I like making silly rhyme song couplets at home but they usually wind up being more like raps? Are there some immediately recognizable tunes or whatever so people can join in with finger drumming etc.
Like that cheerleader song, everyone knows that like
My name is Brenda I like to eat I don’t like Arby’s But I’ll never turn down meat
Something like that, but for consecutive couplets
A A B B
Ty

Its long i know, im a huge bullshitter when i write but my english teacher never marks any extra work so any tips would be apreicated. (i know my spelling is horrendous i have given up on it atp)
Throughout Shakespeare's “Macbeth '' Shakespeare presents the supernatural as a force not to be reckoned with as he employs the idea any contact with the supernatural in itself will corrupt you leading to your indefinite downfall and anyone for to dare interact with the supernatural is to face the consequences. This is seen in the beginning of the play where the audience is exposed to the malevolent nature of the supernatural through one of Shakespeare's many vessels of showing his beliefs of lady macbeth. Towards the middle of the play directly before the regicide we can see the control in which the supernatural holds on the titular character acting as an allegory for those weak to be susceptible to the supernatural and finally in the closing acts the use of irony in which were Lady Macbeth's Unnatural acts has caught up to her and she faces the consequences of her actions exposing the chaotic nature of the supernatural. The dismay and disgust towards the supernatural would have rooted from Shakespeare's want to please King James the king of scotland at his time who was infamous for his hatred for witches to the point he wrote a book “daemonology” on them. Partial tale of Macbeth acts as a cautionary tale towards the contextual audience to never trust witches.
Shakespeare presents the supernatural as an inherently evil and malevolent force which leads to the desolation of much protected gender norms. In act 1 Scene 5 Lady Macbeth vents her frustrations about her spouse's lack of ambition and sees the eponymous character's wife begin to link herself to the supernatural acting as the controller demanding it to “hie thee hither spirits that tend on mortal thoughts unsex me here.” The use of the imperative and shakespeare demanding the supernatural illustrates Lady macbeth as a the commander and leader of the supernatural intiself, this is further supported by the dynamic verb “unsex” in which paints the ideals that Lady Macbeth carries so much ambition she is willing to rid herself of her gender to reach power alternatively, it could be interpreted “unsex me” is her want to abstain for her husband and looking contextually, the idea of a woman abstaining from her husband was a sign of the supernatural in a woman. Moreover, following this statement Lady macbeth further displays her connection with the supernatural by mimicking the witches with by matching the witches motif of rhyming couplets by her stating “hie thee hither” this paired with her dialogue being flooded with Supernatural semantics shows her being a vessel of the supernatural itself linking to the jacobean belief that woman disobeying their husbands is a sign of being a witch. Contextually, in the jacobean era women were prohibited from speaking up to their husbands along with acting against them, these ideals linked with lady macbeth's inherit links to the supernatural would have been used by shakespeare to paint witches as inherently immoral and people in which do not fit into the archetype jacobean woman creating the impression that supernatural was able to break bounds they thought were constant to create fear and aura around the topic.
Furthermore, towards the middle of the play directly before the regicide occurs the titular character's interactions with the supernatural has greatly affected his psyche, this is shown during Macbeth questioning reality he questions “is this a dagger i see before me? Come let me clutch thee” The use of the rhetoric shows the titular characters overall lack of clarity in the situation, he is aware of what he is doing is wrong yet carries on, the loss of clarity and overall decisiveness illustrates his overall lack of control, this is directly juxtaposed by the prior descriptions of macbeth during act 1 scene 3 where he's described as being “smoking” his enemies with “bloody execution” and being able to “carve his passage.” The overall semantic field of respect derived from the violent adjectives due to the high level of respect given to warriors as well as his ability to “carve” his passage clearly shows his skill and clarity and now for the eponymous character to now be shell of person shows the overall lack of ability he now holds once come into contact with the supernatural. Furthermore, alternatively the use of the rhetoric could have been used to juxtapose the declarative, there's perchance the idea that Macbeth is fully aware of his actions yet contentious to do them due to the superior control the supernatural holds. This is further employed in the failure of the clarity in the declarative, the idea of Macbeth demanding in “come” to ask the dagger in “let me” shows Macbeth overall lack of control over himself and others. Contextually, in the "Baskillion Doron" written by James the 1’st instructing his child on what makes a righteous leader it was written that you must be in-control at all times therefore Shakespare may have employed macbeth's lack of ideals to show the irreversible effects of the supernatural and its overall imperative effect on humans when interacted with.
Towards the end of the play we see the effects of condemning yourself to the supernatural and the guilt and remorse it brings. In act 5 scene 3 in which Lady macbeth is now hospitalized and in a wreck, she begins to see apparitions as long as regretting her past and ponders “will all of arabian perfumes sweeten little hands till clean?” The use of hyperbole with regretful semantics perpetuates the feelings of guilt and remorse felt due to the occurrences of the past scenes. The idea of her remorse after being presented as a heartless and greedy character truly accentuates the idea of supernatural being such a strong force its able to switch your entire being, this is reinforced by the use of the premodifying adjective ”little” connoting femininity and fragileness, this adjective directly describes her hand in which was priorly used to commit regicide filled with immortality and evil is now wanting to revert to its original state, this however as seen in the hyperbole is impossible for her to do. Moreover, the use of the rhetorical in the quotation directly juxtaposes her motif of imperatives . This illustrates her regret and remorse and how the affects of the supernatural are able to return the violent and aggressive character who wants to “dash” her own child's brains out back into non avaricious state of peace and femininity and the complete opposite of the supernatural being she was in the begging of the play intern portraying the supernatural as having power to turn its victims into completely new people. To reiterate the chaos caused by the witches, it's clear to see in act 5 scene 6 in which we see the titular character run to the witches for help, to help the witch cast a spell while chanting “Double Double toil and trouble.” The use of alliterative language along with the repetition portrays the witches and supernatural as a whole as evil of nature and not to be trusted, this is reinforced by the semantic field of childlike and playful language describing the witches as conniving and not to be trusted. Furthemore, the use of the trochaic paremeter here creates the impression the witches are agents of chaos in themselves. This would have been done by Shakespeare contextually due to large debates against witches and witchcraft as a whole during the jacobean era with the intentions to illustrate the effects of the witches and the realization in which should come when having any interactions with the witches
In conclusion, Shakespeare presents the supernatural as a force of corruption which; can shift the most set in stone Jacobean values, having the ability to create psychological effects on its victims supernatural and showing the inherent effects of the supernatural as a warning. Intern, the supernatural theme throughout Macbeth was used in order to protect the Jacobean society, the employment in fear created by Lady Macbeth's craze along with Macbeth's lack of strength would have successfully waned audience to not follow there same path.

Lady Macbeth is a female character who changed during the play. How far do you agree?
In William Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Macbeth, imagery and characterization of Lady Macbeth are used to reveal how people who are overly ambitious and lose their sense of morality can meet their demise - no matter their willpower. I very much agree with this statement as you see her transformation from a powerful woman to a weak and delusional individual. It is portrayed as a tragic yet unimportant downfall. It is an example of how ambition and immorality can lead to destruction.
At the end of the play, Shakespeare is presenting Lady Macbeth as a diminished and Hysterical woman with no control over herself or her thoughts. I know this as she says in Act 5, Scene 1, “Out damned spot! Out i say!” Her use of both imperatives and exclamatives such as “Out i say!” are implying to us as an audience that she’s trying to command something, almost a force with no ability to do so. The use of the word “damned” carries heavy religious connotations that her soul has been “Damned” to hell due to her act of treason against the king. This is a rather degrading manner that Lady Macbeth is being portrayed in almost as if Shakespeare wants the audience to dismiss her as this unimportant mad woman who bears no relevance any longer. However this contrasts to her character in Act 2, Scene 2, when she says “ A little water clears us of this deed” . This contrasts with her characterisation later on as here she is assuring Macbeth that nothing bad will come from their act of regicide. She appears very cool and composed with her simple sentences intending to calm down her husband. Shakespeare wants at this point in the play for the audience to begin falling back onto gender norms and dismissing her as a hysterical woman that shouldn’t be listened to once again highlighting just how drastic her change has been. He may have perhaps also done this to warn against plotting regicide, as this play was made to appease the new King in a turbulent time of treason and regicide.
At the end of the play, Shakespeare is presenting Lady Macbeth as a treacherous character that is facing her just punishment for conspiring with the witches. During her sleepwalking she says, “ Thane of Fife had a wife, where is she now?” She is speaking in rhyming couplets with the words ‘Fife’ and ‘wife ‘. The only characters we see that talk consistently in rhyming couplets are the witches which indicates that now Lady Macbeth is completely under the influence of the witches - having lost all sense of reality and identity. Another interesting thing to take note of is her drastic change from a strong iambic parameter in verse in Act 1, Scene 5 to short, hasty and choppy prose at the end of the play. This reflects how the guilt of her sin is removing her ability to communicate, think and compose herself. Removing her identity piece by piece. This contrasts to her characterisation much earlier on in the play as in Act 1, Scene 5 when she says, “Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, Unsex me here” This contrasts to her actions later on in the play as here she is willingly calling on the spirits but due to this mistake of hers they have taken control over her life and she has lost everything but most importantly her morality which she once did hold close to her, due to the influence of the witches power. Shakespeare wants to reinforce ideas to not conspire with the supernatural as it can only bring ruin to anyone who attempts. He may have also wanted to do this to please the King James I who had a deep fascination on the subject of witches ans their power, even going as far to write “Daemonologie” to prove the existence and influence of witchcraft on their society.
At the end of the play, Shakespeare takes to presenting Lady Macbeth as a weak and diminished character who is ultimately rendered powerless. Despite her attempts earlier on in the play to become engrossed in the world of Masculinity, Lady Macbeth at the end of the play attempts to be viewed as feminine and therefore not a threat. We can infer this as she says to herself, “ All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” The use of words such as ‘perfume’, ‘sweeten’ and ‘little’ which all have extremely feminine connotations illuminates the fact that she’s feminizing herself to try and appear weaker and more docile. However we cannot be sure if this is to try appear like this to Macbeth; Who she now fears due to his complete loss of humanity, Or herself; Trying to prove that she’s not a threat and hasn’t done anything wrong which is a method her attempting albeit unsuccessfully to deflect the guilt off of herself and attempting to appear less monstrous it seems. This greatly contrasts to her behaviour earlier on as here you realise that she is beginning to echo the words of Macbeth after the murder of Duncan. The line she is directly referencing is as follows, “ Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood from my hands?” It's quite evident to the audience that earlier on in the play, Macbeth felt extreme guilt and remorse regarding the act of regicide, even going as far to call on the god ‘Neptune’ To save him from his own consequences of committing regicide whereas Lady Macbeth is much more calm and collected than her husband. We can infer that due to the fact she is directly echoing Macbeth's words that her mental state currently is in the same state as Macbeths after the murder of King Duncan. She is almost reminiscing on herself, wishing to be able to distance herself from the act of regicide. Shakespeare wanted to show the punishment for breaking the Great Chain of Being and destroying the natural order of the world for selfish desires and gain. He may have also wanted to teach a lesson about the dangers of committing regicide by highlighting the resulting insanity of what was once a Strong-Willed and Ambitious character.
Overall i do think Shakespeare has presented Lady Macbeth as a female character who changes throughout the play as he has beautifully woven a story of the tragic decline of a powerful woman, who drives and empowers her husband to achieve his desires to an insane and insignificant side character who fades off being irrelevant to never be thought of again.

Trying to write a “nursery rhyme”?
Okay for starters, I’m not sure whether or not it’s considered a “nursery rhyme” but for a reference, its like my world’s version of “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe” if that helps.
So the idea is that it’s a continuous pattern of a song where the singer looks out at the stars at night because they’re worried about someone (maybe a friend, a lover, a sibling, etc.) and they count each star they can see. However many stars they end on corresponds with what is (rumored to be) going on with whoever they’re thinking about. I can’t decide what to put in each line but I’m trying 😂
1 star, 2 star, (insert p1) 3 star, 4 star, (insert p2) 5 star, 6 star, (insert p3) 7 star, 8 star, (insert p4) 9 star, 10 star, (insert p5) 11 star, 12 star, (insert p6)
And so on.
I love stars so I wanted to make this a thing- None of this is set in stone tho (we could do counts of 3, 4, 9, anything really) Heck it could even be by 1s! “1 star in the sky, (insert p1). 2 stars in the sky, (insert p2)…” and so on- No, not every line has to rhyme (couplets are cool too y’all lol) I do need it to be up to twenty though (after 20 it could reset. 21=1, 22=2… 30=20… like that, yeah?)
Alsooooooo ChatGPT is NOT helpful-
Please help if you can and let me know if something needs more explanation/clarification!

LEGACY OF DESTRUCTION

Etymology/Translation Corner
Tagline: "The long silence is now broken. This battle between souls will carve open a way to the future and turn into light!!"
CM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxnOMm7miEY
Yugi: "My other self... I promise to beat you in this fight!"
Dark Yugi: "Partner... I'll take you on!"
Yugi: "Here I go! I'm betting it all on this card! Appear! The vicious dragon clad in black and gold who will unleash a shimmer of glorious devastation! Gandora Geas, the Dragon of Destruction!"
...
Yugi and Dark Yugi: "DUEL!!"
This is a list of translated Japanese names for all of the cards in Legacy of Destruction. See below for further notes.
Each card name is linked to an image!! (Use an image-zooming extension like Imagus to view them instantly.)
Any questions or issues you may have about the translations are welcome.

• Magicians of Bonds and Unity

1. Gandora Geas, the Dragon of Destruction
2. Silent Swordman Zero
3. Silent Magician Zero
4. Tricolore Gadget
5. Mashimarshmallon
6. Antique Gear Dark Golem / Mechanical Dark Giant of Antiquity
7. Antique Gear Tanker / Mechanical Tank Soldier of Antiquity
8. Antique Gear Commander / Mechanical Commander of Antiquity
9. Refrain, Melodious Songstress of the Phantasmic Performance
10. Couplet, Melodious Songstress of the Phantasmic Performance
11. Snake-Eyes Diabellstar / Great Flame Demon with Serpentine Eyes
12. Diabellze the Original Sin
13. Raika-no-Marikobe / Scourgebud Skullcone
14. Raika-no-Yahazukamikiri / Scourgebud Arrowhorn Beetle
15. Raika-no-Yoroitokage / Scourgebud Armor Lizard
16. Tenpai Dragon Paidora / Heavenly Cup Dragon - Paidora
17. Tenpai Dragon Fadora / Heavenly Cup Dragon - Fadora
18. Tenpai Dragon Chundora / Heavenly Cup Dragon - Chundora
19. Hellgrave Squirmer
20. Gold Pride - Assassinator
21. Centurion Gargoyle II / Dragoon Cavalry - Gargoyle II
22. Selettrice Varmonica / Voice-Picking Princess of Angels and Demons
23. Dragoon of Light-Road / Dragon of the Way of Light
24. Light-Road Demon Veiss
25. Wight Lord
26. Golgoil, the Great Demon of Steel
27. Moonfang Dragon - Crescent Dragon
28. Talons of Schlieren
29. Nightmare Apprentice / Apprentice Magician of Entrancement
30. Dinovader Docus
31. Cyclus the Summon Ring Fairy
32. Fishborg - Harpooner
33. Chilling Fire
34. Saffira, the Dragon Deity of Silent Voices
35. Spectacular Bach, Melodious Princess of the Phantasmic Performance
36. Flowering Étoile, Musical Flower Goddess of the Phantasmic Performance
37. Memento Twin Dragon
38. Enlightenment Dragoon / Dragon of Divine Light
39. Burgeoning Dragon of Lustrous Phantoms - Bident Dragion
40. Supreme Dragon of Lustrous Phantoms - Transcend Dragion
41. Gold Pride - Annihilator
42. Centurion Arxila / Empress of Knights - Arxila
43. Light-Road Athena Minerva
44. Goblin Rider - The Griare Trio / The Flesh-Eater Pandemonic Parade - The Griare Trio
45. Decanelogue - Varudras / Supreme Beast of the Endtime Commandments - Varudras
46. Okosama / Mister Angry Pants
47. Raika-no-Mushadokuro / Scourgebud Warrior Skull
48. Raika-no-Ogaminushi / Scourgebud Mantis Priest
49. Raika-no-Kusarigami / Scourgebud Chain Serpent
50. Raika-no-Daiohga / Scourgebud Great King Ogrefang
51. Gold Coffer of Light
52. The Silence of Time - Turn Silence
53. Ties of Friendship
54. Silence Towards the Future
55. Antique Gear Advance / March of Antiquity
56. Phantasmic Performance Concerto
57. The Battle of Tainted Treasures
58. Raika Off-Season Profusion / Off-Season Profusion of Scourgebuds
59. The Lustrous Phantom Parlor of Brimming Cups
60. Lustrous Phantoms: Opening the Gate
61. Nightmare Throne
62. A Blessing for the Silent Voices
63. Nether-Skeleton Fusion - Memento Fusion
64. Wake Up, Centurion!
65. Varmonica Invitare
66. Varmonica Disarmonia
67. Map Your Way Out
68. Blinkout
69. Metatronius / The Embodiment of God's Abyss in the Coexistent Worlds
70. Boot Tracks in the Snow, We Follow Them with Our Steps, One by One They Go
71. Strong-Hold the Hidden Fortress
72. Antique Gear Duel / Mechanical Competitive Bout of Antiquity
73. The Goblin Rider Grand Pile-Up / Grand Pile-Up of the Flesh-Eater Pandemonic Parade
74. Tainted Treasure Turnaround
75. Tainted Treasure of Slumbering - Morrigan
76. Raika Large-Flowered Headhunting Dance / Large-Flowered Headhunting Dance of the Scourgebuds
77. Light-Road Aegis
78. Barrier of Entrancement -Mirage Force-
79. Zoma the Earthbound Ghost
80. Terrifying Simultaneous Fixed-Point Cannon Equations

+1 Bonus Pack

• Gandora, the Dragon of Destruction

Etymology and other trivia:

Yugi's Deck

• Gandora Geas is a reference to Final Geas, a Trap Card used by Yugi Muto in THE DARK SIDE OF DIMENSIONS that was used to summon Gandora Cross, the Dragon of Annihilation, another counterpart to Yugi's original Gandora, the Dragon of Destruction. (A geas is an Irish-folklore term for an obligation or prohibition magically imposed on a person.) Its effect of Special Summoning a monster after using its effect is a reference to how Silent Swordman LV7 was brought back after Gandora used its effect in Yugi's Duel against Dark Bakura.
• Silent Swordman Zero and Silent Magician Zero are references to Yugi's Silent Swordman LV0 and Silent Magician LV0, respectively. Silent Magician Zero's Level-increasing effect is also a more faithful recreation of how the original one's worked.
• Tricolore is French for tricolor.
• Mashimarshmallon is a portmanteau of mashimashi (Japanese for "to increase" or "to enlarge") and Marshmallon, another of Yugi's monsters. It has the effect of Marshmallon Glasses built into it as well.
• Gold Coffer of Light is based on Yugi's Gold Coffer of Sealing (Gold Sarcophagus in the TCG), whicn in its original iteration was able to prevent the usage of any card sealed away inside it. This card's effect of being able to send back to the Graveyard a monster Special Summoned from there by a Magic Card effect is a reference to when Yugi sealed away his own Resurrection of the Dead to prevent Dark Yugi from using it in their final Duel against each other. Its effect of being unable to be destroyed by monster effects is a reference to how the card sealed inside the original Gold Coffer was unaffected by any magical effect, including Gandora's ability in the manga.
• Turn Silence is a reference to Yugi's A Leap in Time -Turn Jump-, which was used in his Duel against Dark Bakura to skip time ahead to three of his turns into the future (thus this card's effect being able to raise a monster's Level by 3, similar to how Yugi's Silent monsters gained LVs with each passing turn). Its artwork is a reference to a scene from that Duel in which Yugi's Silent Swordman destroys Bakura's Zoma the Ghost. This card being able to negate a monster effect if activated in response to one is a reference to how the time skipped by Turn Jump effectively prevented Bakura's Zoma from applying its damage-inflicting effect at the end of that Battle Phase.
• Ties of Friendship is a reference to Yugi's Ties of the Brethren, and has a similar effect to it. This card's artwork mimics an illustration drawn by Kazuki Takahashi and published on the STUDIO DICE official website with a message of support for the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. The illustration depicted Yugi Muto with the original versions of the monsters in this card's artwork, and was later printed in DUEL ART—a collection containing some of Takahashi's illustrations.
• Silence Towards the Future's artwork and effect are a reference to a scene from Yugi Muto's Duel against his other self in which he uses Treasured Cards from the Heavens (Card of Sanctity in the TCG) to draw multiple cards and power up his Silent Magician.
• Strong-Hold the Hidden Fortress's title is a reference to when Dark Yugi referred to Yugi's Strong-Hold the Moving Fortress as "the trap of the hidden fortress."

Antique Gear

• Antique Gear Dark Golem is a reference to the fact Chronos de Medici's Deck was called a Dark Medieval Deck in the GX anime.
• Antique Gear Tanker's artwork and ATK-increasing effect are a reference to when Chronos equipped his Antique Gear Soldier with Antique Gear Tank in his Duel against Napoleon in the anime.
• Antique Gear Commander's pose mimics one Chronos himself struck often during Duels, while his bladed weapon is a visual reference to Chronos's Duel Disk, which was built into the Duel Coat he wore.
• Antique Gear Duel depicts a scene from Chronos's second Duel against Judai Yuki, in which Antique Gear Ultimate Golem attacks Judai's Flare Neos. The phrase Competitive Bout (Kyōtō) is a pun on the Japanese word for "vice-headmaster" (also pronounced kyōtō), referring to the title Chronos held at Duel Academia at the time of that Duel. This same pun is used for the card Competitive Bout - Cross-Dimension (Cross-Dimensional Duel in the TCG).

Phantasmic Performance

• Refrain (pronounced "REH-FRAWN") is the French word for the English refrain or chorus—the line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry.
• Couplet (pronounced "COO-PLAY") is the French word for the English couplet—a pair of successive lines of verse, typically rhyming and of the same length.
• Both Refrain and Couplet are reference to a rondo—a musical form that contains a principal theme (sometimes called the "refrain") which alternates with one or more contrasting themes, generally called "episodes", but also occasionally referred to as "digressions" or "couplets". This alternation can also be seen in their effects that return them to the Pendulum Zones after a Fusion Monster is Special Summoned.
• Spectacular Bach is based on Johann Sebastian Bach—a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period, generally regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music.
• Flowering Étoile is named after Danseuse étoile (French for "star dancer")—the highest rank a dancer can reach at the Paris Opera Ballet. The star-shaped flowers on her dress are the flowers of the yuzu plant, referencing Yuzu Hiiragi, who played a Phantasmic Performance Deck in the ARC-V anime.
• A concerto is a musical composition for a solo instrument or instruments accompanied by an orchestra, especially one conceived on a relatively large scale.

Diabellstar storyline

• Snake-Eyes Diabellstar's stat line could mean it's a reference to Magician of Black Chaos, seeing as how the original Diabellstar is to Black Magician.
• Diabellze is a portmanteau of Diabell- and Beelzebub.
• Griare is pronounced "GREE-AW-RAY." The word Trio (Sanketsu) here is a Japanese phrase used to refer to "three great people" of a certain historic era, but sanketsu is also a pun on the phrase niketsu ("riding double on a motorcycle").
• Grand Pile-Up refers to piling up Xyz Materials under a single monster with its effect.
• Morrigan is named after the Morrígan—a figure from Irish mythology associated with war and fate, especially with foretelling doom, death, or victory in battle, and is often depicted as a crow.

Raika

• Raika is written with the kanji for bud and calamity, roughly translated as Scourgebud for the alternate translations above.
• Marikobe is a pun on the Japanese words igakusa (written with similar kanji as Marikobe)—the Japanese name for the Rhynchospora rubra, a member of the sedge family that features a distinctive spherical spikelet at the end of its stem—and sharikōbe (an alternate reading of dokuro—the Japanese word for "skull").
• Yahazukamikiri is the Japanese name for Uraecha bimaculata, a species of beetle. It is a slender longhorn beetle with a reddish-brown body and a pair of diagonal dark spots on its forewings that resemble arrow notches (with yahazu being the Japanese term for the nock of an arrow). Its name could also be a reference to yahazu-midare—a type of hamon that resembles of sequence of nocks. Since the Raika theme has a yōkai motif, it is also possibly a reference to the Kamikiri (lit. "hair-cutter")—a Japanese yōkai said to secretly cut people's hair on the head.
• Yoroitokage literally means armored lizard, referring to the armadillo girdled lizard—a diurnal animal with rows of tough spiny scales all over its body.
• Mushadokuro is a portmanteau of musha (a Japanese word meaning "warrior") and Gashadokuro (lit. "rattling skull")—a yōkai spirit that takes the form of a giant skeleton made of the skulls of people who died in the battlefield.
• Ogaminushi is a portmanteau of ogamimushi (a dialectal Japanese term for the praying mantis) and ōkannushi (the chief Shinto priest serving the Grand Shrine).
• Kusarigami is a portmanteau of kusarigama (lit. "chain-sickle")—a traditional Japanese weapon consisting of a sickle attached to a metal chain with a heavy iron weight at the end—and kusarihebi (lit. "chain snake")—the Japanese name for the viper.
• Daiohga is based on Dorcus bucephalus, a type of stag beetle also known as the great king (daiou) stag beetle in Japanese. Its name also sounds like a portmanteau of daiou and ogre.
• Raika Off-Season Profusion (Raikaryouran Kuruizaki) is a play on the Japanese idiom hyakkaryōran ("many flowers blooming in profusion").

Tenpai Dragon/Lustrous Phantom

• This theme is based heavily on Japanese mahjong, also known as riichi mahjong.
• Tenpai (lit. "heavenly cup" or "sky cup") is a pun on the Japanese-mahjong term tenpai (lit. "listening tile")—meaning to be one tile short of a winning hand (sometimes called "fishing" in English).
• The Main Deck monsters are based on the dragon tiles (sangenpai, lit. "three fundamental tiles") in mahjong. Their names ending in dora (from doragon or "dragon") is additionaly a pun on mahjong's dora tiles—bonus tiles that add han value to a winning hand.
• Paidora comes from paipan—the white dragon tile without any markings (also known as haku).
• Fadora comes from ryuufa (roughly meaning "green wealth")—the official name for the green dragon tile hatsu, which has the Chinese character for "wealth" written on it.
• Chundora comes from honchun or hóngzhōng (lit. "red center")—the official name for the red dragon tile chun (lit. "medium" or "center"), which has the same character written on it.
• Bident Dragion is a reference to the card Trident Dragion, with a bident being a two-pronged spear as opposed to the three-pronged trident. Burgeoning Dragon of Lustrous Phantoms (Sangenshōryū) is a pun on the Japanese mahjong term shōsangen (lit. "little three fundamentals")—a yaku (a certain pattern in a mahjong hand) reliant on all three sangenpai (dragon tiles). The hand consists of triplets of two dragons and a pair of the third.
• Transcend Dragion's title (Sangenchōryū) is in turn based on a chōsangen (lit. "superior three fundamentals")—a non-standard yaku containing all three quads of sangenpai.
• The Lustrous Phantom Parlor of Brimming Cups (Sakazuki Michiru Sangensō) is a pun on the Japanese term jansō ("mahjong parlor")—a Japanese venue which offers tables for playing mahjong. The two kanji for Brimming Cups (Sakazuki Michiru) can also be read haiman, similar to the Japanese-mahjong term baiman (lit. "double-full")—a win worth 16,000 points (or 24,000 if the dealer wins). This likely refers to this theme's ability to field massive amounts of battle damage in a single Battle Phase.
• Opening the gate (Kaimen) is a Japanese-mahjong term for determining which tile the dealing of hands starts at the start of the game.

Yubel

• Hellgrave Squirmer is based on Grave Squirmer, a monster used by Yubel in the GX anime. Its wings and left arm now resemble those of Yubel.
• Nightmare Throne is based on the throne on the top floor of Yubel's tower in the Spirit World. The artwork is a reference to a scene in which Johann Andersen (possessed by Yubel) leans on the left side of the throne after his Duel against Amon Garam.

Centurion

• The II in Gargoyle II is read as zwei (the German word for the number two).
• Arxila (pronounced "ARK-SEE-LAH") is a twist on auxilia (lit. "auxiliaries")–auxiliary troops in the Roman army.

Varmonica

• Selettrice (pronounced "SELETREE-CHE") is an Italian feminine noun meaning "selector." The title Voice-Picking Princess (Seisenki) is a reference to the card Voice Picker of Angels and Demons - "Varmonica", whose Voice Picker is also pronounced the same (Seisenki), but is written with a different ki kanji meaning "device."
• Invitare is Italian for "to invite."
• Disarmonia is Italian for "dissonance."

Light-Road

• This theme's inclusion in this set could possibly be a reference to its similar name to LIGHT OF DESTRUCTION, the core booster set in which the Light-Road theme first appeared. LIGHT OF DESTRUCTION was also released next after the core booster set PHANTOM DARKNESS, which was the basis for the previous set PHANTOM NIGHTMARE.
• Veiss is a pun on vice (as in "immoral or wicked behavior") and Weiß (German for "white"). This monster seems to be a Light-Road version of Snoww, Sorceress of the Dark World, who is also connected to the color white and is present in several card artworks together with Light-Road Hunter Ryko.
• Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, especially strategic warfare, the arts, and especially crafts. Her Roman counterpart is Minerva.
• Aegis is named after an attribute of Zeus and Athena (or their Roman counterparts Jupiter and Minerva) usually represented as a goatskin shield.

Memento

• Memento Twin Dragon is based on the early-era OCG Fusion Monster Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon.

Miscellaneous

• Wight Lord (Waitorōdo) is a pun on the Light-Road (Raitorōdo) theme's name, and even has a similar Deck-milling effect. In its artwork, Wight Lord and Skull Dog Marron appear to be wearing armors similar to those of Light-Road Paladin Jain and Light-Road Hunter Ryko, respectively.
• Golgoil, the Great Demon of Steel is an Illusion Magic remake of the early-era OCG monster Golgoil. Its title comes from the fact the original Golgoil has the words MAJIN OF KOTETSU (roughly meaning "demon of steel" in mixed Japanese and English) engraved on its upper armor. Great Demon of Steel (Kōtetsu no Daimajin) is also a reference to both Great Mazinger (Gurēto Majingā) and Steel Jeeg (Kōtetsu Jīgu), which are two Japanese mecha anime series created by Go Nagai.
• Moonfang Dragon - Crescent Dragon is a remake of the early-era OCG monster Crescent Dragon (known as Mikazukinoyaiba in the TCG). This monster is meant to symbolize 2024 being a Year of the Dragon.
• Schlieren (pronounced "SHLEER-EN" and meaning "streaks" in German) are discernible layers in a transparent material that differ from the surrounding material in density or composition. An example of this phenomenon would be the shimerring sunlight on a hot summer day. Its effect is a reference to its flavor text in some of the Game Boy Yu-Gi-Oh! games, where this monster originates from.
• Nightmare Apprentice has a similar name, stats, and effect as Apprentice Mage of Illusions (known as Apprentice Illusion Magician in the TCG).
• Dinovader Docus is a pun on dinosaur, invader, and Diplodocus—a huge herbivorous dinosaur of the late Jurassic period, with a long slender neck and tail.
• Cyclus (Kikurosu) is the Latin form of the Ancient Greek kyklos ("circle" or "ring"). Its title is a play on a fairy ring or fairy circle—a circular area of grass that is darker in color than the surrounding grass due to the growth of certain fungi. They were popularly believed to have been caused by fairies dancing.
• Chilling Fire (Hieru Hi) is a counterpart to and has a similarly alliterative name (in Japanese) as the card Burning Algae (Moeru Mo).
• Decanelogue is a twist on Decalogue, another name for the Ten Commandments—a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship that play a fundamental role in Judaism and Christianity.
• Okosama is a pun on okosama (a Japanese polite expression used to refer to children, albeit written in different kanji than this card's name) and oko (Japanese internet slang for being angry). The kanji used in its card name are those for "angry," "young child," and the polite honorific sama.
• Map Your Way Out (Kyūsureba Tsūzu) is a pun on the Japanese proverb also pronounced the same way, which is basically the equivalent of the English idiom, "Necessity is the mother of invention," meaning that when the need for something becomes essential, you are forced to find ways of getting or achieving it. The last kanji in the card name is the kanji for "map" or "diagram"—this and its artwork are a reference to the anime/manga series Eyeshield 21, where the protagonist would sometimes imagine a mapped-out route through the opposing players that would lead him to a touchdown. Kyū is also the Japanese pronunication for the number nine, referring to its effect of wiping out the opponent's field and Graveyard if a player uses its effect while their opponent controls 9 or more monsters.
• Blinkout is a pun on "to blink out of existence," link (referring to Link Monsters), and possibly blackout.
• Metatronius is based on the Ancient Greek metathronios, which can be translated as "one who sits behind the throne." It has been suggested this phrase is the origin of the name Metatron—an archangel in Christian and Jewish folklore.
• Boot Tracks in the Snow, We Follow Them with Our Steps, One by One They Go (Yukigutsu no / Ato Ou Hitotsu / Mata Hitotsu) is written as a haiku—a Japanese poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five, traditionally evoking images of the natural world. Its effect also mentions the numbers five, seven, and five in that order.
• Zoma the Earthbound Ghost is a combination of Dark Bakura's Zoma the Ghost and Call of the Earthbound Spirits. Its effect to inflict damage equal to double the ATK of the attacking monster is a reference to the original depiction of Zoma the Ghost in the anime and manga, which had a similar effect to inflict damage equal to double the ATK of the monster that destroyed it at the end of the Battle Phase.
• Terrifying Simultaneous Fixed-Point Cannon Equations (Renritsu Hōkoteishiki) is a pun on the Japanese term for simultaneous equations or equation system (renritsu hōteishiki)—in its simplest form, a set of two equations with two variables. The ritsu in renritsu has been replaced with the second kanji from senritsu ("terrifying"), and the hōteishiki meaning "equation" has had the kanji ko ("cannon") spliced in-between, and the teishi part has been replaced for the teishi meaning "fixed-point." Its effect can be expressed as the equation system {2x + y = a; x + y = b}, where 'x' and 'y' stand for the number of Xyz Monsters and Fusion (Yūgō in Japanese) Monsters, respectively.

Tournament Pack 2024 Vol.1

1. Archethys, the Ravenous Crocodile Dragon
2. Wight King
3. Wight Prince
4. Decoy Dragon
5. Light-Road Maiden Minerva
6. Soprano, Melodious Songstress of the Phantasmic Performance
7. Naga
8. Antique Gear Golem - Ultimate Pound / Mechanical Giant of Antiquity - Ultimate Pound
9. Exodius, the Ultimate Sealed God
10. Trident Dragion
11. Hagakuremino the Insect Chunin
12. Piri Reis Map
13. Sword of Silence
14. Silent Burning
15. Spirit Conversion Device
16. Grave of the Super-Ancient Organisms
17. Horror of the Lifeless Dragon - Destrudo

V Jump March 2024 Edition bonus card

• Magic Card: "Resurrection of the Dead"

Etymology:

• This card's name is taken from a line usually said when Resurrection of the Dead was activated in the Duel Monsters anime and manga: "I activate the Magic Card Resurrection of the Dead!" Its artwork is taken from a scene during Yugi's Duel against Pandora in Battle City, in which both he and Pandora use their own Resurrection of the Dead at the same time to revive their Black Magicians from the Graveyard. It being a Quick-Play Magic Card is a reference to the fact all Magic Cards functioned like Quick-Play ones in the manga (and sometimes in the anime).

In the book as written the information that the unicorns at the carousel gives far to much of the story away. So I decided to write a few rhyming couplets to reward my party with instead. Feel free to steal and use for yourself, just make sure you tell me how it goes!
First Pair:

• Hearts desire sits frozen and still,
• The hour glass turns yet never fill

Second Pair:

• Prismeer, a great work the queen hath made,
• Betrayed and shattered but not with blade

Third Pair:

• What was stolen the thieves take and flee,
• Carried beyond and split amongst three

Fourth Pair:

• Mire, then forest, and shadowed mountain peak,
• The far land, her sanctum, twisted, altered, bleak

It is a dramatic monologue, rhyming couplets of lines ten syllables each.
“Raskolnikov”
I must repent! For who are you to say?
It is not your God whom I will obey,
Much less fall to my knees and beg his grace,
Pleading to spare my race and its disgrace.
Do you fear for my conscience, for my soul?
Do you offer your cross to make me whole?
But if like a noose, it hung from my neck,
There would be another chastisement yet-
For facing the suffering, so you say,
Half expiates the crime done on that day.
But only if that good deed were a crime,
Then, shall I suffer for this act of mine.
Like Napoleon, I had claimed my right
And only for greatness I sought to fight.
Believing I to utter a new word,
The birth of a legacy to be heard.
But ridiculed by failure of design,
I understand what is my only crime.
You look upon me as if I am crazed!
Mad and with fever in a reckless rage.
But that is not so, for I am quite sane
Now that I see what has put me to shame.
My sin does not lie with her in the grave,
Nor is it on the blunt side of the blade,
But in the warm blood in which I trembled,
And on the lock over which I stumbled.

Okay for starters, I’m not sure whether or not it’s considered a “nursery rhyme” but for a reference, its like my world’s version of “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe” if that helps.
So the idea is that it’s a continuous pattern of a song where the singer looks out at the stars at night because they’re worried about someone (maybe a friend, a lover, a sibling, etc.) and they count each star they can see. However many stars they end on corresponds with what is (rumored to be) going on with whoever they’re thinking about. I can’t decide what to put in each line but I’m trying 😂
1 star, 2 star, (insert p1) 3 star, 4 star, (insert p2) 5 star, 6 star, (insert p3) 7 star, 8 star, (insert p4) 9 star, 10 star, (insert p5) 11 star, 12 star, (insert p6)
And so on.
I love stars so I wanted to make this a thing- None of this is set in stone tho (we could do counts of 3, 4, 9, anything really) Heck it could even be by 1s! “1 star in the sky, (insert p1). 2 stars in the sky, (insert p2)…” and so on- No, not every line has to rhyme (couplets are cool too y’all lol) I do need it to be up to twenty though (after 20 it could reset. 21=1, 22=2… 30=20… like that, yeah?)
Alsooooooo ChatGPT is NOT helpful-
Please help if you can and let me know if something needs more explanation/clarification!

Found in a book within Sharess’s Caress

My lovely 90 year old grandmother has been talking about a children’s book she read to her younger sister in the 1940’s. She is very keen to read it again but I just can’t find it. All I know is that is came out in the 1940’s and she said there weren’t many books published due to the war. It is written in rhyming couplets and it starts “Percival Pig and his dear wife Pricilla set off one day to purchase a villa”.
I have spent hours and hours trying to find it online but without an author it is almost impossible! I’ve even contacted the Bodleian library but they couldn’t find it.
I know it exists as I found a interview with Michael Apted (the director) in Variety from 2007 where he said it was one of three books that meant a lot to him but there wasn’t an author mentioned, it just said ‘Percival Pig and his Dear Wife Pricilla, a British children’s tale’.
I also found an old post on a the abebooks website saying: Please can anybody help me find a book from my childhood. I am not sure what it was called, but it was in rhyme and was about Percival Pig and his dear wife Priscilla, who had enough money to purchase a villa. The cover was cardboard with red binder and the paper inside was shiny. On the cover was a picture of Percival and his dear wife Priscilla walking upright and dressed. Sadly no one could find the book and I can no longer comment on the post.
So I know it exists and I’m desperate to find it for my grandmother but I’ve hit a total dead end. Can anyone very kindly help?

I’ve got a plan. I’m securing a method. I don’t want to use any details because the last thing I want is to trigger another person.
Life is a beautiful thing. I just cannot continue. There’s something about me I can’t explain. It’s like I’m disconnected from life.
The line from Simon and Garfunkel comes to mind. Verses out of rhythm. Couplets out of rhyme. I’ve been this way all my life. Just here. Not really part of anything.
I look back on so many situations where I just did not get it socially. People treated me well, and I’m grateful. But I no longer want to live disconnected from humanity.
When the time comes I’ll go quietly. No big mess for anyone to clean up. I’ll make sure to leave enough breadcrumbs that my loved ones have closure.

1. Ghazal: A traditional Arabic form with couplets linked by a rhyme and a refrain, often exploring themes of love, loss, and mysticism.
   
2. Sijo: A Korean form consisting of three lines, often with a theme or mood split between the first two lines and a twist or resolution in the third.
   
3. Ghaseleh: An Iranian form characterized by quatrains, often dealing with themes of social issues and romance.
   
4. Tanka: A Japanese form similar to haiku but longer, consisting of five lines with syllable counts of 5-7-5-7-7, often expressing emotions or nature.
   
5. Sapphic Verse: A classical form inspired by the Greek poet Sappho, consisting of stanzas with specific syllable counts and metrical patterns.
   
6. Bop: A modern form combining elements of the blues and sonnet, with three stanzas followed by a refrain.
   
7. Found Poetry: Poetry created by rearranging words or phrases from existing texts or sources.
   
8. Blitz Poem: A form characterized by rapid, stream-of-consciousness-like lines, each line connected to the subsequent one through a repeated word or phrase.
   
9. Fib: A form where the syllable count in each line is based on the Fibonacci sequence.
   
10. Cadae: A variation of the sestina, utilizing six key words instead of repeating end-words.
    

Here are are examples of some of the lesser-known poetry forms using the topic of spiders:

1. Ghazal:
   In shadows, eight legs dance, a weaver's art displayed,
   Silk threads bind tales of night, where fears are arrayed.
   Spinnerets whisper secrets, in darkness, unafraid,
   Spiders, silent poets, in their webs, worlds are made.
   
2. Sijo:
   Spiders weave their silk, skilled architects of the night,
   Trapping dreams in threads, whispers spun in silver light,
   Stories etched in webs, where fears and hopes alight.
   
3. Tanka:
   Spiders in the dark,
   Silent weavers of tales spun,
   Threads that catch moonbeams,
   Intricate artistry thrives,
   Night's poetry alive.
   
4. Bop:
   Silk threads spun at dusk,
   Each web a masterpiece,
   Silent weavers of tales,
   Spiders, architects of night.
   
5. Blitz Poem:
   Spiders crawl, crawl in the night,
   Night weaves tales, tales of silk,
   Silk traps dreams, dreams and fears,
   Fears linger, linger in webs,
   Webs of spiders, spiders crawl.
   
6. Fib:
   Spin,
   Web,
   Trap,
   Night,
   Art.
   
7. Cadae:
   Silk strands woven, fragile yet strong,
   Arachnid architects craft the night's song,
   Webs span realms where dreams belong,
   Spiders' artistry, nature's throng,
   Intricate threads, a world spun long,
   Creatures of shadow where they belong.
   
8. Found Poetry:
   (Excerpt from 'The Spider and the Fly' by Mary Howitt)
   “Will you walk into my parlor?” said the Spider to the Fly,
   “'Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy;
   The way into my parlor is up a winding stair,
   And I have many curious things to show when you are there.”
   
9. Shadorma:
   Spiders
   Spin threads
   Artistry
   In darkness, they
   Weave tales
   Night's poets.
   

A ghazal is a poetic form with origins in Arabic and Persian poetry, and it has been widely adopted in various languages, including Urdu. It traditionally consists of rhyming couplets, and each line shares the same meter. The ghazal often explores themes of love, loss, longing, and mysticism.
Key features of a ghazal include:

1. Rhyme and Refrain: The lines within each couplet rhyme, and a specific word or phrase is often repeated at the end of each couplet. This repeated word or phrase is called the "radif," and the rhyme before it is called the "qaafiya."
   
2. Autobiographical Content: Ghazals frequently contain personal reflections and emotions, often expressing the poet's experiences or feelings.
   
3. Mystical and Romantic Themes: Ghazals often explore themes of unrequited love, spiritual longing, and the beauty of nature.
   
4. Conciseness: Ghazals tend to be relatively short, typically consisting of 5 to 15 couplets.
   

Here's a brief example of a ghazal-style poem:
``` In shadows deep, your memory remains, my love (qaafiya) A haunting dream, your memory remains, my love (radif)
Through starlit nights and sunlit days, my love (qaafiya) In every way, your memory remains, my love (radif) ```
🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫
Down icy tracks, where speed and skill align (A) Bobsledders race with courage, pure and bright (B) In frozen realms, their journey intertwined (A)
With steely nerves, they face the chilling bite (A) Sleek sleds slicing through the wintry white (B) Bobsledders race with courage, pure and bright (A)
A team united, hearts in swift delight (A) Through twists and turns, a dance of sheer delight (B) In frozen realms, their journey intertwined (A)
Each frozen curve, a challenge to invite (A) As frosty winds embrace the daring flight (B) Bobsledders race with courage, pure and bright (A)
The icy trail, a canvas shining, bright (A) As cheers resound through snowy day and night (B) In frozen realms, their journey intertwined (A)
Beneath the winter's spell, their spirits light (A) A thrilling tale of speed, a gripping sight (B) Bobsledders race with courage, pure and bright (A)

A ghazal is a poetic form with origins in Arabic and Persian poetry, and it has been widely adopted in various languages, including Urdu. It traditionally consists of rhyming couplets, and each line shares the same meter. The ghazal often explores themes of love, loss, longing, and mysticism.
Key features of a ghazal include:

1. Rhyme and Refrain: The lines within each couplet rhyme, and a specific word or phrase is often repeated at the end of each couplet. This repeated word or phrase is called the "radif," and the rhyme before it is called the "qaafiya."
   
2. Autobiographical Content: Ghazals frequently contain personal reflections and emotions, often expressing the poet's experiences or feelings.
   
3. Mystical and Romantic Themes: Ghazals often explore themes of unrequited love, spiritual longing, and the beauty of nature.
   
4. Conciseness: Ghazals tend to be relatively short, typically consisting of 5 to 15 couplets.
   

Here's a brief example of a ghazal-style poem:
``` In shadows deep, your memory remains, my love (qaafiya) A haunting dream, your memory remains, my love (radif)
Through starlit nights and sunlit days, my love (qaafiya) In every way, your memory remains, my love (radif) ```
🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫
Down icy tracks, where speed and skill align (A) Bobsledders race with courage, pure and bright (B) In frozen realms, their journey intertwined (A)
With steely nerves, they face the chilling bite (A) Sleek sleds slicing through the wintry white (B) Bobsledders race with courage, pure and bright (A)
A team united, hearts in swift delight (A) Through twists and turns, a dance of sheer delight (B) In frozen realms, their journey intertwined (A)
Each frozen curve, a challenge to invite (A) As frosty winds embrace the daring flight (B) Bobsledders race with courage, pure and bright (A)
The icy trail, a canvas shining, bright (A) As cheers resound through snowy day and night (B) In frozen realms, their journey intertwined (A)
Beneath the winter's spell, their spirits light (A) A thrilling tale of speed, a gripping sight (B) Bobsledders race with courage, pure and bright (A)

All my life, if there's one screenwriting adage I hear over and over and over again it's: "You wanna make that spec sale? Make those first 10 pages shine like diamonds and the 1st page has to be the most hype thing you ever write." But what about the endings, what we leave the audience with. It's gotta be just as important as the opening. I don't hear people drill down and talk about The last 10 pages, the last image. How do you approach them, what pitfalls have you encountered? I got a script now where I'm going for a rhyming couplet thing, where it links back to the opening in a way that (hopefully) shows that the characters are in a new place. But there's a ton ow ways. And maybe most important, what are your very favorite Last 10 pages of a screenplay you've ever read?

Purple is my favorite color, Sanguine as it settles luridly ‘neath my skin Heralding nascent heather blooms, though many a twin The sting of their arrival, now long since diminished, Purple is all you’ve left; my life unfinished
Yellow is my favorite color, Golden amber blossoms in burgundy fields, yet still tender Through gifted flaxen pastures, pain to engender Each lovingly given- one by one, and two by two, Yellow fills the mind, when I think of you
Green is my favorite color, Mossy moulding ‘round the edges, holding back these patches My fields by you now blessed; I can only ask for matches Small sickly soft- spirit’s leeching out, Green is what I turn- once I hear your shout
I am my favorite hue, Pallid and hoary, I’ve yet so much to do All my fields are mine again, so I shan’t be blue You once asked (after I grew) So here: once the bruises faded, so did you.
Any help with rhyming in my couplets in the first and fourth quatrains would be most appreciated! Thank yo for reading, and some links to my recent comments (I am still new to poetry writing, so I don't feel confident critiquing others' writing yet) also: how do I make the formatting not smash all my quatrains into one paragraph each, while also not spacing them all out into a giant wall?
https://www.reddit.com/OCPoetry/comments/18lv89c/sealed_in_smoke/ke1ic1?context=3
https://www.reddit.com/OCPoetry/comments/18lx9uq/gran_canaria/ke1hwqg/?context=3

A ghazal is a poetic form with origins in Arabic and Persian poetry, and it has been widely adopted in various languages, including Urdu. It traditionally consists of rhyming couplets, and each line shares the same meter. The ghazal often explores themes of love, loss, longing, and mysticism.
Key features of a ghazal include:

1. Rhyme and Refrain: The lines within each couplet rhyme, and a specific word or phrase is often repeated at the end of each couplet. This repeated word or phrase is called the "radif," and the rhyme before it is called the "qaafiya."
   
2. Autobiographical Content: Ghazals frequently contain personal reflections and emotions, often expressing the poet's experiences or feelings.
   
3. Mystical and Romantic Themes: Ghazals often explore themes of unrequited love, spiritual longing, and the beauty of nature.
   
4. Conciseness: Ghazals tend to be relatively short, typically consisting of 5 to 15 couplets.
   

Here's a brief example of a ghazal-style poem:
``` In shadows deep, your memory remains, my love (qaafiya) A haunting dream, your memory remains, my love (radif)
Through starlit nights and sunlit days, my love (qaafiya) In every way, your memory remains, my love (radif) ```
🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫
Down icy tracks, where speed and skill align (A) Bobsledders race with courage, pure and bright (B) In frozen realms, their journey intertwined (A)
With steely nerves, they face the chilling bite (A) Sleek sleds slicing through the wintry white (B) Bobsledders race with courage, pure and bright (A)
A team united, hearts in swift delight (A) Through twists and turns, a dance of sheer delight (B) In frozen realms, their journey intertwined (A)
Each frozen curve, a challenge to invite (A) As frosty winds embrace the daring flight (B) Bobsledders race with courage, pure and bright (A)
The icy trail, a canvas shining, bright (A) As cheers resound through snowy day and night (B) In frozen realms, their journey intertwined (A)
Beneath the winter's spell, their spirits light (A) A thrilling tale of speed, a gripping sight (B) Bobsledders race with courage, pure and bright (A)

A ghazal is a poetic form with origins in Arabic and Persian poetry, and it has been widely adopted in various languages, including Urdu. It traditionally consists of rhyming couplets, and each line shares the same meter. The ghazal often explores themes of love, loss, longing, and mysticism.
Key features of a ghazal include:

1. Rhyme and Refrain: The lines within each couplet rhyme, and a specific word or phrase is often repeated at the end of each couplet. This repeated word or phrase is called the "radif," and the rhyme before it is called the "qaafiya."
   
2. Autobiographical Content: Ghazals frequently contain personal reflections and emotions, often expressing the poet's experiences or feelings.
   
3. Mystical and Romantic Themes: Ghazals often explore themes of unrequited love, spiritual longing, and the beauty of nature.
   
4. Conciseness: Ghazals tend to be relatively short, typically consisting of 5 to 15 couplets.
   

Here's a brief example of a ghazal-style poem:
``` In shadows deep, your memory remains, my love (qaafiya) A haunting dream, your memory remains, my love (radif)
Through starlit nights and sunlit days, my love (qaafiya) In every way, your memory remains, my love (radif) ```
🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫
Down icy tracks, where speed and skill align (A) Bobsledders race with courage, pure and bright (B) In frozen realms, their journey intertwined (A)
With steely nerves, they face the chilling bite (A) Sleek sleds slicing through the wintry white (B) Bobsledders race with courage, pure and bright (A)
A team united, hearts in swift delight (A) Through twists and turns, a dance of sheer delight (B) In frozen realms, their journey intertwined (A)
Each frozen curve, a challenge to invite (A) As frosty winds embrace the daring flight (B) Bobsledders race with courage, pure and bright (A)
The icy trail, a canvas shining, bright (A) As cheers resound through snowy day and night (B) In frozen realms, their journey intertwined (A)
Beneath the winter's spell, their spirits light (A) A thrilling tale of speed, a gripping sight (B) Bobsledders race with courage, pure and bright (A)

Usually when it comes to the GOW's next saga, there are a lot of people who are quick to say Egypt, which is understandable, Ancient Egypt has a lot of potential. We know from the comics that Kratos has been in Egypt, and we also know that Santa Monica had this destination in mind when it was canceled and they went with Norse mythology. But as someone who is very familiar with different mythologies and the ancient world, I have a option, which, in my opinion, is be the best and most attractive: Persia.
​
- First, let's talk about where Persia is:
Persia, historic region of southwestern Asia, is modern-day Iran. The term Persia was used for centuries and originated from the region of southern Iran formerly known as Persis, alternatively as Pārs or Parsa, now as Fārs. The use of the name was gradually extended by the ancient Greeks and other peoples (mostly west) to apply to the whole Iranian plateau. The people of that region have traditionally called their country Iran, “Land of the Aryans.” That name was officially adopted in 1935.
​
- Environmental diversity:
Now, this is probably the most important part: one of the main reasons that makes Persia immediately superior to Egypt is its environmental diversity. Although Egypt has different potentials, it is very limited in terms of environments with everything being deserts, Persia on the other hand is a completely different story, it is a four-season land with mountains, forests, snow, deserts, storms, seas, volcanoes etc. which makes it a great option in terms of geographical diversity.
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- Core Deities and Characters:
In terms of mythology, Persia is one of the deepest in the world, on par with Egypt and Greece, if not even deeper. Let's not forget that even in the games there are direct references to Persia, Kratos' battle with the Persian general in Chains of Olympus, or even in Ragnarok we have Kratos' conversation with Mimir about the battle of Hot Gates, one of the few references of the game outside the legends, it was a historical battle when Xerxes marched from Persia to Greece in 480 BC. In God of War Ascension, we had Manticores, the flying Persian creatures part lion, part dragon, and part scorpion make appearances as Sub-Boss and smaller common versions. The Coliseum of Persia is also a featured map in the multiplayer. Persian mythology developed around 1500 BC. About a thousand years later, a religion known as Zoroastrianism emerged in the region. It held on to many of the earlier beliefs and added new themes, gods, and myths. The result was a mythology based on a vision of grand-scale conflict between good and evil. The best information about Persian mythology comes from Zoroastrianism's sacred book, the Avesta. The driving forces of Persian mythology were two powerful gods, sometimes presented as twin brothers: Ahura Mazda (pronounced ah-HOO-ruh MAHZ-duh), the creator god of light, truth, and goodness; and his enemy Ahriman (pronounced AH-ri-muhn), the spirit of darkness, lies, and evil who created only destructive things, such as vermin, disease, and demons. The world was their battlefield, and, although they were equally matched, Ahura Mazda was fated to win. For this reason, Ahura Mazda was the most important god of Persian mythology. The Zoroastrians identified him with fire, and tended fires on towers as part of their worship. The ancient Persian pantheon, collection of recognized gods also included Mithras (pronounced MITH-rahs), a god associated with war, the sun, law and order. Anahita (pronounced ah-nuh-HEE-tuh) was a goddess of water and fertility. Bahram, a *GOD OF WAR* and the god of victory, appeared on earth in ten forms: as wind, a bull, a horse, a camel, a boar, a youth, a raven, a ram, a buck, and a man. Zoroaster reduced the role of these and other traditional deities and emphasized Ahura Mazda as the supreme god. Ahura Mazda was said to have created seven archangels, called the Amesha Spentas, who represented truth, power, immortality (ability to live forever), and other aspects of his being. The ancient Persians associated some of their deities with the stars. The star Sirius (pronounced SEER-ee-uhs) represented the rain god Tishtrya, whose main role was to battle Apausha, an evil star of drought. the ancient Persians associated some of their deities with the stars. Tishtrya, in the form of a white stallion, and Apausha, in the form of a hideous black horse. The legendary King Bahram Gur appeared often in poems and tales as the inventor of poetry and as a mighty hunter. The greatest hero was the warrior Rustum, whose adventures appear in the epic Shahnameh (Book of Kings), written by the Ferdowsi around 1010 CE.
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- Major Myths:
Ahura Mazda made the world. Sky was an orb suspended in the midst of nothingness and, within it, Ahura Mazda released waters and then separated the waters from each other by earth. The sky element rose high above the earth and passed beneath it. Upon the earth, Ahura Mazda spread all different kinds of vegetation and imbued it with its own life and then created Gavaevodta, the Primordial Bull (also given as “the uniquely created bull”, Primordial Bovine, and Primordial Ox) who would give life to all other animals which would feed on, and fertilize, the vegetation. Creation began when he cast a beam of his pure light into the empty void between him and Ahriman, who had attacked him. Ahura Mazda uttered a prayer that silenced Ahriman for three thousand years. Ahura Mazda created the Amesha Spentas, or archangels, and the Yazatas (pronounced yah-ZAH-tuhz), divine beings. His final creation was Gayomart, the first man. Ahriman then awoke and began his evil work, sending a female demon to make Gayomart sicken and die. Gayomart's body became the silver and gold in the earth, and in death he fertilized the ground so that a plant grew and became a man and a woman. These two people, Masha and Mashyoi, were the parents of the human race. Ahriman deceived them into thinking that he was their creator, and when they repeated this lie, evil and suffering entered the world. Zoroastrians believed that after three thousand years, Zoroaster came into the world to break Ahriman's hold, leaving the two powers to fight into the future. The legend of Rustum shows the part human heroes play in the great drama of good and evil. Rustum was so strong and brave that the king made him head of the army. Then the White Demon seized the king, and Rustum set out to rescue him. In the course of his travels, Rustum encountered a lion, a desert, a dragon, a demoness, and a demon army. He overcame all these obstacles with the help of his faithful horse Ruksh and a warrior named Aulad, whom he defeated in combat and who then became an ally. Rustum's adventure ended in a cave, the lair of the White Demon, where Rustum tore out the demon's heart.
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- Death in Persian mythology:
Death in Persian mythology involved a journey into the afterlife. The soul of the dead person had to cross a bridge called Chinvat. Good souls found the bridge to be a wide and comfortable beam leading to heaven. For the wicked, it was a razor-sharp blade from which they fell headlong into hell. Zoroastrianism was one of the first belief systems to include a vision of the end of the world. It would be signaled by the appearance of three saviors, sons of Zoroaster. Upon the arrival of Hushedar, the first savior, the sun would stand still for ten days, and people would stop eating meat. When Hushedar-mar, the second savior, appeared, the sun would halt for twenty days, and people would stop drinking milk. Just as the world neared a state of purity, however, the evil demon Azhi Dahaka would break free from his mountain prison. Only after he had been killed would Soshyant, the third savior, arrive. People would stop eating plants and live only on water, and each soldier of good would fight and defeat a particular evil enemy. Then the world would be enveloped in fire and molten metal for three days. Everyone who has ever lived would return to life to cross the fire, but only the wicked would suffer from the heat. This final judgment would purge sin and evil from the world, leaving an innocent human race in a cleansed world to worship Ahura Mazda.
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- Key Themes and Symbols:
The main theme of Persian mythology was the battle between good and evil. Ahura Mazda and Ahriman were not the only ones involved. Hosts of Yazatas and good spirits (Ashavans) fought on Ahura Mazda's side. Ahriman headed an army of evil spirits known as dregvants, and demons called devas (pronounced DAY-vuhz). Humans took part in the conflict as well. Each person had to choose whether to follow the truth or the lie. Plants, animals, and other things could be good or evil, depending on whether Ahura Mazda or Ahriman created and controlled them. This theme is also shown in the story of the hero Rustum, and in the final battle between Azhi Dahaka and the sons of Zoroaster.
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- Persian Mythology in Art, Literature, and Everyday Life:
Unlike some ancient belief systems, Persian mythology remains alive outside the covers of old books. It has survived continuously for thousands of years, and groups of Iranians still worship Ahura Mazda. Other Zoroastrian communities exist in India, where the descendants of immigrants from Iran are known as Parsis or Parsees, a reference to their Persian origin. As the most important god in Persian mythology, Ahura Mazda was well-represented in ancient art, and many stone reliefs and statues of the god have been found Iran, with most of them being UNESCO World Heritage Sites. But as the religion became less popular over the centuries, depictions of Ahura Mazda also became less abundant. Recently, however, Ahura Mazda has seen new life as a character in comic books. Notable appearances include the long-running DC Comics series Wonder Woman, and the miniseries Dawn: Lucifer's Halo by Joseph Michael Linsner (1999). Similarly, Ahriman has appeared several times in the Final Fantasy series. In that series, he takes the names Ahriman and Angra Mainyu, and is usually depicted as a winged monster with a single eye.
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- Conclusion:
There are, of course, many other famous stories from Persian mythology – This was just a drop in the ocean. The Rustum tales alone are epic, and the Shahnameh weaves these with others in 50,000 rhymed couplets, making it longer and more thematically complex than other famous works like The Epic of Gilgamesh or Homer's Iliad – which explore and expand upon the theme of good vs. evil and order triumphing over chaos. The Avesta was only finally written down during the reign of Shapur II (309-379 CE) and codified/revised under Kosrau I (r. 531-579 CE) of the Sassanian Empire (224-651 CE), while the Shannameh was only completed at the beginning of the 11th century CE. Even so, the oral tradition of the Persians is thought to have influenced the religious systems of other cultures many centuries earlier. Persian mythological motifs are evident in aspects of Vedic, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Greek religious systems and, through later development by Zoroastrian thinkers, would come to influence significant aspects of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, among others; suggesting Persian mythological thought as foundational to religious belief worldwide in the modern era. With an incredibly rich mythology and a lot of diversity in environments, I believe Santa Monica can make a unforgettable masterpiece from it.
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Thanks for reading, give me your thoughts, I'll read them all (: