For many people at least here in Manitoba, Spring seems to be their favorite season—both in the literal and figurative sense. Literally, Spring means the weather is not very cold anymore compared with the frigid Winter; and figuratively, since that this season is associated also with the blossoming of flowers, the greening of plants, and the sprouting of the leaves of trees, Spring has come to symbolize hope, new life, and positive anticipation.
Back in 2004, my first year in Canada, when I was doing practically nothing but take care of my late maternal grandfather, I spent much of my evenings and late nights listening to music and writing poetry. I was in Surrey, British Columbia, when I experienced my first Spring in Canada. And I was able to capture in many poems my feelings about it, especially that I was really looking forward to it after my first experience of snowy Winter, which had excited me but which had caused also many inconveniences.
While I write poetry using freeform, I prefer writing poems that follow strict rudiments. For, the mark of a true poet is someone who could weave words and verses into a specific structure bounded by measures, lines, and rhymes. Without further ado, here is one poem about Spring that I wrote in March 2004. It is in a sonnet form, a type of poetry that commonly contains 14 lines and traditionally follows a strict rhyme scheme and specific structure.
Ode to Spring (In Surrey)
O Sun! A star ablaze on the sacred sky
Gardens are gaudy; grasses are green on the glorious ground
Squirrels sneak silently on the shaded streets
Crows and gulls cackle in glee
Cirrostratus clouds splendid in their clarity
No more scarves nor bonnets nor mitts
No more worries about snow ice and slips
Tree trunks, barks, and branches are browner
Lustrous leafs, shimmery as if chandeliers
People are friendly; pets are frisky
Songs are cheerful; chores are simple
Winter is gone; Spring has come
The first of floral feasts and frolic and fun
O Spring! A sunny season anew in Surrey, the city where I stay
The Last Leaf
In the sonnet above, I liberally used a figure of speech known as alliteration, which refers to the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of a series of words or phrases—as in, “gardens are gaudy; grasses are green,” “squirrels sneak silently,” “people are friendly; pets are frisky,” and “first of floral feasts and frolic and fun.” Also, I used a line/stanza scheme of 2-3-2-4-2-1 and a rhyme scheme of a-b-c-d-d-e-f-g-g-d-h-i-j-k. And while writing this poem, I was listening in repeat mode to the song “Braveheart” (1999) by the British Indie Pop band Vermont Sugar House.
