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Thunder Buffalo -Sonnet
John Keats (1795-1821) used elaborate choice of words and very sensational imagery. It is no wonder he is one of the main pioneers of England ‘s Romantic Movement. This sonnet follows Keats’s sonnet format with abcabdcabcdede rhyming scheme Keats was particular in his iambic pentameter rhyming scheme and structure of the entire sonnet .
A feathered ritual danced long ago;
she faintly heard the elders ancient call,
envisioned – living nature’s way of life.
The primal drone of thunder buffalo;.
abruptly crossing earthly hallow sprawl –
Lakota warriors on horseback dare.
Life’s rhymic cycle dawns, awakes the ear –
resounding earth’s cold tremble ‘neath white snow;
alerting wolves in winter’s bondage thrall.
She questioned, self-induced bewildered fear –
and clutches tight her sacred totem bear;
accepts her blood; the blood of native lore.
Today’s the day she’ll run with white-tail deer –
within the Shaman’s love, forever more.
☮TheMsLvh © 2011
“Poetry should surprise by a fine excess and not by singularity—it should strike the reader as a wording of his own highest thoughts, and appear almost a remembrance.”-John Keats
artist – Pam McCabe – Art.com
Summited to dVerse Poetry Pub
Summited to dVerse Poetry Pub
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Poets United
California Ink in Motion 
nice coming of age glimpse…used to go to the pow wow near our college and just take it in…nice cultural touches here as well…
thank you for the warm birthday wishes at dverse today!
Brian, Happy Birthday! I am happy you visited and commented. I am thrilled you could feel the cultural touches within this poem.
smiles thank you again and great to see you at OLN
I just love your dVerse Poet Pub! Classy joint you have there Brian!
What well-written piece you have here! I love the mystique of your imagery and how you’ve woven the words to come up with this beautiful poem. :-)
Irene
http://softvoiceofafreespirit.blogspot.com/2011/08/birth-of-sin.html
Irene, Thank you for visiting and reading this poem. I visited your link and loved your poem.
WOW! I am totally blown away by this – fantastic writing, a perfect sonnet, and a Lakota maiden. Sigh. I am replete.
Thanks Sherry, So glad you liked this. This started as a prompt poem and it morphed into this.
This has a ancient mystical feel to it and the word choices and imagery are superb. Beautifully written. Well done for a first sonnet :)
Thank you Norma, Happy you liked this. This was my first attempt to this scheme. I have written sonnets before, just not with this rhyming scheme, which proved to be a challange. which I enjoyed. Thank you again for visiting!
Wonderful poem………Enjoyed it very much….
I liked the line that says, “alerting wolves in winter’s bondage thrall.”
You are wonderful to comment on that line. Thank you
love it,
the pow wow culture is beautiful.
thanks for sharing.
A wonderful description of the early Lakota Sioux. A proud people, amazing horsemen, betrayed often by broken treaties and the white-man’s slaughter of the buffalo. When pushed off their promised government land, they fought, and fought well as Gen. Custer could attest.
A year or so ago, I researched the Lakota in preparation for a Western I was going to write. Only wrote about two chapters, but already a Lakota brave had become one of the main characters–not the way I’d planed it.
Thanks Mike, I was hoping to capture the feel. I am thrill you know about the history of the Lakota and Custer. They are still active fighting for their lands. They were offered millions of dollars and turned it down, they want their land!
Oh, yes, and congratulations on a sonnet with an impossible rhyming scheme. There are many more and I hope you write a poem in each form. That would be an accomplishment worthy of your talent.
Mike, it seems I am going down that path. This was a particular difficult rhyming scheme. I hope I did it justice.
A ardent Keats fan I deeply appreciate your effort. A superb topic theme and touching choice of words. A great effort with a commendable result.
anjum, I was hoping to hear from someone who admires Keats. Your comment means the world to me. Thank you very much!
May the Lakota continue their fight for their lands. I’m going to research links and maybe hook up with Mike (Web-wise, of course!) to see what a (choke) Mayflower descendent can do to help the Lakota. What my “tribe” of WASPs did to indigenous peoples seems to be the only genocide not discussed in schools.
Meantime, this is a gorgeous sonnet. I’m not a “forms” writer, and so I appreciate all the more those who honor form, honor Keats, and honor the tradition of more formal poetry. It also turns on itself, that an “English” form is used to describe the Lakota and the Lakota woman triumphs. Thank you, Ms. L. Peace, Amy
My dverse: http://sharplittlepencil.wordpress.com/2011/08/23/box-room/
Thanks Amy for a great comment. I am off to read your linked poem. I like reading non-form poems, for I am trying to get a feel for free verse, and yours are ones that I can read and relate to.
Very well crafted sonnet, and also very effective. You got us inside your character, feeling her feelings. Lovely artwork, as well.
Great rhyme scheme and such wonderful word play. Brilliant piece!
This is, IMHO, quite a stunning write! Your capture of the Native culture is fantastic and one that has held my interest for many years. The imagery is fantastic, and the form, from what I understand of it, is near perfection. Nice write, Poet! Happy OpenLinkNight! :)
tashtoo, I love your HO! This was a poem that morphed from a prompt. Sort of took on a life of it’s own. Thank you for the wonderful comment!
Very nice images and form (you do it so effortlessly). I like the native culture and touches as well.
Heaven, Thank you for your comment. Actually this rhyming scheme was a challange, which I loved. I just read your tanka and loved it btw!
Great imagery ….you capture in a beautiful way .
Enjoyed this so much. Beautiful form and enjoyed the Native American flair of this.
This sonnet sets up a harmony with its words which work almost spell like. So interesting you could fashion this in such a British form and meter and yield such an American nay almost primal experience. Beautifully crafted, deeply emotional, spell binding. G.
very, very lovely sonnet about a culture that is unknown to me.
Sonnets are hard, but you did a marvelous job and the imagery is so good. Haunting.
Lady Nyo
i think you captured a piece of native american culture very nicely in your beautiful sonnet here…enjoyed it..
Thank you Claudia.
great poetic story telling thank you for sharing x
striking poetry, it is not often I come across native American folklore this was a pleasure to read and you chose a perfect rhyme scheme for it!
very moving and telling. Today she will run with the hunted. A great piece on growing up and awareness. Superb!
A lovely sonnet. The form was intriguing and well mastered.
Thanks for a great read.
Thank you for sharing, adding Keats to the list now :)
I very much like the spirit of this.
What strikes me most about this poem is the combination of the traditional sonnet form, an essentially European style, with the subject matter. The result is outstanding.
Beautiful Sonnet!! loved each word..
Uma, So haapy you enjoyed this sonnet.
This is amazing, a big round of applause indeed, :) Brilliant and Beautiful Poem.
Thank you, much appreciated, WS
Thanks John. I admire your work and comments like this from you are very appreicated.