Landscape by Willem de KlerkA Petrarchan Sonnet for a Spring Day, by Jane M. Schulert The Society June 14, 2023 Beauty, High School Submissions, Poetry 13 Comments . Sonnet When sitting on a swing my cheeks were chilled, I gazed and saw the dawn, a new spring day. I knew those colors soon would fade away, But for a moment, time had slowed and stilled. The sky was cloudless, clear, and it was filled With purples, reds, a prelude to the day. It glowed as if from Spenser’s land of fae, Rejoicing to be as the Father willed. His blest Son shines with perfect light of gold, He quenched, for us, and set His flawless flame, And rose so we could rise and have new morn. I pray when time escapes and I grow old, That I may be as clean and just the same, As how I was when I was first reborn. . . Jane Schulert is a high school student who currently resides in Fort Wayne, Indiana. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 13 Responses Mary Gardner June 14, 2023 A praiseworthy sonnet, Jane. I hope to read more of your creations. Reply Paul Freeman June 14, 2023 Excellent poetry, Jane. The simplicity of the title mirrors the simplicity of the content, all wrapped up in a complex poetic form that just gallops along. I look forward to reading more from you in future. Reply Jane Schulert June 14, 2023 Thank you for your kind words! I have noticed a lot of writing is made unnecessarily complicated. I wanted to write something that is beautiful because of its simplicity. Reply Tom Woodliff June 14, 2023 I love it. I few minor stumbles but even Shakespeare’s sonnets were rarely perfect in meter. I’ve done English, Italian and Spenserian sonnets, though my fave is English. Your theme of redemption is both universal and warm Reply Jane Schulert June 14, 2023 I also normally lean towards English, but I challenged myself to try a different style, which is how I wrote this sonnet. Thank you for your comment! Reply Roy Eugene Peterson June 14, 2023 Very pleasing classical sonnet, Jane, giving me a peaceful feeling for this morning and for those to come. Reply Paddy Raghunathan June 14, 2023 I’ll echo what the others have said. A very pleasing sonnet that evokes such a peaceful feeling. Best regards, Paddy Reply Allegra Silberstein June 14, 2023 Beautiful sonnet! Your use of rhyme was lovely. Keep writing…you have a great future. Reply Joshua C. Frank June 15, 2023 Wow, Jane, that’s great! I couldn’t even have imagined writing a sonnet so beautiful and well-crafted at your age. Reply Yael June 15, 2023 Congratulations, this is a very nice poem indeed and I really enjoyed reading it. The picture is very lovely too and goes well with it, thank you. Reply Margaret Coats June 16, 2023 Jane, this is indeed a lovely sonnet, and for the most part admirably clear, but line 10 is quite complex. It seems to have a compound verb in past tense, “quenched” and “set,” with “His flawless flame” as direct object. “For us” gives the indirect object, perhaps for “quenched” only, but perhaps for both verbs. When we think of God’s Son quenching flame for us, that flame could be the fire of divine wrath deserved as punishment for sin. God is perfectly just and perfectly merciful to do so; thus the flame is flawless. But to understand “set” we must read “His flawless flame” as meaning His divine life. He quenches His own life for us, and sets as the sun sets. This reading is confirmed when you go on to “rose” in the next line. The diction is unusual and therefore makes the reader pause to understand it. This is something like John Donne or poets of his time and after. Challenging, I would say, rather than simple! Reply Alena Casey June 23, 2023 Congratulations, Jane! A beautiful sonnet with a beautiful theme. Reply Sally Cook February 5, 2024 You will never lose what you have gained by writing this sonnet. Always keep the thought that as you see more of the world’s inconstancies you will not become hardened to them, but will keep to your clear vision and your faith in what is good and right. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Paul Freeman June 14, 2023 Excellent poetry, Jane. The simplicity of the title mirrors the simplicity of the content, all wrapped up in a complex poetic form that just gallops along. I look forward to reading more from you in future. Reply
Jane Schulert June 14, 2023 Thank you for your kind words! I have noticed a lot of writing is made unnecessarily complicated. I wanted to write something that is beautiful because of its simplicity. Reply
Tom Woodliff June 14, 2023 I love it. I few minor stumbles but even Shakespeare’s sonnets were rarely perfect in meter. I’ve done English, Italian and Spenserian sonnets, though my fave is English. Your theme of redemption is both universal and warm Reply
Jane Schulert June 14, 2023 I also normally lean towards English, but I challenged myself to try a different style, which is how I wrote this sonnet. Thank you for your comment! Reply
Roy Eugene Peterson June 14, 2023 Very pleasing classical sonnet, Jane, giving me a peaceful feeling for this morning and for those to come. Reply
Paddy Raghunathan June 14, 2023 I’ll echo what the others have said. A very pleasing sonnet that evokes such a peaceful feeling. Best regards, Paddy Reply
Allegra Silberstein June 14, 2023 Beautiful sonnet! Your use of rhyme was lovely. Keep writing…you have a great future. Reply
Joshua C. Frank June 15, 2023 Wow, Jane, that’s great! I couldn’t even have imagined writing a sonnet so beautiful and well-crafted at your age. Reply
Yael June 15, 2023 Congratulations, this is a very nice poem indeed and I really enjoyed reading it. The picture is very lovely too and goes well with it, thank you. Reply
Margaret Coats June 16, 2023 Jane, this is indeed a lovely sonnet, and for the most part admirably clear, but line 10 is quite complex. It seems to have a compound verb in past tense, “quenched” and “set,” with “His flawless flame” as direct object. “For us” gives the indirect object, perhaps for “quenched” only, but perhaps for both verbs. When we think of God’s Son quenching flame for us, that flame could be the fire of divine wrath deserved as punishment for sin. God is perfectly just and perfectly merciful to do so; thus the flame is flawless. But to understand “set” we must read “His flawless flame” as meaning His divine life. He quenches His own life for us, and sets as the sun sets. This reading is confirmed when you go on to “rose” in the next line. The diction is unusual and therefore makes the reader pause to understand it. This is something like John Donne or poets of his time and after. Challenging, I would say, rather than simple! Reply
Sally Cook February 5, 2024 You will never lose what you have gained by writing this sonnet. Always keep the thought that as you see more of the world’s inconstancies you will not become hardened to them, but will keep to your clear vision and your faith in what is good and right. Reply