Bess
A Burning Desire27 total reviews
Comment from Mitchell Brontė
A unique take on romance here Tony, maybe a tadge pushing it to the boundaries of love, more of lust me thinks, but then things were different then I guess.
Very well written and thoroughly enjoyable.
Mitchell
reply by the author on 17-Feb-2018
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A unique take on romance here Tony, maybe a tadge pushing it to the boundaries of love, more of lust me thinks, but then things were different then I guess.
Very well written and thoroughly enjoyable.
Mitchell
Comment Written 17-Feb-2018
reply by the author on 17-Feb-2018
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Definitely more lust than love, though sometimes the one leads to the other!
Comment from Sis Cat
Wow, Tony, this is a phenomenal and profound romantic poem. I just finished reading Miller's The Crucible where I learned that hanging was the common form of execution of accused witches in Salem. You are right . . . burning is a more romantic notion for our imagination.
Your poem is infused with tenderness and brutality as in this passge:
He takes her in his arms, into the byre
where soon she lies spreadeagled, cruciform.
Oh, how awful and sensual.
Your wording with a penchant for Middle English engages my ear and tongue. The image of struggling, burning Bess was haunting:
As Bess and Ashe perform their puppet play,
they squirm, as do these frogs in seep and slime,
You end your poem with a question and with condemnation:
And did the red star frown when he gazed down
and did he think that love like this was wrong,
as did the men from nearby Chelmsford town
who burnt poor Bess before a gawking throng?
Magnificent, intense, dense, and well researched and imagined. Thank you for sharing. I with you much success with this fine entry.
reply by the author on 16-Feb-2018
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Wow, Tony, this is a phenomenal and profound romantic poem. I just finished reading Miller's The Crucible where I learned that hanging was the common form of execution of accused witches in Salem. You are right . . . burning is a more romantic notion for our imagination.
Your poem is infused with tenderness and brutality as in this passge:
He takes her in his arms, into the byre
where soon she lies spreadeagled, cruciform.
Oh, how awful and sensual.
Your wording with a penchant for Middle English engages my ear and tongue. The image of struggling, burning Bess was haunting:
As Bess and Ashe perform their puppet play,
they squirm, as do these frogs in seep and slime,
You end your poem with a question and with condemnation:
And did the red star frown when he gazed down
and did he think that love like this was wrong,
as did the men from nearby Chelmsford town
who burnt poor Bess before a gawking throng?
Magnificent, intense, dense, and well researched and imagined. Thank you for sharing. I with you much success with this fine entry.
Comment Written 16-Feb-2018
reply by the author on 16-Feb-2018
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Very many thanks for reviewing this, Andre - especially now that it is no longer actively posted. I very much appreciate your detailed commentary. Best wishes, Tony
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What I learned from your poem is worth more than the two cents I earned reviewing it.
Comment from brenda bickers
Hi Tony,
I wish I had a six left.
This is my kind of poetry. I love history, the era you choose to write about and Shakespearian style poetry so you have ticked all my boxes. Wonderfully descriptive and very well researched. I loved the rhythm and rhyming in this one and the artwork is just perfect. What's not to like.
Good luck in the contest.
Brenda:))X
reply by the author on 16-Feb-2018
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Hi Tony,
I wish I had a six left.
This is my kind of poetry. I love history, the era you choose to write about and Shakespearian style poetry so you have ticked all my boxes. Wonderfully descriptive and very well researched. I loved the rhythm and rhyming in this one and the artwork is just perfect. What's not to like.
Good luck in the contest.
Brenda:))X
Comment Written 15-Feb-2018
reply by the author on 16-Feb-2018
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Very many thanks, Brenda, for this lovely review. All the best, Tony
Comment from Dolly'sPoems
A chilling write and thank goodness such activities don't happen today! We have come a long way since burning witches. Your write is rich with passion and also treachery and terror! Like an historical write, superbly written with great rhymes, good luck with the love contest, love Dolly x
reply by the author on 16-Feb-2018
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A chilling write and thank goodness such activities don't happen today! We have come a long way since burning witches. Your write is rich with passion and also treachery and terror! Like an historical write, superbly written with great rhymes, good luck with the love contest, love Dolly x
Comment Written 15-Feb-2018
reply by the author on 16-Feb-2018
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Very many thanks, Dolly, for your most welcome review and comments. All the best, Tony
Comment from Shirley E Kennedy
Hi Tony,
It seems like such a lot of historical research prompted this fine tale.
History, whilst captivating, sometimes seems to drown enthusiasm by the researcher but... not in this case.
You have crafted a fine historic poem y intertwining some fact and some fiction.
Quite an interesting and awesome feat.
:-) Shirley
reply by the author on 16-Feb-2018
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Hi Tony,
It seems like such a lot of historical research prompted this fine tale.
History, whilst captivating, sometimes seems to drown enthusiasm by the researcher but... not in this case.
You have crafted a fine historic poem y intertwining some fact and some fiction.
Quite an interesting and awesome feat.
:-) Shirley
Comment Written 14-Feb-2018
reply by the author on 16-Feb-2018
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Very many thanks, Shirley, for this lovely review. All the best, Tony
Comment from CD Richards
An incredibly well-researched and well-presented fictional story in a poem. Even the title is great dark humour at poor Bess's expense. The part that eludes me is how we get Ashe from Andrew. But that's neither here nor there. Brilliant job, Tony, in a style which only you (as far as I'm aware) among FS contributors could pull off.
Was I going to enter this contest? I don't recall, but if I was, scratch that idea!
Great job,
Craig
reply by the author on 14-Feb-2018
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An incredibly well-researched and well-presented fictional story in a poem. Even the title is great dark humour at poor Bess's expense. The part that eludes me is how we get Ashe from Andrew. But that's neither here nor there. Brilliant job, Tony, in a style which only you (as far as I'm aware) among FS contributors could pull off.
Was I going to enter this contest? I don't recall, but if I was, scratch that idea!
Great job,
Craig
Comment Written 14-Feb-2018
reply by the author on 14-Feb-2018
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Glad you enjoyed this one, Craig, and thanks very much for the six stars. Ashe was a bit of poetic license, it fitting in rather well with the theme of fire, not to mention being a one syllable name!
Comment from IndianaIrish
An entertaining love story, Tony, and I appreciate your time for sharing all the information in your notes. You're such a talented poet, and I'm in awe with the words you find to rhyme. It's a delight to read your talentented poetry. Best wishes.
Smiles,
Karyn :-)
reply by the author on 16-Feb-2018
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An entertaining love story, Tony, and I appreciate your time for sharing all the information in your notes. You're such a talented poet, and I'm in awe with the words you find to rhyme. It's a delight to read your talentented poetry. Best wishes.
Smiles,
Karyn :-)
Comment Written 14-Feb-2018
reply by the author on 16-Feb-2018
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Very many thanks, Karyn, for this lovely review. All the best, Tony
Comment from Wabigoon
I will respond to this PM. Tony, this seems more coherent than it did in Journal form.I am not at all sure I "get it." I ned to add more so I will finish this PM
Wabigoon/Jeff
reply by the author on 16-Feb-2018
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I will respond to this PM. Tony, this seems more coherent than it did in Journal form.I am not at all sure I "get it." I ned to add more so I will finish this PM
Wabigoon/Jeff
Comment Written 14-Feb-2018
reply by the author on 16-Feb-2018
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Many thanks, Jeff, for this, for the six stars and for your more detailed comments in PM. All much appreciated. Tony
Comment from Sandra du Plessis
A very well-written fictional story mixed with some facts and historical events. It seems to take time to research everything to make it an incredible love story/poem that ended in tragedy.
reply by the author on 16-Feb-2018
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A very well-written fictional story mixed with some facts and historical events. It seems to take time to research everything to make it an incredible love story/poem that ended in tragedy.
Comment Written 14-Feb-2018
reply by the author on 16-Feb-2018
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Very many thanks, Sandra, for your review and comments. All the best, Tony
Comment from Dorothy Farrell
Wow! Tony, this is a Love poem contest, not a Lust poem LOL. Extremely well written with loads of passion that even the firmament is shaken.
He takes her in his arms, into the byre
where soon she lies spreadeagled, cruciform....
His whispered words of lust ignite her fire,
till ecstasy lights flames to keep her warm... good, and very explicit, but not very comfortable for Bess - cruciform? LOL!
Excellent final stanza. That's what they did to naughty girls back then.
Seriously, this is a brilliant piece of writing and I always kick myself that I have spent my funny money on lesser. Nothing sloppy or over sentimental here.
Good luck in the contest. Dorothy
reply by the author on 16-Feb-2018
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Wow! Tony, this is a Love poem contest, not a Lust poem LOL. Extremely well written with loads of passion that even the firmament is shaken.
He takes her in his arms, into the byre
where soon she lies spreadeagled, cruciform....
His whispered words of lust ignite her fire,
till ecstasy lights flames to keep her warm... good, and very explicit, but not very comfortable for Bess - cruciform? LOL!
Excellent final stanza. That's what they did to naughty girls back then.
Seriously, this is a brilliant piece of writing and I always kick myself that I have spent my funny money on lesser. Nothing sloppy or over sentimental here.
Good luck in the contest. Dorothy
Comment Written 14-Feb-2018
reply by the author on 16-Feb-2018
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Very many thanks, Dorothy, for this lovely review. Yes, this is perhaps more a poem of lust than of love! All the best, Tony
