Tag Archives: poetry

Corejo’s “Only, Only, Only You”

12 Friday Aug 2016

Posted by in Features

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Take a poetic excursion through the mind of Nightmare Moon with today’s story.

only-only-only-youOnly, Only, Only You
[Romance] [Sad] • 1,594 words

Come closer here—my heart, my host.
Come closer.  Hear my heart, my host,

Is only staid with presence close.
If love’s a potion, ample dose.

My night-ful bride, I need your boon.
My baleful bride, I need you soon:

For what’s eclipsed by half a moon?

FROM THE CURATORS: If it seems like we disproportionately feature poetry relative to how rare it is in the fandom, it’s only because we keep stumbling across poems that are really, really good.  This was laudable not only in its construction — “The mouthfeel of this piece in lines like ‘nightshade-wound chrysanthemum’ is exquisite, and it uses its repetitions and its breaks from verse to solid effect,” Horizon said — but also in its storytelling: “It tells a riveting tale, recasting the story of Luna and Nightmare Moon as a love story,” Present Perfect said.  “The characters and plot fit the poem form well, and I love how strong the sense of yearning and desire is.”

But what impressed us all the most was the mastery of language on display.  “The words are obviously carefully chosen,” Present Perfect said.  “There’s some great wordplay, like the ‘here/hear’ in the otherwise identical couplet that appears in the description.”  Chris found another example to praise: “I think the moment I realized I was in for a treat was the couplet ‘To slither, snake, in shadow form, / To recollect, inveigle—mourn—’,” he said.  “I’m on board with anyone who can use ‘inveigle‘ in a coherent sentence, especially while holding to the rhythm of the line.”  And Horizon agreed: “This is a piece which isn’t afraid to deploy ten-dollar words with rapier precision.  Seriously, look up ‘Lacuna’ the first time the poem uses it: this isn’t just a pet name for Luna, it’s a direct statement on the relationship.”

Despite the deep linguistic delving, though, “this remains shockingly readable as it flows through a story of need and betrayal and loss,” as Horizon put it.  “Nightmare Moon’s anguish is palpable, even as the piece makes very clear who the villain is here.”  And that makes this remarkable on another level, Chris said: “The content is a fresh twist on the oldest story in the fandom, which is increasingly hard to do six seasons in … but, as Corejo shows here, by no means impossible.” That it managed to do so while impressing even our poetry connoisseurs was what sealed this story’s feature.  “I will admit to being a giant poetry grouch who clings to strict ideas about rhyme and rhythm and imagery,” AugieDog said.  “To find a piece like this one that picks a meter and keeps to it, that picks a rhyme scheme and keeps to it, that paints some wonderful pictures with words and sounds and all, that’s the sort of thing that makes me very, very happy.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Corejo discusses rabbit errors, fluff-ectomies, and the fine line between hugboxers and skimmers.
Continue reading →

Fable Scroll’s “The Sisters’ Coronet”

10 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by in Features

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, ,

Two crowns for two sisters, in two different senses of the word: today’s story is a double accomplishment.

sisters-coronetThe Sisters’ Coronet
[Sad] • 1,923 words

A collection of poems about Luna’s growing discontent, her fall, and her eventual return and redemption.

FROM THE CURATORS: Structured poetry requires a very different approach to reading than prose — being willing to slow down and savor the imagery, the rhythm, and the sound of the language, not just the tale being told — but there was no question in our minds that this was a piece which rewards that effort.  “I’m recommending this on ‘it’s damned good poetry’ grounds,” Present Perfect said.  “Oh my, yes,” JohnPerry responded, and Chris chimed in: “I am completely in awe.”

What primarily provoked that reaction was the mind-blowing technical achievement of the structure of the piece.  “It’s a double heroic crown of sonnets,” Horizon said, and explained: “First you write a sonnet (a 14-line poem with tight metrical and rhyme requirements).  Then you write 13 more sonnets expanding on the same theme.  Then you take the first line of each one, string them together, and furiously edit your poems until that’s also a proper sonnet, and you’ve got a heroic crown.  THEN, to double it, you take the last line of each one, string those together, and fiddle with your poems until THAT’S a proper sonnet too.  If you think that sounds like a ridiculous amount of work for 2,000 ponywords, you’re beginning to understand.”

As you might expect from an author capable of such a feat, the construction of the piece was impeccable.  “The rhymes were all perfect. There was maybe one foot that felt out of place,” Present Perfect said.  However, as Chris noted, the construction wasn’t the only element to appreciate.  “If it was ‘just’ a double heroic crown, it would still be worth celebrating simply for the quality of its craftsmanship,” he said, “but it manages on top of that to tell a meaningful story, and to find a place for itself within the history of its setting, and to utilize that place to say something about its principal characters.”

Ultimately, Horizon said, this was worth celebrating despite its daunting first impression. “Highbrow poetry can be a tough sell,” he said, “but the bottom line is, I’ve never seen anything else like this, in this fandom or any other.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Fable Scroll discusses simple ponies, untapped potential, and offering comfort via time-travel.
Continue reading →

ambion’s “Racing Thoughts”

12 Friday Dec 2014

Posted by in Features

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

A search for love, in all its glory,
Is central to our featured story.

racing-thoughtsRacing Thoughts
[Romance] [Random] • 1,530 words

In a fantastical universe the bastard love-child of Edgar Allen Poe and T.S. Eliot got hooked on ponies.

The resulting poem, pulled through the void, is presented for your reading pleasure.

A (loosely) iambic tetrametric narrative of Twilight Sparkle struggling to understand, accept, and ultimately express, her love for Rainbow Dash.

FROM THE CURATORS: “When I start recommending poetry, you should stand up and take notice,” said Present Perfect, the RCL’s resident curmudgeon, as he brought this story to our attention. “This borrows heavily from the J. Alfred Prufrock school of poetry and excels for having done so. … It all comes down to ‘I hate poetry and I like this.'”

We did take notice — and it broadened our collective horizons, as Bradel affirmed.  “This is probably the first pony poetry I’ve read,” he said. “It’s a lot better than I’d generally expect. The structure lends itself well to the stream of consciousness style, with meter and rhyme scheme shifting in a very natural way throughout the piece.”  Chris agreed: “The pitter-pat flow came through clearly, and the mix of academic language and more conversational tone gave the poem a nice lilt, in addition to making it feel very Twilight.”

That mixture was used to good effect, drawing thoughts of yearning and lust out of a normally analytical character.  The occasional suggestive turn of phrase was a distraction for some of us, but Bradel “found it very endearing. While it’s certainly not out of the ordinary for TwiDash fiction, it provides a few welcome twists in the flow of the poem.”

Overall, Racing Thoughts (which was originally posted as a single complete work, though unrelated poems have since been added to the story) was enjoyable for poetry fans and non-fans alike.  As Present Perfect summarized it: “This guy can poetry. He can poetry good.”

Read on for our author interview, in which ambion discusses noble hobos, signs in the stars, and majestic and subtle ironies.
Continue reading →