"The Sonnet" by William Mulready‘The Great Sonnet’: A Poem by Prison Inmate Bob H. Cook The Society October 30, 2023 Humor, Love Poems, Poetry 18 Comments . The Great Sonnet I set myself to write a sonnet. I labored hard and long upon it. Sweet verse some maid might shed a tear at, More ere’s than one could shake a spear at. I spoke of luv, both hers and his’s With lots of thee’s and thou’s and tis’s. “My Luv art like a red, red rose From thynst red hair to thynst red toes. Thy kisses art as soft as snowflakes, As sweet as syrup poured on pancakes. Thou art so much like smelly flowers That just stand there and smell for hours. Thou chirpest like the birds in spring…” [Then I noticed I was already at the fourteenth line of my sonnet and had done screwed up the whole thing.] . . Bob H. Cook is an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Seagoville, TX. 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. CODEC Stories: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) 18 Responses Paul A. Freeman October 30, 2023 Well done, Bob. Humour is difficult to write, especially when Americans can’t spell the word correctly, but you’ve done a fine job. Just sort out that 14th line and I guarantee that ‘maid’ you speak of will be much impressed. Thanks for the read. Reply James A. Tweedie October 30, 2023 Bob, lol and way to go. One of those rare poems I wish I had written myself! Reply jd October 30, 2023 Enjoyed your poem, Bob. Tis very clever and sweet. Quite the intriguing Bio you have too. Reply Lawrence Fray October 30, 2023 Hey Bob….good poem: humorous, yes, but also plaintive. It touches a chord. Well done. Reply Philip L Flott October 30, 2023 very humorous Reply Paul Martin Freeman October 30, 2023 Bob, I think this is wonderful. It flows so freely with such wit and polish. It doesn’t take itself seriously and has some lovely tender lines like these: Thy kisses art as soft as snowflakes, As sweet as syrup poured on pancakes. There’s no point in saying I wish I’d written it as I know I couldn’t have done. Clearly, poetry knows neither walls nor bars. Reply Roy Eugene Peterson October 30, 2023 Your sense of humor shines through under adverse circumstances. Well done. Reply Margaret Coats October 30, 2023 Bob, you make remarkably refined use of very old fashioned plain speech with deliberate infelicities included. Great job with your Great Sonnet! Reply Mary Gardner October 30, 2023 Bob, I enjoy the narrator’s pretentious aspiration in using old forms (albeit ungrammatically) up to the fourteenth line, where “done” thuds it back down to Earth for a laugh. Applause for “than one could shake a spear at,” also. Reply Allegra Silberstein October 30, 2023 Loved your poem….keep writing. Reply Norma Pain October 30, 2023 Tain’t screwed up at all Bob. I loved it. Funny and sweet. Reply Joshua C. Frank October 30, 2023 I like it! It’s a great parody of all those love sonnets’ overused clichés that give poets a bad name. Reply Cynthia Erlandson October 31, 2023 I agree with all of the comments above, Bob; I was smiling largely all the way through — and especially at the end! I truly hope you’ll send us more poems. Reply Mark Stellinga October 31, 2023 Bob – you can’t go wrong with ‘humor’ (the way Americans like Evan and I spell it!)…thanks for the chuckle. Reply The Society October 31, 2023 Bob H. Cook submitted this poem through old-fashioned mail and says he does not have computer access. I thank you all on his behalf and I know that he will be thrilled. I will pass on your comments to him. -Evan Mantyk SCP Editor Reply Jeff Eardley October 31, 2023 Bob, this is so brilliant. I can only thank you so much for making us laugh today ( Over here in England, there’s not much to laugh about) I hope the future holds good things for you. This is a great start. Well done. Reply Julian D. Woodruff October 31, 2023 Sweet, Bob. Thynst is the pen. Keep ’em coming. Reply Geoffrey Smagacz November 1, 2023 I don’t know what you did to get yourself incarcerated, but this is a fine way to redeem yourself. You must be on the right track because you’re doing it with a sense of humor. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Captcha loading...In order to pass the CAPTCHA please enable JavaScript. 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 A. Freeman October 30, 2023 Well done, Bob. Humour is difficult to write, especially when Americans can’t spell the word correctly, but you’ve done a fine job. Just sort out that 14th line and I guarantee that ‘maid’ you speak of will be much impressed. Thanks for the read. Reply
James A. Tweedie October 30, 2023 Bob, lol and way to go. One of those rare poems I wish I had written myself! Reply
jd October 30, 2023 Enjoyed your poem, Bob. Tis very clever and sweet. Quite the intriguing Bio you have too. Reply
Lawrence Fray October 30, 2023 Hey Bob….good poem: humorous, yes, but also plaintive. It touches a chord. Well done. Reply
Paul Martin Freeman October 30, 2023 Bob, I think this is wonderful. It flows so freely with such wit and polish. It doesn’t take itself seriously and has some lovely tender lines like these: Thy kisses art as soft as snowflakes, As sweet as syrup poured on pancakes. There’s no point in saying I wish I’d written it as I know I couldn’t have done. Clearly, poetry knows neither walls nor bars. Reply
Roy Eugene Peterson October 30, 2023 Your sense of humor shines through under adverse circumstances. Well done. Reply
Margaret Coats October 30, 2023 Bob, you make remarkably refined use of very old fashioned plain speech with deliberate infelicities included. Great job with your Great Sonnet! Reply
Mary Gardner October 30, 2023 Bob, I enjoy the narrator’s pretentious aspiration in using old forms (albeit ungrammatically) up to the fourteenth line, where “done” thuds it back down to Earth for a laugh. Applause for “than one could shake a spear at,” also. Reply
Joshua C. Frank October 30, 2023 I like it! It’s a great parody of all those love sonnets’ overused clichés that give poets a bad name. Reply
Cynthia Erlandson October 31, 2023 I agree with all of the comments above, Bob; I was smiling largely all the way through — and especially at the end! I truly hope you’ll send us more poems. Reply
Mark Stellinga October 31, 2023 Bob – you can’t go wrong with ‘humor’ (the way Americans like Evan and I spell it!)…thanks for the chuckle. Reply
The Society October 31, 2023 Bob H. Cook submitted this poem through old-fashioned mail and says he does not have computer access. I thank you all on his behalf and I know that he will be thrilled. I will pass on your comments to him. -Evan Mantyk SCP Editor Reply
Jeff Eardley October 31, 2023 Bob, this is so brilliant. I can only thank you so much for making us laugh today ( Over here in England, there’s not much to laugh about) I hope the future holds good things for you. This is a great start. Well done. Reply
Geoffrey Smagacz November 1, 2023 I don’t know what you did to get yourself incarcerated, but this is a fine way to redeem yourself. You must be on the right track because you’re doing it with a sense of humor. Reply
