Next weekend marks the start of the May Day bank holiday in the UK, while in other parts of the world we celebrate International Workers’ Day or Labour Day. In honour of this, and in recognition of the emergency on planet earth, I will be holding a Sonnet Sunday on 2 May on the theme of ‘Mayday.’ As you are probably aware, ‘Mayday’ is an aviation distress call, derived from the French m’aidez meaning ‘help me!’
To take part, write a sonnet and link up to my first post that day. You can also email your sonnet to experimentsinfiction@protonmail.com for a chance to have it featured on this site. It can be about Mayday on planet earth, worker’s rights, or anything else you can think of relating to the theme of ‘Mayday.’ You can also link up an old sonnet if you have anything which fits the theme. I want to continue to raise awareness of the climate and biodiversity crisis while I prepare The Anthropocene Hymnal for publication. I do hope you can take part!
This is by no means a competition, but I am looking for traditional Shakespearian sonnets (14 lines Iambic pentameter with each alternate line rhyming, ending on a volta with a rhyming couplet.) Your challenge is to write a traditional form on a contemporary theme:
Mayday for Earthlings
at our peril we ignore
this call to action.
You lost me at sonnet to be honest. I am clueless and didn’t know about how many words etc you should use for certain types. I have a lot to learn!
Think ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day’ and change the words 😅
Oh right….. I think!
Ahha classic tip!
Give Shakespeare sonnets a Google for some good classic examples.
Sounds great, Ingrid!
Thanks Merril 😊