On The Passing Of Royalty

Arise! Come stand beside your king!

Arise! Let foemen rue this day!

Renown, for heroes, battles bring!

Of other men, I cannot say.

Now Northmen! Follow to the fray!

Regard this gentle lady in her dim repose

Under a darkened sky, she waits to rise once more.

She, who Kings and Queens of other lands once chose

To rule them on that distant southern shore.

Icicles, her wintry reign was thought to bring.

Queen of snows. Her home a land of northern wastes.

Under that summer sky, her northern light did ring!

Empress, even for a night, was to her taste.

[1] Elegy – from the greek – elegia “Lament”. The thought process for this series of Acrostics was to present a common, binding idea with which I could present a series of lineage poems. That said, some directly reflect the person, while others are simply ideas inspired by some aspect of their reign.

[1] David’s poem is simple rhyming couplets in Iambic Pentameter with an end-cap. A common practice throughout the medieval period for acrostics or 5 line poems. Elina’s poem is a heroic quatrain with an end cap rhyme. Also a common period usage fo 5 line poems

[1] Thorbjorn’s poem is an example of early Irish poetics based on the style of the Incantation of Amergin. To my knowledge, it was never used for Acrostics. Caitlin’s poem is an example of Rhyme Royal. A fitting and well known medieval form composed of seven lines of Iambic Pentameter rhymed ababbcc. The final offer for Os is a modern example and is here only as a tribute.

[2] Kildare’s poem is another example of Rhyme Royal. Josephine’s acrostic is free verse. A modern style, but quite effective in proclamatory poetry.

[3] Edouard’s poem is yet another example of rhyme royal. A theme I used for most of the seven letter names of our Kings and Queens (as it seems somehow fitting). Eanor’s poem has been done using heptameter, a line style used by both Renaissance Poets and playwrights in the form of a ‘fourteener’. Shakespeare uses it to comic effect in the “Pyramus and Thisbe” section of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and it is similar in many ways to the 8/6 syllable structure of English Ballads.

[4] Berus’ poem is simple rhyming couplets with an end cap. Both of Marion’s Poems are examples of sexain (sometimes called sextain or sextet). A period form of heroic quatrain with an end cap couplet, used mostly in the middle ages for love poetry (Now referred to as a “Venus and Adonis” Stanza after Shakespeare’s work.) and Ellegy. It seemed fitting here.

[5] Roak’s poem is based on an adaptation of the rhyming quatrain, and (accoriding to the Princeton encyclopedia of poetry and poetics) was commonly used in the middle ages as an epigrammatic utterance. The ‘aaaa’ rhyme scheme is unusual, but not unheard of. Carlotta’s poem is simple 4 pairs of heroic couplets in Iambic Tetrameter (8 counted syllables).

[6] Berus’ poem is simple rhyming couplets with an end cap. Both of Marion’s Poems are examples of sexain (sometimes called sextain or sextet). A period form of heroic quatrain with an end cap couplet, used mostly in the middle ages for love poetry (Now referred to as a “Venus and Adonis” Stanza after Shakespeare’s work.) and Ellegy. It seemed fitting here.

[7] Roak’s poem is based on an adaptation of the rhyming quatrain, and (accoriding to the Princeton encyclopedia of poetry and poetics) was commonly used in the middle ages as an epigrammatic utterance. The ‘aaaa’ rhyme scheme is unusual, but not unheard of. Carlotta’s poem is simple 4 pairs of heroic couplets in Iambic Tetrameter (8 counted syllables).