Very much enjoyed reading this. And the examples from Shakespeare and Bishop are both great. I got to thinking of another of Will’s sonnets, #29: “Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, / Haply I think on thee, and then my state.” The “yet” comes at the start of line 9. Is that still an example of a Volta if it comes in the middle of the poem?
This is a lovely piece! I don’t write very much poetry… but I think one of the reasons when I do write poetry it never seems to be very good is because I never mastered (or even managed, I suppose) a volta, even on the surprise-the-reader level, let alone the emotional-core level!
Very much enjoyed reading this. And the examples from Shakespeare and Bishop are both great. I got to thinking of another of Will’s sonnets, #29: “Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, / Haply I think on thee, and then my state.” The “yet” comes at the start of line 9. Is that still an example of a Volta if it comes in the middle of the poem?
I would think so
I think so too.
Ok, that’s two poetry authorities I trust, so… I would now think so too 😃🙏☺️
This is so helpful. Many thanks!
This is a lovely piece! I don’t write very much poetry… but I think one of the reasons when I do write poetry it never seems to be very good is because I never mastered (or even managed, I suppose) a volta, even on the surprise-the-reader level, let alone the emotional-core level!
Ooooh I like the exercises! As a Shakespeare actor and poet, I’m so glad to find someone else who loves sonnets ☺️
This is excellent. I am jotting down the exercises to work on this week. Thank you!
That Elizabeth Bishop poem is such a powerful example of both the volta and the villanelle.