I wrote my poem, URBAN FOX, VULPES VULPES for this week’s W3 Weekly We’ave Poetry Prompt. This week’s Poet of the Week is Braden, Caffeinated Philosophy. Here are Braden’s guidelines.
- Write: A) a sonnet, OR: B) a villanelle on the theme of: an animal, plant, or object,describing its qualities or what can be learned from it.
I tried my luck at writing the sonnet option. Now that it is writ, I read the last bit of the prompt, which says, more or less, “describe your subject’s qualities or what we can learn from it.” How did I miss that rule? Um, might I say that my sonnet shows how the fox’s ability to adapt and survive in, and alongside man’s unnatural environment, is a major quality?
The Sonnet
This is my first attempt at an Italian sonnet (aka the Petrarchan sonnet). The structure is an octave verse followed by a sestet. Its rhyme scheme is ABBAABBA (just think of the famous Swedish group ABBA twice) for the octave, and the rhyme scheme is CDECDE (can’t think of a pop group for that). The meter is ten syllables per line (although, sometimes the Italian sonnet might have eleven).
The Urban Vulpes vulpes (fox)
The fox runs beside queues of traffic filed Car headlamps glare in anger; beaming bright through the boundaries at raw edge of night Across the line ‘twixt city and the wild The red fox sees me watching him and smiled Busy roads are the urban fox’s plight His eyes gleam amber in a car headlight The air of dusk among the noise blows mild I too run fast in the same direction roaring traffic rant and fume between us he cannot reach me, nor can I to him the barrier against our affection A metal snaking beast of luminous bulbous snarls. Hopes to reunite are slim. Lesley Scoble, June 2023
Here’s a little fox that manages to cross a road unimpeded by traffic.
My thanks to David, W3 Weekly We’ave Poetry Prompt. My thanks also to this week’s Poet of the Week Braden, Caffeinated Philosophy for the challenge to write the intimidating poetry form of the sonnet.
Lesley lives in the City of London Square Mile. An artist, actor and sculptor (her first ceramic sculpture won the V&A inspired by… Award). Scenic artist & book illustrator, playwright, (her musical play, Rapscallion performed in schools); TV dancer; Animator and illustrator for TV production. Set up Pinecone Studios Ltd and IIMSI Ltd drama and filmmaking workshops in London – producing award-winning films made by children.
LesleyScoble.com 
Leave a comment