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I Hereby Crown Thee ...

Viewing comments for Chapter 4 "By Nightmare's Dark Decree"
A collection of crowns of sonnets

115 total reviews 
Comment from alexgardiner
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

If I ever penned a poem like this in the Scottish vernacular not one git would ever understand me:(

I have read all the reviews on this poem so what I could add would be superfluous. It certainly is a show stopper from beginning to end.If I could rid you of this nightmare I would gladly do so, however here is a miserable six to be going on with.
Thanks for the challenge although I would never like to view this poem in my mind's eye:(:(:(:(:(:(
The Auld Yin.

 Comment Written 18-Jul-2011


reply by the author on 18-Jul-2011
    I hear you, mate. I've been scolded on here just for using obscure words, never mind Scottish dialect! Of course, it doesn't stop me, and I know it doesn't you, either! Thank you for the special rating :-). I sometimes wish I'd never had this dream, but it made for a solid poem so there's a bright side.

    Mike
Comment from Whym
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

This is fantastic work. I'm a little shocked, actually...I have a dream that fits within your words in a way that's a bit frightening. I didn't read your authors notes until the end, and I read all the way through thinking:

whoooooa...this describes things I barely want to think about.

Very well written. Haunting beyond belief.

 Comment Written 18-Jul-2011


reply by the author on 18-Jul-2011
    Thank you, Whym. I've always found the obscure dreams most frightening, because their terror is a mystery and therefore difficult to explain never mind solve. Why are those cardboard boxes such sympathetic articles, and what about their placing on the road makes them so vulnerable? Through all the elements I described, the one common theme is helplessness. Perhaps that is the greatest fear of all.

    Thanks for reading :-).

    Mike
Comment from rchitwood
Excellent
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Very worth while I really enjoyed reading your poem and I thought it was really sad.It is always bad when repulsive
Liquid goes into your veins,Good structure and very creative strong emotional images.The photo is aweson.Blessings Rita

 Comment Written 17-Jul-2011


reply by the author on 18-Jul-2011
    Thank you, Rita :-). This one's been at me since I was very young, but it's thankfully rare nowadays. I'm so glad you liked it.

    Mike
Comment from amahra
Excellent
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I liked the artwork you chose; I thought it went well with the writing. I really liked the poem for its rhyming and for its awesome rhythm. You did use a lot of words I had not know which was good for my vocabulary upgrade.

 Comment Written 17-Jul-2011


reply by the author on 18-Jul-2011
    Thank you :-). I am ablittle in love with unusual words, and they came in handy whej trying to describe this old chestnut of a dream.

    Mike
Comment from The Stranger
Excellent
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Mike. you almost share the same nightmare as I, the similarities are pretty eerie, particularly the hole where you feel you are being dragged, I have the same ghoulish image too

 Comment Written 17-Jul-2011


reply by the author on 18-Jul-2011
    You're the second reviewer to find some of this familiar - I find that fascinating. For me, the running theme through all the elements is helplessness, which I find terrifying. Thank you for reading through and sharing your thoughts with me :-).

    Mike
Comment from Tawnyowl
Excellent
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This is quite nightmarish and reads quite eloquently through perspicacious use of language. It is quite harrowing to read and this comes though very well by its insistent rhythm which propels the poem forward. It tells of sordid problems that are a real nightmare.

 Comment Written 17-Jul-2011


reply by the author on 18-Jul-2011
    Thank you, Tawny :-). I'm glad you got into this one; I love using unusual words and this was a perfect excuse!

    Mike
Comment from denhagan
Excellent
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This is a very interesting Crown of Sonnets set of seven sonnets poem, about the author's recurring nightmare, written with excellent iambic pentameter and rhyming throughout the poem.

 Comment Written 17-Jul-2011


reply by the author on 18-Jul-2011
    Thank you, D :-). I'm glad you enjoyed the read.

    Mike
reply by denhagan on 19-Jul-2011
    You're welcome. Dennis
Comment from cjvaughn
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

Wow! Exceptional in every way. I'm not any kind of poetry expert, but this was amazing to read. The descriptions leaped from the page and took shape in all of my senses. Fantastic flow, easy to follow and full of emotion. It was almost a story in the way its told. So many lines to chose from, but these really drew me in:

These devil's tunes, to which I click my heels
with unforced, sly irreverence and fear,
are melodies to rob my fervour's steel
with repetitious horror without peer.

And so, as dawn emancipates my thoughts
with fresh arrears to pay as hours caress
all egos as they stroke with passings bought
by purpose, I will finally confess

the haunted landscape where night terrors stride,
the nightmares that may leave me petrified.

A great read. Your style reminds me of sonnets we studied in high school and college. You're incrediably talented and it was my pleasure to read this. CJ

 Comment Written 17-Jul-2011


reply by the author on 18-Jul-2011
    CJ, thank you for a most awesome review :-). You've really given me a big smile as I ride the train to work this morning. I'm so glad you liked it!

    Mike
Comment from J. P. Egry
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

You have created and elegant and sophisticated poem from the unnerving experience of recurring nightmares. The use of sonnet form for several continuing sections makes the structure strong and cohesive--and especially when you re-use a line in the next section. The repetition of the first line at the end bring the poem around full circle--always a good technique. I, too am a full-time dreamer when I am trying to get beneficial sleep--often recurring nightmares--not just one, but several. I think you deserve recognition for the marvelous job you've done with this. And I hope by getting the images all out on paper, your nightmares will cease.

 Comment Written 17-Jul-2011


reply by the author on 18-Jul-2011
    Thank you, J P. I'm honoured by the special rating and fantastic comments. This has plagued me since childhood with its ghostly images of helplessness, though thankfully not so much in recent years. I put that down to writing all the poetry - exorcising the demons, as it were.

    Mike
reply by J. P. Egry on 18-Jul-2011
    I hope the demons are exorcised and that you receive peaceful sleep. Your poem was excellent.
Comment from judiverse
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

Fleedleflump. This is kind of a painful thing to read. Your rhyme and meter seem perfect and the word choice couldn't be better. The description of the dream is visually striking. Razor fence and ocean full of stone are some good ones. It's an unsettling nightmare, for sure, and it becomes strikingly clear to the reader. Powerful stuff. I tend to forget dreams. If they're like that one, glad I do. You achieved your purpose of successfully putting into verse. judiverse

 Comment Written 17-Jul-2011


reply by the author on 18-Jul-2011
    Thank you, Judi :-). I very rarely remember dreams myself, unlike my wife, who dreams intricate plots! However, this one sticks with me and I always know when I've had it. It's a lot less common in recent years, for which I am profoundly grateful!

    Mike