The sonnet, for me, is difficult. For today, I cobbled together what is a least an honest iambic pentameter in Shakespeare’s English sonnet format and rhyming scheme. It is not that the form is so demanding, although it really is, it is just that nothing I can write will ever remotely resemble Shakespeare’s work. All attempts are destined to be disappointments.
What I threw together today for a sonnet example would pass no critic’s test. To make it acceptable would take me a week if the initial writing time was any indication, but working in the archaic English is kind of fun. Still, I think I got the third verse right. See what you think.
LOVE SONNET NUMBER ONE
By Mike Patrick
Flickr illistration by tonynetone
Did God decide to bless a fool like I?
Is love then destined for the very few?
Then in God’s holy wisdom I rely;
I honor Him by keeping our love true.
How sad the nights for those who know you not;
Poor souls who dream of love such as we share.
What Hell could e’er be darker than the thought
Of life away from my sweet angel fair?
Alas, so fast doth passion’s fire conclude . . .
Until your breast doth softly kiss my hand.
With trembling hand, I slowly you denude,
And love’s hot treasure, once again is fanned.
No sleep disturbed my night alone with you.
The day hath come, and still our love’s not through.
The Poet's Quill 
Love it, beautiful! I have a hard time with the sonnet as well. I have yet to complete one that I would post. Glad that you included Old English…nothing better then “doth”, well, maybe “hath”. lol
There is no reason not to post your sonnets. There is nothing to fear except fear itself . . . well, that and scorn and ridicule. Hum. You know, maybe I should delete this thing.
I was going to write a sonnet for a Monday poetry group and quickly wrote myself into a corner. As difficult as the sonnet form is, it is much more difficult when someone else defines its subject. While I’m still working on it, I just don’t know. Might be better to wait for next week’s prompt.
I tried a sonnet, too. Not sure I will ever find myself doing them regularly…though I felt my first attempt wasn’t too awful! heehee
By the way…LOVED the last two lines…
Maybe I should come back to these and touch them up. I know more now than when I wrote them.