photo Credits.

Once you’ve completed your poem please link with us and then add your post coordinates to the Mr. Linky app, we’d also ask you to tag your work:  B&P’s Shadorma and Beyond as well as Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie!

Have fun and I want to wish you a very Happy New Year!  Bastet