Hello, here is a contest where all you have to do is write up a parody of William Shakespeare's Sonnet #18. There are about 154 sonnets written by Shakespeare, and this one is arguably the most popular out of all of them.
There will be no theme as of now, and works will be judged on rhyming patterns, and syllable count, leaving out iambic pentameter (due to it's difficulty and restrictions.) The works will also be judged on it's originality, it can be comedic or as serious and dramatic as you want.
Should the contest be successful, there may or may not be another round.
Sonnet #18
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st;
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Parody Example
Shall I compare thee to a bale of hay?
Thou art more dusty and far less neat.
Rough winds do toss thy mop about, I'd say,
Which looks far worse than hay a horse would eat.
Sometime thy squinty eye looks into mine
Through stringy, greasy hair that needs be trimm'd,
And ne'er a horse had such a stench as thine,
As though in stagnant sewers thou hast swimm'd.
Thy disgusting image shall not fade;
This my tortured mind and soul doth know.
O, I should love to hit thee with a spade;
And with that blow I hope that thou wouldst go.
So long as I can breathe, my eyes can see,
And I can run, I'll stay away from thee...
Parody Template
Shall_________________________? -
Thou art more_____________________:
Rough winds ________________________,
And _______________________________:
Sometime too _______________________,
And often is_______________ dimm'd;
And every _____________ sometime declines,
By __________________________, untrimm'd;
But thy _______________ shall not fade
Nor ___________________ thou ow'st;
Nor____________________________,
When ___________________ thou grow'st;
So long _______________ or ________________,
So long ___________, and _____________ to thee.
Note: You need not follow the template exactly, and you may alter some things as much as you want, but try not to stray too far from the Sonnet.
Rules and Closing Date:
- You may post as many entries as you want.
- You may not use inappropriate words.
- You may not plagiarize (I will know. I will check. You will be punished accordingly.)
- Follow general forum rules.
- CLOSING DATE: April 30th 2015 which is more than enough time to write at least one entry.
- Winner will be announced soon after and cannot be negotiated.
Winner's Prize
The winner will receive a 30 Day Membership in AFG+.
I have spoken to Ferret about it, and I believe the prize is set for claim.
Of course, special thanks to @Ferret for the gifting the prize!
Shall I compare thee to snow in a day?
Thou art more cold and more great
Soft winds keep coming all the day,
And winter's winds last for a long date
Sometimes too cold for us to endure,
And often in it's white form needs being heat'd
But every snowflake for a long endure:
By the wind it comes, and sometimes must be clean'd,
But for a long they will stay in this land!
Nor should be not liked, because it's not eternal
And should be enjoyed, especially in Greenland,
With the winter, everything is more special,
So long as snow can be felt or ice can be seen;
So long it's more cool, and this brings joy to thee!
Congratulations to @armorplayergc! Your work could have incorporated more technical variables, but the creativity was there. Though it did not make me laugh as much as the other poems, in my opinion, each verse connected to last the best. You can understand what's being talked about, and everything in the poem stays on topic. In a way, the poem transitions from a kind of solemn feeling into something a bit more joyful, and I liked that about it. You turned snow into something that could bring joy, even though usually winter is associated with more depressing things. Your work stood out most to me. Yes, parodies aren't always meant to be funny.
I'll be letting @Ferret know so you may have your prize.
Runner up:
Shall I begin to watch more anime?
It hast more interest and more plot line
Rough winds the Going Merry oft do sway
And animation often is divine
Sometime too I stop to speak online
And often when I stop has the sun dimm'd;
And every time I fear and start to pine,
By pirates drunk and with their beards untrimm'd;
But though after conscious thoughts slip from my mind
And eyes begin to start to close from sleep
I sneak away and in the darkness find
An ad displaying a weird Christmas creep
So long as people play and honor hold
Homework can wait, until I grow more old.
@Saphire24 Your work had to make me laugh the most, at times some verses might stray too far from your main point of the poem. Definitely hilarious.
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Shall I consume thee like endless buffet?
Thou art more savory and delicious:
Rough winds shan't deter me from meals today,
And indulging grubs not so nutritious:
Sometime too greasy the fry of Arby's,
And often is Red Robin's lights are dimm'd;
And all men enjoy burgers from Hardee's,
By luck, perchance thou eats Zaxby's, untrimm'd;
But thy eternal fast food shall not fade
Nor lose appetite from finance thou ow'st;
Nor shall bowels explode like a grenade,
When scorned by heathens of how thou be gross;
So long as men can eat or grease can be,
So long McDonalds, and fast food to thee.
@Riptizoid101 I was so close to choosing yours as either winner or runner up, it was close. Though I'd like to mention your poem as well. It was hilarious too, but could have been more, good job on it!