What follows is a Heroic Crown Sonnet (Sonnet Redouble)
The Heroic Crown sonnet is based on a Crown of Sonnets.
A Crown is a sequence of Sonnets usually addressed to one person and/or concerned with a single theme. Each sonnet explores one aspect of the theme. The last line of the previous is used as the first line of the next. The final line of the final sonnet is the first line of the first sonnet.
The Heroic Sonnet then goes one step further in that it consists of a Crown of Sonnets containing fourteen Sonnets. The fifteenth Sonnet is literally the first lines of the previous fourteen Sonnets.
In the case of this Heroic Crown Sonnet, the structure is of an English Sonnet:
Octet (1st 8 lines) in abab, cdcd
Volta (turn)
Sestet (last 6 lines) in efef, gg
~ please enjoy ~
Of Greatness Calling
Sonnet I – The Seed
Herald kings in knightly squares
where light may shine on youth’s one chance
to leave, to hope and earn such wares
beyond the pale eyed squire’s glance.
Find amidst the people’s crowd
one blue eyed boy, blonde and tan,
whose heart beats strong and sorely loud
with dreams of knighthood as a man.
So be a dream at gate’s parade
where sure his heart must hold him still?
Yet dreams tonight in summer’s glade
grow amid his strength and will,
that from his stars and purpose torn,
where through their very nature, born.
Sonnet II – The Dream
Where through their very nature, born
are dreams that fatten deepest rest
in granting day and work till worn
that character will strengthen best.
At the plow or cutter’s wheel
the hopeful heroes often sum
in misty bouts of strength and steel
as victors stand and maidens come.
Yet here within the toil of day
the spark of dreamer takes its hold,
begs the boy not look away,
tho’ strain runs deep in winter’s cold,
and pleads to dream beyond such cares,
to hold in hand all virtue’s wares.
Sonnet III – Struggle
To hold in hand all virtue’s wares
he scoffs at such inside this fate,
curses that not one star cares
nor grants him more than gifts in hate
that stem from pompous masters,
that coldly leave his scars and burns
that drain his hope in thatch and plasters
within the trades he hates, but learns.
Yet quietly does his courage hide
within the fabric of his heart
that lends acceptance where deride
the work he does in place and part.
For deep within some spark is born,
yet for truth might still be torn.
Sonnet IV –Love
Yet for truth might still be torn,
tis love that slowly bends his heart.
By virtues steal and passion born
he dreams of one, and hopes the part.
Yet fancy free is she, he spies,
determined to her eyes impress,
through courage show, yet truth decries
his poverty witnessed in his dress.
Tho’ she’s captured in his smile
she knows no way to meet,
as she is king’s and fortune’s child,
so certain seems her hope’s defeat,
for to her stead and stage be true,
counted royal blood in blue.
Sonnet V – Amiss
Counted royal blood in blue.
he slowly comes to know her name.
The princess?!! How could this be true?
So to his cursed stars lays blame.
“What manifest of hope is this
that drains my very heart life’s blood?
When true love granted found amiss,
my stars, my fate is serpent’s blood!”
Yet strength in spirit pure and strong,
he holds to values truth and kind,
hopes still she feels and so does long
to one day be the love he’ll find.
Yet hers in marble stone and wood,
upon ancestors’ greatness stood.
Sonnet VI – Fate
Upon ancestors’ greatness stood
the core of king and valiant knight,
where truth and valor granted good
the courage favored through the fight.
Upon a thatched and chimneyed roof
assassin’s arrows were aimed with care
in hopes to kill the king on hoof
as paraded in the courtyard square.
Yet here with purposed work in hand
his stars set blade smith skills to bear
that caught in eye, assassin’s band,
undone before all witness there.
“Dear king, my service bound to you,
by life and living, impure or true”.
Sonnet VII – Knight
By life and living, impure or true
the king indebted for his life,
granted knighthood to this son
and gave his daughter’s hand, as wife.
Amazing stars that bend and tell
the story of this poor boys plight,
that brought a heaven from his hell
and granted him his dream of knight.
Be known that he was more than man,
as came to lead a legion’s war,
respect and love at comrade’s hand
propelled in honor something more.
Yet love for those by which he stood
left dead in battlefield or wood.
Sonnet VIII – Battle
Left dead in battlefield or wood
were sons and fathers, honest men,
that through each death he understood
the pain of war and battle’s sin.
Into his soul grew great remorse
that questioned why a tyrant’s pride
would rise to steal, or plot a course
to enslave or kill where freedom’s cried!
Till standing tall against the burn
of blackened hate and tyrant’s rage,
his sword raised that all would return,
laid hate to waste, with final page!
His mortal wounds defined it all,
truth and valor stood one tall.
Sonnet IX – Death
Truth and valor stood one tall
that free men could denounce the reign
of selfish rage against the call
to live in peace and truth again.
By mortal wound his breathing faint
at deathbed with his wife and love,
blessed by heaven’s stars and saint,
he gave his last to God above,
“I am just a mortal man,
a simple child of your soul,
granted truths to understand
and find the purpose in this role”
Thus passed in arms of true love’s wife,
that songs of glory blessed his life.
Sonnet X – Honor
That songs of glory blessed his life,
they sung throughout the village square.
Where now his saddened love and wife
was gathered with her father there.
His honor held in victor’s glory
through poems spoke ripe on every lip.
His duty blessed in valiant story
called from mead and every sip.
Yet still memorial must be true
and captured in the point of light
where what was shared between these two
would timeless stand for honored knight.
So lastly stood in canvas’d call,
in portrait’s frame and honored hall.
Sonnet XI – The Portrait
In portrait’s frame and honored hall,
commissioned from the artist’s hand
that knew the boy when once was small,
now knight and honored o’er the land.
With gentle stroke and greatest care,
through eye of love and pigment pure,
brought to life the noble pair,
brought to heart this greatest cure,
that once beheld by king and queen,
once revealed in public square,
could only hold what true loves glean
when hand in hand, ascending there
on stars of love and sweep of life,
ennobled with his queen, his wife.
Sonnet XII – Legacy
Ennobled with his queen, his wife,
in portrait’s honored canvas mount,
granted all great hope for life
to strive beyond the simple count
of stars cast far in fate’s lone sky,
to rise to what is great in each,
to never falter or question why,
but rise in spirit and stretch in reach.
For theirs was more than glory,
more than songs and honor’s dove.
Theirs was one of life’s true story
cast from hope and truest love,
that in the couples’ eyes of mirth,
here all shall know his honest worth.
Sonnet XIII – Promise
Here all shall know his honest worth
much more than any since before,
as his was granted by his birth
and by the stars from which he tore
a path against what laws had deemed,
a chance to fight for heart’s desire,
the strength to rise when hope it seemed
abandoned heart and life’s bright fire.
Yet here his echo lingers on,
cast that all may rise in same,
that we can fill our fate’s sweet song
and to our better stars lay claim.
So count our souls in honest worth,
by values truth through death, from birth.
Sonnet XIV – The Calling
By values truth through death, from birth
we stand to do what’s right.
In such, our voice knows true its worth,
that with that truth we stand to fight
as free men in a world of hate
where tyranny must surely fall,
and loves be lain at heaven’s gate
when heaven proudly gives the call,
that we are bound to life in love,
that we are here to give and learn,
that guided by sweet heaven’s dove
will stand in place, will stand in turn
bestowed with honor’s glory there,
herald kings in knightly squares…
Sonnet XV – Crown
Herald kings in knightly squares
there through their very nature, born
to hold in hand all virtue’s wares
that for truth might still be torn.
Counted royal blood in blue
upon ancestors’ greatness stood,
by life and living, impure or true
left dead in battlefield or wood.
Yet truth and valor stood one tall
that songs of glory blessed his life.
In portrait’s frame and honored hall
ennobled with his queen, his wife.
Here all shall know his honest worth
by values truth through death, from birth.
jaybluepoems 