"Provider"
Justine has all the unstable rage of Faith but with neither the charisma nor a valid beef with the main characters.
Angel's channeling S1 Cordy, the constantly talking about money. I guess the cost of living for just himself was pretty low, as he's not living. Pig's blood probably doesn't cost much since the butchers just throw it away otherwise.
Damn, Jeffrey Dean Morgan! I wasn't sure it was him at first, because I'm not used to seeing him clean-shaven. It almost seems wrong for him to play a character that isn't a badass.
Angel talks about Connor going to Notre Dame, class of 2020, but that would be the year he graduates high school. He'd be college class of 2024. ...Fuck. I'm glad the little bastard got aged up, so he'd be like 38 now. He deserves it.
The way Sam talks about his best friend, going to all this trouble for the watch, the first thing he ever bought him, makes me think they were lovers.
This zombie ex-boyfriend subplot isn't working for me.
I swear the way Gunn and Wes are acting around Fred is exactly the way I and two friends acted around a certain girl when we were like 14, plus or minus. ...One of us did date the girl, and it wasn't me.
Aw, so sweet, watching Cordy feed her future baby daddy.
"Doublemeat Palace"
In the cold open, Xander looks like he's reacting to the idea of spending the rest of his life with specifically Anya. As much as I think he doesn't want to be married, I think he wants to be married to Anya even less.
Ah, I remember the old-ass training videos to start working at a restaurant chain. I'm triggered.
I'm suddenly noticing the bright red lipstick Buffy's wearing to work in a fast food joint.
I'm pretty sure that anywhere in the country, they'd be legally required to clock Buffy in before making her watch the training video.
I just don't like mixing red meat with white meat. Bacon on a hamburger, fine, goes really well. But chicken and beef? Pass.
So much of the humor of this episode is in SMG's facial expressions.
Are Spike and Buffy dry-humping or what? That particular activity really should be renamed, BTW.
Halfrek is a classic passive-aggressive frenemy.
That was a jumpscare when the worm thing stuck its head back out of the grinder.
Amy's nasty.
Oh, Buffy. She should have just extorted them for a large amount of money. Bet she could have gotten six figures, maybe seven.
"Waiting in the Wings"
Don't know where anyone gets the idea that Angel and Cordy don't have chemistry. I mean, they're not Buffy and Faith, but got some sparks going. And I'm a fan of deep friendship as a foundation for romantic love.
Summer Glau's acting debut, pretty awesome.
I wish the ballet troupe was free to live their lives in the 21st century. It's thematically appropriate, though, that freeing them from Kurskov means only that they fade away; in Giselle, Giselle manages to break free of the Wilis through the power of her love for Albrecht, then bids him goodbye and returns to her grave to rest in peace.
Fucking Groo.
"Dead Things"
The closer I get to "Seeing Red", the less I want to keep going.
The first time I watched this, when Buffy said, "I think the New Kids on the Block posters are starting to date me," I was unfamiliar with that phrase and thought she meant she was going nuts and starting to imagine they were real.
"Willing sex slave." And none of the Trio sees the contradiction. To them, "consent" is just an obstacle that they've discovered can be overcome by magic.
Huh. Amelinda Smith, the actress who played Katrina used to be married to Ethan Embry, which made me do a double-take because when I looked up the actress who played Allison (zombie ex-boyfriend subplot in "Provider"), I saw that she is married to him now.
Smith had one uncredited role after Buffy, and that's it. I'm surprised by how brief her career was.
Xander and Dawn's dance practice for the wedding = practice for their eventual wedding.
The cerebral dampener lasts, what, an hour? Less? And on one charge. Pretty useless. Fortunately.
Warren has a REALLY hairy chest.
If Warren hadn't panicked he might have realized, what's Katrina gonna do, tell the cops that Warren brainwashed her with a flash of light?
You'd think Buffy and Spike would have realized Katrina's body was cold.
And Buffy somehow gets blindsided next episode by Dawn having abandonment issues. Her insistence on turning herself in isn't heroic. It's self-loathing. It's prioritizing her own feelings over Dawn being left with no family at not even 16.
"Older and Far Away"
Why anyone would think Buffy needs to be set up is beyond me. She's not a wallflower. She could find a boyfriend if she really wanted to.
Spike and Halfrek recognizing each other. Weird moment.
Not Dawnie's best episode.
"Couplet"
Also, the closer I get to "Sleep Tight", the less I want to keep going. They were really determined to ruin just, like, everything this year, huh?
I could do without Gunn and Fred staring sappily at each other. Now I had to look up "sappily" because Firefox says it isn't a word, but it is, so ha!
Angel's jealousy toward Groo reminds me of Buffy's reaction to Joyce and Hank bringing Dawn home from the hospital.
Was there any reason to cut Groo's hair beyond making him look more like Angel? He needed modern clothes, yes, but some men in L.A. have long hair. Maybe Mark Lutz requested it.
"Loyalty"
Wesley's being a dick, but Gunn doesn't have much of a leg to stand on considering he and Fred are just coming off a fuckup where they lost sight of someone they were supposed to be watching because they couldn't stop sucking face.
I know Sahjhan traveled through time to rewrite the prophecy, but how'd he get the talking hamburger to go along with it? It's not a very helpful source if all it does is tell you that whatever ancient prophecy you've read is true and you're an idiot for thinking otherwise, even if it's not true.
Refusing to make a distinction between Angel and Angelus is one way Xander pissed off a lot of viewers, and it's what Holtz is doing, though his irrationality is easier to understand. Also, he doesn't want to fuck someone who's in love with Angel. Still, he does a lot of fucked-up things and calls it justice. Jenny's uncle at least admitted that justice had nothing to do with their tribe's vendetta.
"As You Were"
I hate it when the recap spoils the episode, like making it blindingly obvious Riley's coming back, even though I'm past being spoiled. I mean, I could have been watching with a newbie.
Right before Sam shows up, Buffy and Riley spend a really long time looking at each other like they're about to fuck.
I feel like they're trying to do too much with Sam in one episode, having her quickly endear herself to each of the Scoobies in a way that doesn't feel organic.
Riley's reappearance was a good way to shake things up for Buffy so she'd stop hooking up with Spike.
The helicopter couldn't land to pick Riley and Sam up? Are they just gonna dangle from the line all the way to Nepal?
"Sleep Tight"
Wesley isn't talking to Fred or Gunn about the supposed prophecy because he's butthurt. That's pretty much it.
I think Holtz would have killed Justine if she hadn't mouthed the party line. He doesn't deserve the blind loyalty she gives him. He doesn't care about anyone or anything except his revenge.
I'm really looking forward to when Wesley gets to threaten to take away Justine's bucket.
Threatening to murder a baby...No, Holtz is a monster. And Justine witnesses this and is fine with it. She's a monster too.
You know, I read some of a fic once. I liked the concept, but it was just this awful mess of typos that made it borderline incomprehensible, so I gave up. Anyway, Buffy arrives for some reason during the standoff, and she rather than Holtz ends up falling through the portal with Connor. Connor being a few months old, he can't eat solid food (and he's shown in this episode to still be on formula), and Buffy manages to induce lactation in herself to feed him. WTF did Holtz do here in canon?
"Hell's Bells"
Holy shit. That guy playing Xander's dad, Casey Sander--he played Bernadette's dad on The Big Bang Theory.
Man, the way Willow and Tara are making eyes at each other while helping Anya with her dress, it's a wonder they wait another two episodes before jumping each other's bones.
It's nice how Buffy and Spike can kind of just be, the way they did before they started fucking.
That string quartet is REALLY bad at reading the room.
The lame attempts to entertain the guests are certainly the kind of things Buffy would do.
Xander sucks. This might be the worst thing he ever did. No one held a gun to his head. He proposed, completely unsolicited, and persisted even when Anya thought it wasn't sincere. He had every opportunity to speak up after that. He waited until the worst possible moment.
Stewart's plan never would have worked if it weren't for Xander's insecurities. What was he going to do if the groom wasn't secretly terrified of turning into his drunkard father?
"Normal Again"
I've repeatedly seen assertions that the other Scoobies didn't do anything for Anya in this time, therefore they're bad friends, but she just vanished. They don't know where she's gone. What exactly are they supposed to be doing?
It rings false, the way this "doctor" talks about Buffy like she isn't even there. I'm not a mental health professional, but it seems harmful.
I noticed some time ago that the nerds always call Buffy the Slayer, never by name. Makes it easier if she's less of a person to them. Jonathan might have used her name a couple of times, but not Warren or Andrew. It's all part of their twisted cosplay.
Dawn misunderstands what the hallucination is about. It's not Buffy's ideal world. That would be too suspect, too easy to reject. And what about having been in a mental institution from 15 to 21 is ideal? But it is a world that, in many ways, is easier. There's no one she has to take care of; instead, others are taking care of her. No bills to pay. She doesn't have to fight monsters to the death. Her mom's alive, and her dad actually loves her.
Here's where you see the great writing. In another show, the challenge would be getting the demon and making the antidote. Buffy's hallucination would just be something that happens while she waits, and in a good show, it would provide insight into the character. But in Buffy, she has to overcome the hallucination, because getting the antidote was the relatively easy part; she has to choose real life over something that tempts her away from it.
Spike knows exactly how to make everything worse. People usually jump to the attempted rape, but him giving her that speech and threatening to tell the Scoobies about Buffy fucking him was high-grade toxicity. The assault really was the culmination of it all.
Kill, kill, kill. Kill, Buffy. Kill everybody. You know you want to.
Jokes aside, prescribing murder is an interesting treatment plan, even supposedly fantasy murder. I mean, in that situation, would you want to set the precedent that the way to get rid of the world you've decided isn't real is by killing the people in it?
I had the idea that the speech that lifts Buffy up came from the real Joyce thanks to TPTB, but the part where she talks like Hank's NOT a deadbeat...nah.
Circling back to the great writing, we don't see the part where Buffy takes the antidote. That part is irrelevant; she's already rejected the hallucination.
Joss Whedon on reality versus fantasy: "If [viewers] decide that the entire thing is all playing out in some crazy person's head, well, the joke of the thing to us was it is, and that crazy person is me."
Marti Noxon: "It was a fake out; we were having some fun with the audience. I don't want to denigrate what the whole show has meant. If Buffy's not empowered then what are we saying? If Buffy's crazy, then there is no girl power; it's all fantasy. And really the whole show stands for the opposite of that, which is that it isn't just a fantasy. There should be girls that can kick ass. So I'd be really sad if we made that statement at the end. That's why it's just somewhere in the middle saying 'Wouldn't it be funny if...?' or 'Wouldn't this be sad or tragic if...?' In my feeling, and I believe in Joss' as well that's not the reality of the show. It was just a tease and a trick."

1. Sonnet:
   A 14-line poem, traditionally written in iambic pentameter, with various rhyme schemes such as Shakespearean (ABABCDCDEFEFGG).
   
2. Haiku:
   

A three-line Japanese poem with a 5-7-5 syllable count, typically capturing a moment in nature.

1. Free Verse:
   Poetry without a fixed rhyme or meter, allowing for greater freedom and natural flow of expression.
   
2. Villanelle
   

: A 19-line poem with a specific structure, containing five tercets followed by a concluding quatrain, using only two rhymes.

1. Acrostic:
   A poem where the first letter of each line, when read vertically, spells out a word or message.
   
2. Limerick
   

: A humorous five-line poem with a specific meter and rhyme scheme (AABBA).

1. Ghazal:

A form of poetry with rhyming couplets and a repeating refrain, often exploring themes of love and loss.

1. Tanka

: A Japanese form of poetry with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count structure, focusing on nature and emotions.

1. Sestina:
   A complex poem with six stanzas of six lines each, ending with a three-line envoi; the same six words end the lines in a shifting pattern.
   
2. Cinquain
   

: A five-line poem with a specific syllable count for each line (2-4-6-8-2), often used to capture a moment or emotion.

1. Rondeau:
   A 13-line poem with a rhyme scheme and repetition of specific words, often emphasizing themes of love.
   
2. Pantoum
   

: A form of poetry with repeating lines, where the second and fourth lines of each stanza become the first and third lines of the next.

1. Ode:

A lyrical poem expressing strong emotions or deep feelings, often addressed to a particular person or thing.

1. Elegy:
   A mournful poem, typically written in remembrance of someone who has passed away.
   
2. Ekphrastic
   

: A poem inspired by a work of art, often describing or reflecting on the visual piece.

1. Concrete Poetry:
   Poems where the arrangement of words on the page forms a visual representation of the subject.
   
2. Prose Poetry
   

: A hybrid of prose and poetry, characterized by its free-flowing structure and poetic language within prose form.

1. Epigram:

A short, witty, and often satirical poem or statement, typically with a clever or humorous ending.

1. Quatrain

: A four-line stanza or poem with various rhyme schemes, commonly used in ballads and hymns.

1. Epitaph

: A short poem or inscription on a tombstone in memory of the deceased.

1. Sonnet:

• Definition: A 14-line poem, often expressing love or deep emotion, with various rhyme schemes.
  
• Example: Write a sonnet exploring the theme of unrequited love.
  

1. Haiku:

• Definition: A traditional Japanese poem with three lines and a 5-7-5 syllable count.
  
• Example: Craft a haiku capturing the essence of a serene moment in nature.
  

1. Villanelle:

• Definition: A 19-line poem with five tercets followed by a quatrain, using repeated lines.
  
• Example: Create a villanelle about the passage of time and its impact on memories.
  

1. Limerick:

• Definition: A humorous, five-line poem with a distinctive rhythm (AABBA).
  
• Example: Compose a limerick about a quirky character or situation.
  

1. Free Verse:

• Definition: Poetry with no set rhyme scheme or meter, allowing for free expression.
  
• Example: Write a free verse poem exploring the complexities of human relationships.
  

1. Acrostic:

• Definition: A poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word or message.
  
• Example: Create an acrostic using your name, describing your personality or aspirations.
  

1. Ghazal:

• Definition: A poetic form with rhyming couplets and a repeating refrain.
  
• Example: Craft a ghazal expressing the bittersweet nature of love and longing.
  

1. Tanka:

• Definition: A Japanese poem with five lines and a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count.
  
• Example: Write a tanka capturing the fleeting beauty of a sunset.
  

1. *Cinquain:

• Definition: A five-line poem with a specific syllable count per line (2-4-6-8-2).
  
• Example: Create a cinquain describing the essence of a quiet winter evening.
  

1. Pantoum:

- *Definition:* A poem with repeating lines and a specific pattern, often used for reflection. - *Example:* Craft a pantoum exploring the cyclical nature of life and change. 

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Synopsis:
Juliette Contzen is a lazy, good-for-nothing princess. Overshadowed by her siblings, she's left with little to do but nap, read … and occasionally cut the falling raindrops with her sword. Spotted one day by an astonished adventurer, he insists on grading Juliette's swordsmanship, then promptly has a mental breakdown at the result.
Soon after, Juliette is given the news that her kingdom is on the brink of bankruptcy. At threat of being married off, the lazy princess vows to do whatever it takes to maintain her current lifestyle, and taking matters into her own hands, escapes in the middle of the night in order to restore her kingdom's finances.
Tags: Comedy, Adventure, Action, Fantasy, Copious Ohohohohos.
Chapter 237: A Reverie For The Soul
Words failed me.
As a princess, pitchforks symbolised the weapon of the peasantry.
They were instruments more lethal than any blade or knife in the dark. For they represented the final curtain. The ending act of my kingdom, lifted as the banner and weapon of revolt amidst a fanfare of blood and flames.
As great as the shadows cast by the lances of our enemies, none were as black a void as ordinary tools cast by a mob rallying to the cry of revolution.
That’s why–
As I watched a literal farmer bend his knees, not to reach the ground in prostration, but to leap towards me like a warrior with a trident, all I could do was tremble with horror.
It was the most gruesome of sights.
Neither a battlefield strewn with the corpses of the deceased, nor a tarte aux pommes baked without a generous layer of pecan nuts could instil in me the trepidation I felt, touching my very bones.
Indeed … to be attacked by a farmer with a pitchfork was one thing, but to be attacked by only a single one was an utter humiliation!
In all my darkest dreams, no sight of my family’s throne being emptied involved anything less than the entire populace of my kingdom’s peasantry rising against us!
And yet … all I saw before me was a single dishevelled farmer, wielding a pitchfork blunted by soil, barely fit to ward away the foxes which trespassed upon his land!
Where was the raucous shouting?
The complaints heard high into the heavens?
The frenzied bloodlust of an uncontrollable crowd?
There was no legion of witnesses to my end! No loyalists turning away in fright! No servants stealing away with the last of our ornamental cutlery!
This! This was a disgrace!
I was Juliette Contzen, 3rd Princess to the Kingdom of Tirea … and I refused to contemplate being struck by anything less than an entire mob!
That’s why–
“Absolutely not!!”
Starlight Grace burned with righteous ire as it met a pitchfork swung to meet the side of my head.
Insults upon insults. Not only did this man deem it appropriate to attack me without a riot in the backdrop, but he didn’t even have the heart to impale me!
A lazy and slovenly swing. The very image of a farmer chewing a sprig of wheat while batting insects from the leaves. Did he not know the fate of all those who failed to murder us at the first attempt? When it came to attacking royalty, the rules were clear!
One chance only! No practice rounds!
Thus, the hazy eyes of the farmer widened against the sight of Starlight Grace’s burning light.
“How–”
He mouthed a word of surprise. But there could be no complaints. Especially as every error made was a lesson. And the mistake of offering anything half-heartedly to royalty was the greatest he’ll ever learn. Whether it was their tears or their ire, I expected to ignore nothing but the best.
Sensing his peril, the drunkard twisted his pitchfork, seeking to catch my sword within the metal prongs. I opted to strike at the feeble wooden shaft instead.
Indeed, a pitchfork was no weapon of war!
It was a farming tool. And against the ruthless edge of my sword, it could do nothing but shatter the moment my sword … hmmmmm?
I blinked.
As expected, Starlight Grace burned bright in my hand as it struck the wooden shaft.
Less expected, however, was the lack of any splintering.
Instead of two pieces of a broken pitchfork dropping to the ground, I was met by the feeling of a thousand condensed pillows where the sword had struck … followed by the sight of ripples.
The wooden shaft shook like a tiny pond barely reacting to the skimming of a falling leaf.
And then–
Tendrils of smoke began to creep from it, twisting as it clawed at my sword’s blade.
I removed Starlight Grace at once, horrified by the sight.
How … How dare this man!
Nothing was allowed to touch my sword! Not even when I stabbed it!
Paying no heed to my distaste, the side of those prongs went to make a bump upon my delicate head. A clumsy challenge matching his proficiency. Unable to envisage himself as more than the untrained farmer he was, he allowed his dawdling sweep to pass over my ducking head.
But that did not make him undangerous.
With the grace of a brick, he wrenched his pitchfork overhead before crudely bringing it down. As I hopped away to shield my hair, the pitchfork swiped down with enough vigour to send a plume of dust around us. A moment later, he was several paces away, facing me with a poise filled with caution.
No longer assuming the stance of a farmer holding a pitchfork in anger for the first time, he narrowed his cloudy eyes, doing what he could to see through the haze.
The casual disregard vanished, replaced with his knees lowered and ready, his hands clutching the shaft much like a soldier guarding with a spear.
It wasn’t enough.
After all–
This man … had clearly been utterly duped!
I was aghast.
Why, not only did he manage to allow his soul to be slowly drained by a random devil … but he didn’t even gain any power from it!
Far from being empowered by the hells themselves, he was fighting like … yes, a farmer!
Even with my lack of training, I could tell he knew as much about fighting techniques as I did!
What did he hope to do by blithely swinging his pitchfork? Accidentally whack someone who knew what they were doing into his foes?
I despaired for the lost potential. To be sucked into some bizarre inner world clearly had some novelty value … but only if he used it correctly!
Why, if he learned how to shape the corridors of the Royal Villa, it’d be positively lovely!
Not for me, of course. But for those who didn’t have access to the real thing. I was certain commoners and nobility alike would pay even for a mock experience. We would earn the income without needing to clean after their soles.
The possibilities were endless!
“The young baroness never warned me you were a swordswoman,” he said, his eyes narrowed. “In fact, from the way she spoke about you, I figured you were just a regular princess.”
“There are no such things as regular princesses. We all have our talents. Mine happens to be all of them.”
The drunkard gave a smile.
It’d lost its lazy edge, instead becoming as hard as the grip around his pitchfork. The sudden seriousness and accompanying ignorance regarding his own strength only caused me to groan inside.
“Gotta admit. Wasn’t expecting this. Amidst all my travels, I never once heard about a Contzen being skilled for anything other than vileness.”
My mouth widened at the only attack he’d successfully struck.
“H-How dare you … ! What is this slander?! Who would dare speak ill of my family?! I … I will have them deported! Regardless of which country they’re in!”
“You’ll need to deport a lot of folk, then. All the streets, bars and alleys across the continent know the wickedness of royalty. Your family is no exception, I’m afraid. It’s said the halls of your castles are paved with the tears of those who serve you, such is their misery.”
I was horrified.
That … That was clearly a lie!
Why, if I could use the tears of my servants as paving material, this entire kingdom would be fully urbanised by now! That clearly wasn’t the case!
“I ask that you not listen to the deceit of those who envy my kingdom. Indeed, you need only listen to the sounds of joy coming from those who reside in it. Although I suppose that’s difficult while flailing a pitchfork like a feather duster. Is the reason you grow crops here and not outside because you’ve forgotten how to use it?”
The man chuckled. And for a moment, it seemed that a hint of genuine amusement managed to find its way back into his voice.
“I might not use it as intended, but I use it well. That you can strike back is impressive. I’ve downed foes wreathed in flames, the likes of which would never even enter your nightmares. And most of them fell before their claws were even raised.”
Oh, I had no doubt he had.
Wielding a pitchfork as he did, I expect even fiends from the abyss were easy to dispatch while laughing on the floor.
He would not receive such joviality from me.
Indeed … I recognised him for what he was. A truly devastating foe. Perhaps not to the majority of people with functional eyes. But certainly to a princess.
I had the most to lose.
Why, to be defeated by a wayward swing of a pitchfork was the most humiliating way to go! My ghost would be shunned by my family!
No, I could afford no complacency. Especially when even victory wouldn’t come without loss.
To have it noted that a drunkard with a pitchfork counted amongst my victories was appalling. Such an entry would be the thickest blot in a page already speckled with far too many lowly foes.
… Fortunately, I was more than a beautiful princess!
I was a beautiful princess with retainers!
And this meant … I could simply have Coppelia defeat him instead!
“Ohohoho …” I stood up straight, barely covering my lips as I smiled. “Is that so? Then allow me to repay the thought. I, too, am impressed.”
“I’ll take that as a fine compliment.”
“Don’t. I wasn’t referring to your skills with a pitchfork. But by your lack of awareness.”
The drunkard blinked at me.
Then, he swiftly changed his footing, turning to glance at the barn where he’d allowed his back to turn.
Ohhohoho! Too late!
Because behind him, my loyal handmaiden was already–
“This. Is. So. Amazing!”
Yes!
She was already watching from a gap in the barn door, not at all striking the man’s unprotected back!
To my grief, Coppelia was busy shaking the shoulders of the maid beside her, whose wide eyes were either derived from my handmaiden’s excitement or from her failure to rush to my assistance.
“Isn’t this great?! Look! We get threatened and now the princess is the one to protect us! It never happens this way! Doesn’t sitting back feel amazing?”
The drunkard closely studied the two retainers squeezed in the barn doorway.
And then–
He completely turned away from them, his focus on me once more.
“O-Ohoho … oho … i-indeed, notice now the futility of your actions! Why, despite there now being two of them, none of my retinue feels the need to immediately throw themselves at you as a distrac–”
Suddenly, the drunkard threw his pitchfork.
My horror was complete.
Leaving any semblance of civility to die a swift and ignominious death, he offered no warning before sending his farming instrument towards me.
It was all I could do to judge each muddy prong with the wide eyes it deserved as the thing swept past the side of my face. There was no bump awaiting the end of that throw. Only a hole as large as the crater which promptly appeared behind me, sending a small explosion of corn and soil into the sky.
My mouth widened in disbelief.
“E-Excuse me?! What was that?! You do not attack me in the middle of my sentences! That … That is a cardinal sin!”
The drunkard paused for a moment, his body still in the completed motion of a throw.
“Yeah, sorry about that.”
“As … As you very well should be! I do not meticulously comb my hair in the small hours of the night while kept up by the sounds of dancing mice just so that my only joy is destroyed by a drunkard’s lack of chivalry! How dare you! That throw was clearly meant to murder me! … Do you not have orders to capture me like the princess I am?!”
“Sure I do. But you’re not a princess waiting to be captured. Least not while you’re still standing.”
The drunkard leaned over the cart beside him, before promptly retrieving his next weapon.
It was … a shovel.
“No,” I declared at once. “Absolutely no.”
He held the shovel much like he held the pitchfork–without any intention of using it to farm.
I was aghast.
Was I truly supposed to defeat a farmer with a shovel?!
“If it makes you feel better, I rate myself more with a shovel than a pitchfork.”
“Wonderful. Then I suggest you impress me by digging an exit. That is a farming tool, not a weapon. I expressly forbid you from throwing it, utilising it as a spear or otherwise adopting it for any purpose other than its intended function.”
The man offered a shrug.
“You asked for it.”
He slightly raised the shovel … before striking it into the soil.
For a moment, nothing happened.
And then–
Crack.
A fracture appeared in the shape of a lightning bolt.
It lasted just as long.
Crraaaaaaccccccck.
All of a sudden, the very ground broke.
A groan filled the stale air. The weeping of a broken soul as a thin layer of dirt and weeds abruptly gave way to swaths of endless void where neither light nor warmth could reach … including beneath the feet of a stunned princess.
A chasm began to open like a leviathan’s maw to swallow me whole.
Why … I was delighted!
So this man could alter his little dream world, after all!
How wonderful!
This alone increased his worth significantly over every other farmer to have inadvertently signed away his soul to an infernal contract!
If he could split the ground asunder, then I saw no reason why he couldn’t also remove all of it as well!
Naturally, interior redecoration was never a fast process. Especially so given that the ground was only parting at the pace of two divorcing snails. But I was patient … and so was everyone who would shortly be visiting a purpose designed version of the Royal Villa where no matter where the dignitaries vomited, the carpets would always remain clean!
Indeed, there was much to consider. Ticket prices being one of them. But also skipping away from the hole opening up beneath me.
“Apologies for this,” said the drunkard as he leaped towards me, shovel outstretched. “But trust me, this will hurt me more than–”
“[Spring Breeze].”
Poomph.
Faced with the man’s nauseous breath, I sent a delicate puff of wind directly into his face, propelling both him and myself away. A moment later, I ended up skipping as my feet landed amidst the waist-high corn, performing a perfect hopscotch as I came to a stop.
Somewhere, I heard the sound of applause.
Just as pertinently, I heard the gasping of a drunkard who’d experienced the odour of his own breath sent back towards him. He’d landed far less neatly. Sitting up from the ground, he wore an expression of shock as he peered over the chasm which had failed to consume me.
He gingerly touched his stubble. And then he gulped.
“You … You shouldn’t have been able to do that,” he said, his disbelief carrying clearly over the gap. “That technique … everything, everything should be limited here …”
I gave a flick of my hair, indulging in the cheering of my watching retainers. Yes, even if it was just Coppelia. I hoped Renise was learning.
“Hm? And why is that, exactly?”
“Girl … this is my soul. You should have no power here. My [Soulscape] does more than empower me. It enfeebles all who I draw into it. This … This isn’t right.”
In response, I offered the most cursory of smiles.
“Oh? … Is that what you think?”
“What?”
“What meaning does your soul have to me? It doesn’t matter how deep into the depths of your, frankly, subpar quasi-plane of existence you invite me. Nor does it matter how high you cloud its edges. I still sense my kingdom all around me, just as I do a countryside farmstead overtaken by a baroness soon to repair it with her own hands. And here in my kingdom, I do not recognise any jurisdiction other than my own. My authority is absolute.”
The man blinked at me, as though wishing the haze away.
He could have been wearing a blindfold. I had little doubt he could see the natural radiance from my silhouette as clearly as I could the beads of sweat rolling past his brow.
Slowly, the man rose to his feet.
The shovel he left alone, discarded by his side. And then he did something I could not have expected.
“Heh …”
He laughed.
“Hah … hahah …”
A hollow laugh devoid of feeling. Like something expelled by instinct. A spasming of the diaphragm.
But a laugh nonetheless.
“My instincts were right,” he said, his lazy smile returning with abandon. “You … You’re dangerous. You might just be able to defeat me. Even here.”
Suddenly, he took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut. The wrinkles on his forehead quivered with the force of putting his mind to work on something while hindered by a cloud of drunkenness.
A moment later–
Fwoooof.
He decided to meet my earlier request.
Breaking out into a heavy sweat, he raised his palms as a … yes, an ominous dark orb of ultimate power appeared between them, burning darker than a thousand blackened hearthfires squeezed together.
“Not wholly sure if this is right,” he said, his eyes wincing even as he opened them again. “But just for you, I’ll do this. May as well take this seriously. A big part of me hopes you defeat me. But I don’t think you can, even if you struck me with that sword again and again. Whatever you might think, this is more than my soul. This is my battlefield. And only I choose when I fall.”
I blinked.
The orb shuddered as it grew, licking its surroundings with lashes of undiluted power.
Despite its black colouring, it was the most beautiful thing here. A spot of imagination in a world of faded bleakness.
And so–I nodded in satisfaction.
Naturally, I doubted its effects. I trusted more in the lethality of his farming tools than whatever he thought advanced magic was. But that didn’t matter.
After all, to outside appearances, it seemed very much like a spawn of destruction in his hands.
And that … was wonderful!
A drunkard with a pitchfork/shovel?
Beneath me.
But laughter followed by suspect orbs of doom?
Why, that was a megalomaniac at the height of his power!
Indeed … I could work with that!
My smile blossomed on my face. The only source of colour amidst a backdrop of monochrome memories.
But that could be changed.
“A shame you’ve prepared a truly dull battlefield, then,” I said, lifting Starlight Grace … but not towards my invigorated foe. “Let us amend that, shall we?”
“What?”
I offered an angelic smile.
And then I peered around myself. At a canvas without an easel. Most would deem it unsalvageable.
But most were not me.
Thus … I flicked at a nearby leaf with the tip of my sword.
It twisted. A swirl of watercolour which sought to return to its dull shape. I didn’t allow it.
Instead, I flicked at it again.
And again. And again. And again.
“Your soul may be wounded,” I said, idly taking a few steps into the field. “But no more than mine at the sight of such amateurism. So rejoice. I shall reward your first steps into the world of creativity with a reference to take with you long into the future.”
A moment later, I allowed my sword to sweep around me … just as I would if I were in the corner of my atelier, surrounded by a dozen palettes and a thousand more possibilities.
And then–
I began to paint.
“May you use it in your days of bleakness, when inspiration is as dry as the schemes of my kingdom’s nobility. By the palette's grace, let shadows and light be cast into permanence. Painting Form, 5th Stance … [Revision Reverie]!”
My arm brushed aside entire swathes of colours.
I pirouetted upon my heels, the sword in my hand twirling as much like a brush in my hand as it was a baton held by a conductor.
All the colours followed like ribbons in my wake, forming a palette in every direction.
A shade of leafy green here. A blot of barren soil there. A touch of a pale sky hanging overhead.
And then–
I swept around … and around … and around …
Trails of different shades merged as I spun, dancing from spot to spot as I directed the colours to my heart’s desire … until the very landscape of a broken soul began to change.
“Ohhohohhhohoohoohohohooohoho!!”
Here it was!
Nurtured through Father’s insufferability when he refused to burn or throw away all my works I deemed below standard, here were the results of my labour!
[Revision Reverie]!
The ability to repair any work, no matter how much I wished to do otherwise!
For when the alternative was to have a bad piece forever kept upon the walls to be ruthlessly judged, to make it serviceable before the eyes of high society was a matter of life and death!
A field of faded colours and lack of detail?
Pedestrian.
Because if I could fix a wobbly chin … then I could fix anything!
“Ohhohohohoohohohooohohohhhoohohohohohoho!!”
Thus–I went to work!
Shrubs rose from the dull grass, teeming with matched couplets of yellow lilies and white gardenias!
Barren soil lifted to become the warming trunks of deciduous trees!
Dashes of pale colour flourished to become a spring blue dotted with clouds as fluffy as the coats of jumping lambs!
I danced without pause, willing the entire world to change around me, until what was an endless expanse of lifeless crops became a garden filled with movement, and a uniform backdrop of faded colours became sharp and distinct, brimming with motion and vigour.
But I didn’t stop there.
With a smile in search of perfection, I gracefully skipped towards the barn, life and song trailing behind me as nightingales in my wake.
And there, I used its red to its fullest.
Peonies growing as bouquets amidst the fresh grass.
Ladybugs fluttering against snow white petals.
Red currants dotting the hedges.
And … the pièce de résistance …
Apples for the trees!
I took in a deep breath as I finally ceased, the last swirl of paint dribbling into a bundle of carnations.
And then–I nodded.
It wasn’t my orchard, of course. But it was certainly a garden. And by my design was grander than any which could be found under the sun, real or otherwise.
“Ah … ah … ahhh …”
I turned around.
There, fallen upon the ground, was a drunkard on his knees.
The haze had cleared from his eyes.
Suddenly, they were bright and blue, boasting memories as vivid as the garden now blooming around him. Gone were the lines of self-reproach on his face. The dirt caked into his skin fell as tears washed them away, and what remained was a man in the prime of his life.
Not a single blemish could be seen.
“Ohohohoho … welcome to my garden,” I said, gesturing as I spun around, my bright smile the light to lift the colours even more anew. “Would you like a brief tour?”
The man looked up at me.
And then he blinked, his eyes taking me in for the very first time.
“That’s … fine … I think … I think I can see everything … from here …”
He let out a youthful smile, devoid of the mistakes of the past.
The next moment–
A white light filled my eyes.
Even then, the apples from the trees continued to brightly shine … all the way until they were replaced by a sweeter sight instead.
A baroness peering at me in utter shock, sitting across from me at a tea table.
“Aahhahahahhahahahaaahhahahahahahaaaha~”
And also Coppelia rolling on the hard, muddy ground in raucous laughter, smacking the ground as she did so.
Yes, that I could do without.
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1. Sonnet:
   A 14-line poem, traditionally written in iambic pentameter, with various rhyme schemes such as Shakespearean (ABABCDCDEFEFGG).
   
2. Haiku:
   

A three-line Japanese poem with a 5-7-5 syllable count, typically capturing a moment in nature.

1. Free Verse:
   Poetry without a fixed rhyme or meter, allowing for greater freedom and natural flow of expression.
   
2. Villanelle
   

: A 19-line poem with a specific structure, containing five tercets followed by a concluding quatrain, using only two rhymes.

1. Acrostic:
   A poem where the first letter of each line, when read vertically, spells out a word or message.
   
2. Limerick
   

: A humorous five-line poem with a specific meter and rhyme scheme (AABBA).

1. Ghazal:

A form of poetry with rhyming couplets and a repeating refrain, often exploring themes of love and loss.

1. Tanka

: A Japanese form of poetry with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count structure, focusing on nature and emotions.

1. Sestina:
   A complex poem with six stanzas of six lines each, ending with a three-line envoi; the same six words end the lines in a shifting pattern.
   
2. Cinquain
   

: A five-line poem with a specific syllable count for each line (2-4-6-8-2), often used to capture a moment or emotion.

1. Rondeau:
   A 13-line poem with a rhyme scheme and repetition of specific words, often emphasizing themes of love.
   
2. Pantoum
   

: A form of poetry with repeating lines, where the second and fourth lines of each stanza become the first and third lines of the next.

1. Ode:

A lyrical poem expressing strong emotions or deep feelings, often addressed to a particular person or thing.

1. Elegy:
   A mournful poem, typically written in remembrance of someone who has passed away.
   
2. Ekphrastic
   

: A poem inspired by a work of art, often describing or reflecting on the visual piece.

1. Concrete Poetry:
   Poems where the arrangement of words on the page forms a visual representation of the subject.
   
2. Prose Poetry
   

: A hybrid of prose and poetry, characterized by its free-flowing structure and poetic language within prose form.

1. Epigram:

A short, witty, and often satirical poem or statement, typically with a clever or humorous ending.

1. Quatrain

: A four-line stanza or poem with various rhyme schemes, commonly used in ballads and hymns.

1. Epitaph

: A short poem or inscription on a tombstone in memory of the deceased.

1. Sonnet:

• Definition: A 14-line poem, often expressing love or deep emotion, with various rhyme schemes.
  
• Example: Write a sonnet exploring the theme of unrequited love.
  

1. Haiku:

• Definition: A traditional Japanese poem with three lines and a 5-7-5 syllable count.
  
• Example: Craft a haiku capturing the essence of a serene moment in nature.
  

1. Villanelle:

• Definition: A 19-line poem with five tercets followed by a quatrain, using repeated lines.
  
• Example: Create a villanelle about the passage of time and its impact on memories.
  

1. Limerick:

• Definition: A humorous, five-line poem with a distinctive rhythm (AABBA).
  
• Example: Compose a limerick about a quirky character or situation.
  

1. Free Verse:

• Definition: Poetry with no set rhyme scheme or meter, allowing for free expression.
  
• Example: Write a free verse poem exploring the complexities of human relationships.
  

1. Acrostic:

• Definition: A poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word or message.
  
• Example: Create an acrostic using your name, describing your personality or aspirations.
  

1. Ghazal:

• Definition: A poetic form with rhyming couplets and a repeating refrain.
  
• Example: Craft a ghazal expressing the bittersweet nature of love and longing.
  

1. Tanka:

• Definition: A Japanese poem with five lines and a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count.
  
• Example: Write a tanka capturing the fleeting beauty of a sunset.
  

1. *Cinquain:

• Definition: A five-line poem with a specific syllable count per line (2-4-6-8-2).
  
• Example: Create a cinquain describing the essence of a quiet winter evening.
  

1. Pantoum:

- *Definition:* A poem with repeating lines and a specific pattern, often used for reflection. - *Example:* Craft a pantoum exploring the cyclical nature of life and change. 

I realize you may think the suggestion of the Secret Five Act Structure is ridiculous, and that's okay. However, that's not the question. Even if you disagree with the premise, do you believe Sonnet 43 provides evidence for those that do?
(NOTE: The Secret Five Act Structure is the idea that 154 sonnets break into 11 sections of 14 [11x14=154], where each sonnet functions as a line within a larger sectional sonnet. The first three sections form Act 1. Sonnet 43 (14x3+1) is the first poem of Section 4 and Act 1. Hence, it has the responsibility of creating a new narrative arc.)
If you need a refresher, here's Sonnet 43 (or 4.1):
When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see, For all the day they view things unrespected; But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee And, darkly bright, are bright in dark directed.
Then thou whose shadow shadows doth make bright, How would thy shadow’s form form happy show To the clear day with thy much clearer light When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so?
How would, I say, mine eyes be blessèd made By looking on thee in the living day, When in dead night thy fair imperfect shade Through heavy sleep on sightless eyes doth stay?
All days are nights to see till I see thee, And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me.
​
Are these interpretations feasible?

1. Day is a reference to Shakespeare's living life, night is a reference to after his death, and sleep is a reference to the secret being undiscovered or in hibernation.
2. "Wink" is a reference to an inside joke.
3. "Unrespected" is a reference to the idea that no one in Shakespeare's time or afterwards fully respected the full quality of The Sonnets.
4. "Darkly bright" references Shakespeare's cunning or secret genius to do this.
5. "Shadows shadow" can be interpreted many ways, most of them support the idea that something hidden that the reader would want to see.
6. "Form form" is reference to structure and form, indicating that understanding 14x11 (knowing that this is first sonnet of Section 4, for example) is key to decoding the secret.
7. "Happy show" is a reference to the idea that his isn't just numerology. Readers will like what they see.
8. "Unseeing eyes" and "sightless eyes" is a reference to people who read The Sonnets without know the structure.
9. The third quatrain is Shakespeare asking the question: How can I say that what I've made is so amazing when its true value will not be understood after I'm gone?
10. The couplet could be interpreted as: Life is death until my secret is seen, and death is life if the future reveals what I've done.

Sonnet 43 begins a 14 sonnet narrative arc about secrets and endless with Sonnet 56, which is very much an apology. Many sonnets in this section are as deep as Sonnet 43. Using the principles of literary criticism, please decide whether or not the ideas listed above are supported by textual evidence from the text.
All feedback is valued.
View Poll

1. Sonnet:
   A 14-line poem, traditionally written in iambic pentameter, with various rhyme schemes such as Shakespearean (ABABCDCDEFEFGG).
   
2. Haiku:
   

A three-line Japanese poem with a 5-7-5 syllable count, typically capturing a moment in nature.

1. Free Verse:
   Poetry without a fixed rhyme or meter, allowing for greater freedom and natural flow of expression.
   
2. Villanelle
   

: A 19-line poem with a specific structure, containing five tercets followed by a concluding quatrain, using only two rhymes.

1. Acrostic:
   A poem where the first letter of each line, when read vertically, spells out a word or message.
   
2. Limerick
   

: A humorous five-line poem with a specific meter and rhyme scheme (AABBA).

1. Ghazal:

A form of poetry with rhyming couplets and a repeating refrain, often exploring themes of love and loss.

1. Tanka

: A Japanese form of poetry with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count structure, focusing on nature and emotions.

1. Sestina:
   A complex poem with six stanzas of six lines each, ending with a three-line envoi; the same six words end the lines in a shifting pattern.
   
2. Cinquain
   

: A five-line poem with a specific syllable count for each line (2-4-6-8-2), often used to capture a moment or emotion.

1. Rondeau:
   A 13-line poem with a rhyme scheme and repetition of specific words, often emphasizing themes of love.
   
2. Pantoum
   

: A form of poetry with repeating lines, where the second and fourth lines of each stanza become the first and third lines of the next.

1. Ode:

A lyrical poem expressing strong emotions or deep feelings, often addressed to a particular person or thing.

1. Elegy:
   A mournful poem, typically written in remembrance of someone who has passed away.
   
2. Ekphrastic
   

: A poem inspired by a work of art, often describing or reflecting on the visual piece.

1. Concrete Poetry:
   Poems where the arrangement of words on the page forms a visual representation of the subject.
   
2. Prose Poetry
   

: A hybrid of prose and poetry, characterized by its free-flowing structure and poetic language within prose form.

1. Epigram:

A short, witty, and often satirical poem or statement, typically with a clever or humorous ending.

1. Quatrain

: A four-line stanza or poem with various rhyme schemes, commonly used in ballads and hymns.

1. Epitaph

: A short poem or inscription on a tombstone in memory of the deceased.

1. Sonnet:

• Definition: A 14-line poem, often expressing love or deep emotion, with various rhyme schemes.
  
• Example: Write a sonnet exploring the theme of unrequited love.
  

1. Haiku:

• Definition: A traditional Japanese poem with three lines and a 5-7-5 syllable count.
  
• Example: Craft a haiku capturing the essence of a serene moment in nature.
  

1. Villanelle:

• Definition: A 19-line poem with five tercets followed by a quatrain, using repeated lines.
  
• Example: Create a villanelle about the passage of time and its impact on memories.
  

1. Limerick:

• Definition: A humorous, five-line poem with a distinctive rhythm (AABBA).
  
• Example: Compose a limerick about a quirky character or situation.
  

1. Free Verse:

• Definition: Poetry with no set rhyme scheme or meter, allowing for free expression.
  
• Example: Write a free verse poem exploring the complexities of human relationships.
  

1. Acrostic:

• Definition: A poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word or message.
  
• Example: Create an acrostic using your name, describing your personality or aspirations.
  

1. Ghazal:

• Definition: A poetic form with rhyming couplets and a repeating refrain.
  
• Example: Craft a ghazal expressing the bittersweet nature of love and longing.
  

1. Tanka:

• Definition: A Japanese poem with five lines and a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count.
  
• Example: Write a tanka capturing the fleeting beauty of a sunset.
  

1. *Cinquain:

• Definition: A five-line poem with a specific syllable count per line (2-4-6-8-2).
  
• Example: Create a cinquain describing the essence of a quiet winter evening.
  

1. Pantoum:

- *Definition:* A poem with repeating lines and a specific pattern, often used for reflection. - *Example:* Craft a pantoum exploring the cyclical nature of life and change. 

I did NOT cook
Poem: “To Paint a Water Lily” (Ted Hughes) Prompt: Read the following poem carefully. Then write an essay discussing how the poet uses literary techniques to reveal the speaker’s attitudes toward nature and the artist’s task.
To Paint a Water Lily
A green level of lily leaves
Roofs the pond's chamber and paves
​
The flies' furious arena: study
These, the two minds of this lady.
​
First observe the air's dragonfly
That eats meat, that bullets by
​
Or stands in space to take aim;
Others as dangerous comb the hum
​
Under the trees. There are battle-shouts
And death-cries everywhere hereabouts
​
But inaudible, so the eyes praise
To see the colours of these flies
​
Rainbow their arcs, spark, or settle
Cooling like beads of molten metal
​
Through the spectrum. Think what worse
is the pond-bed's matter of course;
​
Prehistoric bedragoned times
Crawl that darkness with Latin names,
​
Have evolved no improvements there,
Jaws for heads, the set stare,
​
Ignorant of age as of hour—
Now paint the long-necked lily-flower
​
Which, deep in both worlds, can be still
As a painting, trembling hardly at all
​
Though the dragonfly alight,
Whatever horror nudge her root.
In Ted Hughes' "To Paint a Water Lily," the author employs juxtaposition of the chaotic environment surrounding the still and resilient water lily, as well as a uniform couplet structure to demonstrate the author's fascination and admiring attitude towards nature and the artist's task to portray to complexity and cohesiveness of the described environment.
The auditory imagery of clashing sounds of insect screams and chirps juxtaposed to the still and calm water lily, unaffected by the cacophony surrounding it, demonstrates the speaker's admiration in the complexity of nature. Firstly, the narrator depicts the environment as tumultuous, with insects constantly in competition and battling for their own survival, demonstrated in the quotes "the air's dragonfly that (...) bullets by" (lines 5-6) and the "battle-shouts / And death-cries" (lines 9-10). The use of plosives, diction in "bullets by,"(line 6) and the imperfect rhyme in "take aim"(line 7) emphasizes the idea of the chaotic activity constantly occurring between the insects that is masked by the serenity of the water lily. The vast difference yet close proximity of the insects' ruckus and the indifference of the lily speaks to the speaker's view of the complexity; how violent and bloody battles are masked by sheer beauty. He sees nature as a complex yet cohesive structure, how nature is both serene and idle, yet is filled with horrors if one admires it closely. The shift, marked by the caesura, further proves his deep admiration as the passage shifts from describing an incredibly dynamic image of bugs battling and bulleting, to the artist carefully painting the resilient lily that stays still despite its environment. The narrator's address also switches, from a third person limited perspective describing the lily and its habitat to directly addressing the artist. The artist's task is to depict the complexity of the environment, inhabited by clashing characters that live in close proximity.
The use of couplets along with imperfect rhyme in the poem also demonstrates the cohesiveness of the natural environment the lily resides in. The consistent structure of couplets along with the enjambment throughout the majority of the poem demonstrate how despite the chaotic environment and the still painting being vastly different on the surface level, there are still many parallels in the two. The imperfect rhyme used during the author's recount further emphasizes the seemingly uniform, yet complex characteristic of nature. Although the poem seems to be uniform in terms of structure, the imperfect rhyme adds to the degree of the author's attitude. The imperfect rhyme used to describe the tumult caused by the insects evokes a sense of disorder and chaos in the consistent stanzas, which reflects how the lilies, seemingly still and serene, covers the violence and struggles that the flies and dragonflies constantly experience. The enjambment also builds upon the complexity, as the rhythm of the poem is consistent and speaks to the parallels between the painting and nature, both masked with a surface level beauty but have deeper connotations and events that are present. The artist has the challenge of trying to encapsulate the complex image, masked by a seemingly basic plant, and has to try and depict clashing characteristics in the serene appearance and chaotic reality of nature.
The complexity yet cohesiveness of nature, described by the narrator, depicts the serenity and sheer wonder of the water lily, still amidst the chaos. The constant flow of the poem along with the juxtaposition between peace and chaos creates a task for the artist; to successfully depict both the surface beauty and the violent and cacophonous sides of nature. The author uses a uniform structure in stanzas, yet an imperfect rhyme scheme to portray the varying degrees of nature's characteristics, and how most overlook one of the two ends of the spectrum.

1. Sonnet:
   A 14-line poem, traditionally written in iambic pentameter, with various rhyme schemes such as Shakespearean (ABABCDCDEFEFGG).
   
2. Haiku:
   

A three-line Japanese poem with a 5-7-5 syllable count, typically capturing a moment in nature.

1. Free Verse:
   Poetry without a fixed rhyme or meter, allowing for greater freedom and natural flow of expression.
   
2. Villanelle
   

: A 19-line poem with a specific structure, containing five tercets followed by a concluding quatrain, using only two rhymes.

1. Acrostic:
   A poem where the first letter of each line, when read vertically, spells out a word or message.
   
2. Limerick
   

: A humorous five-line poem with a specific meter and rhyme scheme (AABBA).

1. Ghazal:

A form of poetry with rhyming couplets and a repeating refrain, often exploring themes of love and loss.

1. Tanka

: A Japanese form of poetry with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count structure, focusing on nature and emotions.

1. Sestina:
   A complex poem with six stanzas of six lines each, ending with a three-line envoi; the same six words end the lines in a shifting pattern.
   
2. Cinquain
   

: A five-line poem with a specific syllable count for each line (2-4-6-8-2), often used to capture a moment or emotion.

1. Rondeau:
   A 13-line poem with a rhyme scheme and repetition of specific words, often emphasizing themes of love.
   
2. Pantoum
   

: A form of poetry with repeating lines, where the second and fourth lines of each stanza become the first and third lines of the next.

1. Ode:

A lyrical poem expressing strong emotions or deep feelings, often addressed to a particular person or thing.

1. Elegy:
   A mournful poem, typically written in remembrance of someone who has passed away.
   
2. Ekphrastic
   

: A poem inspired by a work of art, often describing or reflecting on the visual piece.

1. Concrete Poetry:
   Poems where the arrangement of words on the page forms a visual representation of the subject.
   
2. Prose Poetry
   

: A hybrid of prose and poetry, characterized by its free-flowing structure and poetic language within prose form.

1. Epigram:

A short, witty, and often satirical poem or statement, typically with a clever or humorous ending.

1. Quatrain

: A four-line stanza or poem with various rhyme schemes, commonly used in ballads and hymns.

1. Epitaph

: A short poem or inscription on a tombstone in memory of the deceased.

1. Sonnet:

• Definition: A 14-line poem, often expressing love or deep emotion, with various rhyme schemes.
  
• Example: Write a sonnet exploring the theme of unrequited love.
  

1. Haiku:

• Definition: A traditional Japanese poem with three lines and a 5-7-5 syllable count.
  
• Example: Craft a haiku capturing the essence of a serene moment in nature.
  

1. Villanelle:

• Definition: A 19-line poem with five tercets followed by a quatrain, using repeated lines.
  
• Example: Create a villanelle about the passage of time and its impact on memories.
  

1. Limerick:

• Definition: A humorous, five-line poem with a distinctive rhythm (AABBA).
  
• Example: Compose a limerick about a quirky character or situation.
  

1. Free Verse:

• Definition: Poetry with no set rhyme scheme or meter, allowing for free expression.
  
• Example: Write a free verse poem exploring the complexities of human relationships.
  

1. Acrostic:

• Definition: A poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word or message.
  
• Example: Create an acrostic using your name, describing your personality or aspirations.
  

1. Ghazal:

• Definition: A poetic form with rhyming couplets and a repeating refrain.
  
• Example: Craft a ghazal expressing the bittersweet nature of love and longing.
  

1. Tanka:

• Definition: A Japanese poem with five lines and a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count.
  
• Example: Write a tanka capturing the fleeting beauty of a sunset.
  

1. *Cinquain:

• Definition: A five-line poem with a specific syllable count per line (2-4-6-8-2).
  
• Example: Create a cinquain describing the essence of a quiet winter evening.
  

1. Pantoum:

- *Definition:* A poem with repeating lines and a specific pattern, often used for reflection. - *Example:* Craft a pantoum exploring the cyclical nature of life and change. 

1. Sonnet:
   A 14-line poem, traditionally written in iambic pentameter, with various rhyme schemes such as Shakespearean (ABABCDCDEFEFGG).
   
2. Haiku:
   

A three-line Japanese poem with a 5-7-5 syllable count, typically capturing a moment in nature.

1. Free Verse:
   Poetry without a fixed rhyme or meter, allowing for greater freedom and natural flow of expression.
   
2. Villanelle
   

: A 19-line poem with a specific structure, containing five tercets followed by a concluding quatrain, using only two rhymes.

1. Acrostic:
   A poem where the first letter of each line, when read vertically, spells out a word or message.
   
2. Limerick
   

: A humorous five-line poem with a specific meter and rhyme scheme (AABBA).

1. Ghazal:

A form of poetry with rhyming couplets and a repeating refrain, often exploring themes of love and loss.

1. Tanka

: A Japanese form of poetry with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count structure, focusing on nature and emotions.

1. Sestina:
   A complex poem with six stanzas of six lines each, ending with a three-line envoi; the same six words end the lines in a shifting pattern.
   
2. Cinquain
   

: A five-line poem with a specific syllable count for each line (2-4-6-8-2), often used to capture a moment or emotion.

1. Rondeau:
   A 13-line poem with a rhyme scheme and repetition of specific words, often emphasizing themes of love.
   
2. Pantoum
   

: A form of poetry with repeating lines, where the second and fourth lines of each stanza become the first and third lines of the next.

1. Ode:

A lyrical poem expressing strong emotions or deep feelings, often addressed to a particular person or thing.

1. Elegy:
   A mournful poem, typically written in remembrance of someone who has passed away.
   
2. Ekphrastic
   

: A poem inspired by a work of art, often describing or reflecting on the visual piece.

1. Concrete Poetry:
   Poems where the arrangement of words on the page forms a visual representation of the subject.
   
2. Prose Poetry
   

: A hybrid of prose and poetry, characterized by its free-flowing structure and poetic language within prose form.

1. Epigram:

A short, witty, and often satirical poem or statement, typically with a clever or humorous ending.

1. Quatrain

: A four-line stanza or poem with various rhyme schemes, commonly used in ballads and hymns.

1. Epitaph

: A short poem or inscription on a tombstone in memory of the deceased.

1. Sonnet:

• Definition: A 14-line poem, often expressing love or deep emotion, with various rhyme schemes.
  
• Example: Write a sonnet exploring the theme of unrequited love.
  

1. Haiku:

• Definition: A traditional Japanese poem with three lines and a 5-7-5 syllable count.
  
• Example: Craft a haiku capturing the essence of a serene moment in nature.
  

1. Villanelle:

• Definition: A 19-line poem with five tercets followed by a quatrain, using repeated lines.
  
• Example: Create a villanelle about the passage of time and its impact on memories.
  

1. Limerick:

• Definition: A humorous, five-line poem with a distinctive rhythm (AABBA).
  
• Example: Compose a limerick about a quirky character or situation.
  

1. Free Verse:

• Definition: Poetry with no set rhyme scheme or meter, allowing for free expression.
  
• Example: Write a free verse poem exploring the complexities of human relationships.
  

1. Acrostic:

• Definition: A poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word or message.
  
• Example: Create an acrostic using your name, describing your personality or aspirations.
  

1. Ghazal:

• Definition: A poetic form with rhyming couplets and a repeating refrain.
  
• Example: Craft a ghazal expressing the bittersweet nature of love and longing.
  

1. Tanka:

• Definition: A Japanese poem with five lines and a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count.
  
• Example: Write a tanka capturing the fleeting beauty of a sunset.
  

1. *Cinquain:

• Definition: A five-line poem with a specific syllable count per line (2-4-6-8-2).
  
• Example: Create a cinquain describing the essence of a quiet winter evening.
  

1. Pantoum:

- *Definition:* A poem with repeating lines and a specific pattern, often used for reflection. - *Example:* Craft a pantoum exploring the cyclical nature of life and change. 

I'm an American who's spent most of 2024 in Peru and Mexico. I don't have much business here. I work just enough to squeak by with minimal debt and generally enjoy just walking and observing different rhythms and colors and sounds, rather than seeking out typical tourist type activities.
McGilchrist is seared into my brain, so as I sat upon an unfinished cement rooftop watching motos slip onto the sidewalk, drop off a carton of eggs or loaves of bread to a shop, and back into the ebb of traffic, it occurred to me that the idea of a "metacrisis" is much further removed from the "third world." Concrete crises are much more the concern. Theirs is an embodied struggle.
In the third world, traffic and pedestrian laws are more fluid. You wait for the stream of cars to open up and you enter the stream. You use your arms to carry water home, because you can't drink the tap water. You sweat constantly because there is no AC. You transact with cash, handing it to a person and being handed back change. You spend more time in the Spanish squares, and stand shoulder to shoulder in collective taxis, walk, and get passed by senior citizens on bicycles. You spend more time cooking because local produce is cheaper than McDonalds, unlike USA, generally. Families live together because it's cheaper, they can care for each other, and the culture emphasizes unity, rather than independence.
Our first world luxuries have led us to a point of isolation and abstraction, and while they are great in their own way, they tend to flatten life and experience, smoothing it into cream colored plaster, rather than rough hewn stone.
I find myself constantly swinging back and forth between craving the comforts I've spent most of my life cocooned within, and desperately seeking tastes of discomfort to awaken my catatonic soul.
Unlike many in the third world, I am blessed to have a choice to return to comfort. Like many drawn to McGilchrist, I feel something is off and want to change things, to usurp the Emissary which holes me up in an air conditioned hotel, rather than spending my days camping in the countryside. The life I want to have lived and the dreams I have lie beyond the divide, in the realm of embodied struggle and insecurity.
I have read books of others who have lived a dream similar to mine, combining physicality and endurance with open ended exploration. I know it is possible. I've read McGilchrist, and seen people find their own version of an Infinite Game. I am armed with the information I need to make a change for myself, and to potentially change things for others. Yet I still have not made a full leap.
The final step is courage. And this is a step few take. The courageous journey to a distant shore, holding fast without retreat in the unbroken stream of experience. To make such a leap is to realize the dream of McGilchrist's work, putting the Master back in the throne, setting the book down, the abstraction aside, and acting. Having experienced, we can then return to the left hemisphere for a time, share our knowledge and spiral on.
One of the most common questions in regards to McGilchrist's work is "What can we do about it?"
I wonder if the real question is more "Do I have the courage to listen to the dream welling up within me, then act on it?"
Whatever the question is, it won't be answered in words, but action.
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets: Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!”
― William Hutchison Murray

1. Sonnet:
   A 14-line poem, traditionally written in iambic pentameter, with various rhyme schemes such as Shakespearean (ABABCDCDEFEFGG).
   
2. Haiku:
   

A three-line Japanese poem with a 5-7-5 syllable count, typically capturing a moment in nature.

1. Free Verse:
   Poetry without a fixed rhyme or meter, allowing for greater freedom and natural flow of expression.
   
2. Villanelle
   

: A 19-line poem with a specific structure, containing five tercets followed by a concluding quatrain, using only two rhymes.

1. Acrostic:
   A poem where the first letter of each line, when read vertically, spells out a word or message.
   
2. Limerick
   

: A humorous five-line poem with a specific meter and rhyme scheme (AABBA).

1. Ghazal:

A form of poetry with rhyming couplets and a repeating refrain, often exploring themes of love and loss.

1. Tanka

: A Japanese form of poetry with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count structure, focusing on nature and emotions.

1. Sestina:
   A complex poem with six stanzas of six lines each, ending with a three-line envoi; the same six words end the lines in a shifting pattern.
   
2. Cinquain
   

: A five-line poem with a specific syllable count for each line (2-4-6-8-2), often used to capture a moment or emotion.

1. Rondeau:
   A 13-line poem with a rhyme scheme and repetition of specific words, often emphasizing themes of love.
   
2. Pantoum
   

: A form of poetry with repeating lines, where the second and fourth lines of each stanza become the first and third lines of the next.

1. Ode:

A lyrical poem expressing strong emotions or deep feelings, often addressed to a particular person or thing.

1. Elegy:
   A mournful poem, typically written in remembrance of someone who has passed away.
   
2. Ekphrastic
   

: A poem inspired by a work of art, often describing or reflecting on the visual piece.

1. Concrete Poetry:
   Poems where the arrangement of words on the page forms a visual representation of the subject.
   
2. Prose Poetry
   

: A hybrid of prose and poetry, characterized by its free-flowing structure and poetic language within prose form.

1. Epigram:

A short, witty, and often satirical poem or statement, typically with a clever or humorous ending.

1. Quatrain

: A four-line stanza or poem with various rhyme schemes, commonly used in ballads and hymns.

1. Epitaph

: A short poem or inscription on a tombstone in memory of the deceased.

1. Sonnet:

• Definition: A 14-line poem, often expressing love or deep emotion, with various rhyme schemes.
  
• Example: Write a sonnet exploring the theme of unrequited love.
  

1. Haiku:

• Definition: A traditional Japanese poem with three lines and a 5-7-5 syllable count.
  
• Example: Craft a haiku capturing the essence of a serene moment in nature.
  

1. Villanelle:

• Definition: A 19-line poem with five tercets followed by a quatrain, using repeated lines.
  
• Example: Create a villanelle about the passage of time and its impact on memories.
  

1. Limerick:

• Definition: A humorous, five-line poem with a distinctive rhythm (AABBA).
  
• Example: Compose a limerick about a quirky character or situation.
  

1. Free Verse:

• Definition: Poetry with no set rhyme scheme or meter, allowing for free expression.
  
• Example: Write a free verse poem exploring the complexities of human relationships.
  

1. Acrostic:

• Definition: A poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word or message.
  
• Example: Create an acrostic using your name, describing your personality or aspirations.
  

1. Ghazal:

• Definition: A poetic form with rhyming couplets and a repeating refrain.
  
• Example: Craft a ghazal expressing the bittersweet nature of love and longing.
  

1. Tanka:

• Definition: A Japanese poem with five lines and a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count.
  
• Example: Write a tanka capturing the fleeting beauty of a sunset.
  

1. *Cinquain:

• Definition: A five-line poem with a specific syllable count per line (2-4-6-8-2).
  
• Example: Create a cinquain describing the essence of a quiet winter evening.
  

1. Pantoum:

- *Definition:* A poem with repeating lines and a specific pattern, often used for reflection. - *Example:* Craft a pantoum exploring the cyclical nature of life and change. 

1. Sonnet:
   A 14-line poem, traditionally written in iambic pentameter, with various rhyme schemes such as Shakespearean (ABABCDCDEFEFGG).
   
2. Haiku:
   

A three-line Japanese poem with a 5-7-5 syllable count, typically capturing a moment in nature.

1. Free Verse:
   Poetry without a fixed rhyme or meter, allowing for greater freedom and natural flow of expression.
   
2. Villanelle
   

: A 19-line poem with a specific structure, containing five tercets followed by a concluding quatrain, using only two rhymes.

1. Acrostic:
   A poem where the first letter of each line, when read vertically, spells out a word or message.
   
2. Limerick
   

: A humorous five-line poem with a specific meter and rhyme scheme (AABBA).

1. Ghazal:

A form of poetry with rhyming couplets and a repeating refrain, often exploring themes of love and loss.

1. Tanka

: A Japanese form of poetry with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count structure, focusing on nature and emotions.

1. Sestina:
   A complex poem with six stanzas of six lines each, ending with a three-line envoi; the same six words end the lines in a shifting pattern.
   
2. Cinquain
   

: A five-line poem with a specific syllable count for each line (2-4-6-8-2), often used to capture a moment or emotion.

1. Rondeau:
   A 13-line poem with a rhyme scheme and repetition of specific words, often emphasizing themes of love.
   
2. Pantoum
   

: A form of poetry with repeating lines, where the second and fourth lines of each stanza become the first and third lines of the next.

1. Ode:

A lyrical poem expressing strong emotions or deep feelings, often addressed to a particular person or thing.

1. Elegy:
   A mournful poem, typically written in remembrance of someone who has passed away.
   
2. Ekphrastic
   

: A poem inspired by a work of art, often describing or reflecting on the visual piece.

1. Concrete Poetry:
   Poems where the arrangement of words on the page forms a visual representation of the subject.
   
2. Prose Poetry
   

: A hybrid of prose and poetry, characterized by its free-flowing structure and poetic language within prose form.

1. Epigram:

A short, witty, and often satirical poem or statement, typically with a clever or humorous ending.

1. Quatrain

: A four-line stanza or poem with various rhyme schemes, commonly used in ballads and hymns.

1. Epitaph

: A short poem or inscription on a tombstone in memory of the deceased.

1. Sonnet:

• Definition: A 14-line poem, often expressing love or deep emotion, with various rhyme schemes.
  
• Example: Write a sonnet exploring the theme of unrequited love.
  

1. Haiku:

• Definition: A traditional Japanese poem with three lines and a 5-7-5 syllable count.
  
• Example: Craft a haiku capturing the essence of a serene moment in nature.
  

1. Villanelle:

• Definition: A 19-line poem with five tercets followed by a quatrain, using repeated lines.
  
• Example: Create a villanelle about the passage of time and its impact on memories.
  

1. Limerick:

• Definition: A humorous, five-line poem with a distinctive rhythm (AABBA).
  
• Example: Compose a limerick about a quirky character or situation.
  

1. Free Verse:

• Definition: Poetry with no set rhyme scheme or meter, allowing for free expression.
  
• Example: Write a free verse poem exploring the complexities of human relationships.
  

1. Acrostic:

• Definition: A poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word or message.
  
• Example: Create an acrostic using your name, describing your personality or aspirations.
  

1. Ghazal:

• Definition: A poetic form with rhyming couplets and a repeating refrain.
  
• Example: Craft a ghazal expressing the bittersweet nature of love and longing.
  

1. Tanka:

• Definition: A Japanese poem with five lines and a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count.
  
• Example: Write a tanka capturing the fleeting beauty of a sunset.
  

1. *Cinquain:

• Definition: A five-line poem with a specific syllable count per line (2-4-6-8-2).
  
• Example: Create a cinquain describing the essence of a quiet winter evening.
  

1. Pantoum:

- *Definition:* A poem with repeating lines and a specific pattern, often used for reflection. - *Example:* Craft a pantoum exploring the cyclical nature of life and change. 

1. Sonnet:
   A 14-line poem, traditionally written in iambic pentameter, with various rhyme schemes such as Shakespearean (ABABCDCDEFEFGG).
   
2. Haiku:
   

A three-line Japanese poem with a 5-7-5 syllable count, typically capturing a moment in nature.

1. Free Verse:
   Poetry without a fixed rhyme or meter, allowing for greater freedom and natural flow of expression.
   
2. Villanelle
   

: A 19-line poem with a specific structure, containing five tercets followed by a concluding quatrain, using only two rhymes.

1. Acrostic:
   A poem where the first letter of each line, when read vertically, spells out a word or message.
   
2. Limerick
   

: A humorous five-line poem with a specific meter and rhyme scheme (AABBA).

1. Ghazal:

A form of poetry with rhyming couplets and a repeating refrain, often exploring themes of love and loss.

1. Tanka

: A Japanese form of poetry with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count structure, focusing on nature and emotions.

1. Sestina:
   A complex poem with six stanzas of six lines each, ending with a three-line envoi; the same six words end the lines in a shifting pattern.
   
2. Cinquain
   

: A five-line poem with a specific syllable count for each line (2-4-6-8-2), often used to capture a moment or emotion.

1. Rondeau:
   A 13-line poem with a rhyme scheme and repetition of specific words, often emphasizing themes of love.
   
2. Pantoum
   

: A form of poetry with repeating lines, where the second and fourth lines of each stanza become the first and third lines of the next.

1. Ode:

A lyrical poem expressing strong emotions or deep feelings, often addressed to a particular person or thing.

1. Elegy:
   A mournful poem, typically written in remembrance of someone who has passed away.
   
2. Ekphrastic
   

: A poem inspired by a work of art, often describing or reflecting on the visual piece.

1. Concrete Poetry:
   Poems where the arrangement of words on the page forms a visual representation of the subject.
   
2. Prose Poetry
   

: A hybrid of prose and poetry, characterized by its free-flowing structure and poetic language within prose form.

1. Epigram:

A short, witty, and often satirical poem or statement, typically with a clever or humorous ending.

1. Quatrain

: A four-line stanza or poem with various rhyme schemes, commonly used in ballads and hymns.

1. Epitaph

: A short poem or inscription on a tombstone in memory of the deceased.