Football for poets
Jun. 16th, 2010 12:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pallas_athenaIt was all the quidnunc kid's fault.
It was he who, in this MetaFilter thread, proposed a bet on the England/USA World Cup game: loser to write a sonnet in praise of the winner's nation.
Personally, I think he must have been inspired by Insomnia, Muse Of Amazing Ideas That Come To You At Around 4 In The Morning When All You Want To Do Is Sleeeeeep. That's the level of genius we're talking here. This scheme makes football interesting to poets. It also meant the Universe got to behold the beautiful spectacle of Quid grinding out a fourteen-line encomium to the nation that beat his birthplace 4-0.
For the full sonnet duel, including two by me, I refer you to the MetaFilter thread. In the meantime, I'll shamelessly steal Quid's idea and run with it. Who'll bet? Name your match, name the winner, and you're on. Fixtures here.
(Even if you don't usually write poetry, feel free to join in... nobody said it had to be a good sonnet, right?)
It was he who, in this MetaFilter thread, proposed a bet on the England/USA World Cup game: loser to write a sonnet in praise of the winner's nation.
Personally, I think he must have been inspired by Insomnia, Muse Of Amazing Ideas That Come To You At Around 4 In The Morning When All You Want To Do Is Sleeeeeep. That's the level of genius we're talking here. This scheme makes football interesting to poets. It also meant the Universe got to behold the beautiful spectacle of Quid grinding out a fourteen-line encomium to the nation that beat his birthplace 4-0.
For the full sonnet duel, including two by me, I refer you to the MetaFilter thread. In the meantime, I'll shamelessly steal Quid's idea and run with it. Who'll bet? Name your match, name the winner, and you're on. Fixtures here.
(Even if you don't usually write poetry, feel free to join in... nobody said it had to be a good sonnet, right?)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
on 2010-06-16 03:52 am (UTC)...with particular props for:
"...let not thy mouth
Embroil thee in a scrap thine arse can't handle.
('Tis thus we put it, somewhat west and south.)"
"in two short hours'
Hard-driving traffic of the small green stage"
and
"(Except koalas. They're OK, at least.)"
:)
no subject
on 2010-06-18 08:41 am (UTC)no subject
on 2010-06-16 02:45 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2010-06-18 08:43 am (UTC)You, too, are a divinely inspired rhymester!
no subject
on 2010-06-16 02:48 pm (UTC)HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
no subject
on 2010-06-16 04:34 pm (UTC)First let me check I understand aright:
The loser’s champion, when the game is through
Shall pen a sonnet of the winner’s might?
Are Shakespeare, Spenser or Italian meet?
Or don’t you care, so long as it doth scan?
(Though if the French do Mexico defeat
I’d hope for poésie Alexandrian!)
Well then, let’s wager Sunday’s Brazil game
‘gainst Cote d’Ivoire; methinks Brazil will win
Though losing to the champions is no shame
I’m hoping Drogba’s putting great goals in.
Et si Les Eléphants sont formidables
Your praise of them must be redoubtable!
no subject
on 2010-06-17 07:40 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2010-06-18 04:41 pm (UTC)* You're a Cyrano groupie, so loser's encomium in Alexandrines / Rostand style, English or French, rather than a sonnet :-)
Oui ou non?
no subject
on 2010-06-20 11:00 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2010-06-22 04:42 pm (UTC)I was right that Brazil would beat Cote d'Ivoire, so that's your sonnet of admiration for Brazil, but France have failed, so that's me praising South Africa. I shall have to start thinking . . .
South Africa
on 2010-06-23 04:41 pm (UTC)Let vuvuzelas bray, blaring their joy en masse
(performing quite by chance a work by Philip Glass)
The rainbow nation wins. Ok, success too late,
But better late than never; winning still feels great.
Scoring not once but twice against the mighty Bleus
(and last sixteen, if only Mexico would lose).
With players but little known, South Africa pressed on
Against a French team stars in Europe every one
But stars whose fires were dim, indifferent to their fate,
The home fans roar them on, the nation can but wait
As ninety minutes tick by, their tournament then done
But praise and joy abound ‘cos at the last: they won!
Having the extra two syllables does help, with vuvuzela ;->
ça suffit?
Re: South Africa
on 2010-06-24 08:52 pm (UTC)Sonnet (totally not from the Portuguese)
on 2010-06-24 10:25 pm (UTC)The young and lovely grow up tan and tall
On custard tarts and feijoada stew,
Becoming mighty footers of the ball.
On that sun-warmed greensward where nations meet,
The sons of high Brazil none may withstand;
The chequered leather dances at their feet,
And from the net is stayed by outstretch'd hand.
All other nations quail when they do hear
The samba sound, and hold their manhoods cheap:
Their forwards fall; defenders die for fear;
The goal's great gate the keeper cannot keep.
O leave the field! In vain is all your skill,
For only gods could ever beat Brazil.
Re: Sonnet (totally not from the Portuguese)
on 2010-06-25 11:46 am (UTC)Re: Sonnet (totally not from the Portuguese)
on 2010-06-25 11:50 am (UTC)no subject
on 2010-06-18 12:18 am (UTC)no subject
on 2010-06-18 08:44 am (UTC)It'll be Munich all over again.
on 2010-06-27 08:27 am (UTC)Shall I compare them to Mercedes-Benz?
Just as that auto, so this German team;
Efficiency admired by foes and friends,
Epitomising the Teutonic Dream.
And yet there's some of us who, driving Mercs,
Have noticed recent cracks in this facade;
Malfunctions, errors, unexpected quirks -
5-1 in Munich, Klose's yellow card...
Capello's Morris Minor stuttered through the group,
A rusty banger, difficult to drive,
But flickering headlights still shine through the soup,
Somehow that sputtering engine's still alive;
And if ill fate drives this match to the wire,
One thing's for sure - the penalties are dire.
Re: It'll be Munich all over again.
on 2010-06-27 08:29 am (UTC)Re: It'll be Munich all over again.
on 2010-06-27 09:13 am (UTC)Replace by "Austin" or "Escort" ad libitum.
Re: It'll be Munich all over again.
on 2010-06-27 09:16 am (UTC)Re: It'll be Munich all over again.
on 2010-06-27 09:21 am (UTC)Next time people whinge about the makeup of the England cricket team...