...people in the summertime want sonnets...

Had to renew the library card, since they won't leave it active if you don't show up for a year. Snagged anything interesting in the New Books section near the check out counter so I didn't have to make a circuit through the tenseness of the place. For some reason the adult floor has this almost stunning expectancy in the air. It's not an inviting place and I don't think it's the decor. It has the periodicals, so the guys come out and park there - I'm sure saving a hundred bucks going that route.

Grabbed "The Art of the Sonnet" (2010) by Stephan Burt and David Mikics. I was just happy to see something that was worlds apart from the intellectually anemic book sections of Walmart or Target (I know who buys those books, so they are surely filling its intended need). "Sonnet" is a survey of the poetic form from 1557 to 2009 taking examples and lightly explaining their essence and place historically. The sections are only a few pages per each sonnet, like little petit'fours, always done with a great appreciation of this specially appointment closet of writing.

Of particular interest to me was the Petrarch tradition and how much like a song in its native Italian:

"Nessun mi tocchi," al bel collo d'intorno

scritto avea di diamanti et di topazi.

"Libera farmi al mio Cesare parve." - Poem 190"A pure white hind..." 'The Canzoniere'

["No one touch me": around her beautiful neck

this was written in diamond and topaz.

"It pleased my Caesar to set me free."]

Then, to my poetry stand-by book ("Poetic Meter and Poetic Form" (1965), Paul Fussell, Jr.). This was found in the old Book Baron in Anaheim (now gone to make way for another Latin grocery store, can't have enough apparently). "Writing a good Petrarchan sonnet is difficult; writing a superb one is all but impossible."

Having put myself through the ringer to pound one of these out, and acknowledging how they easily fall short, sonnets are a pain in the ass. But, in their way, extremely addictive to wrangle with. Arranging words in one way, putting the stressed notes here, less forced quatrain development (or at least, attempting to make it look less forced) - how many frustrating moments spent seeing that desired thought in one's mind, only to fail miserably in describing it well.

I recommend "The Art of the Sonnet", with a bit of rich chocolate, and equally rich Andy Williams. Now back to assuming I know what I'm doing over here.