En français, s'il vous plaît
I just did the book cutting exercise--it's snowing, let's cut up a textbook!--and I'm really struck by the difference between the French on the left and the English on the right. I realise that in order to keep proper sonnet form, the English can't be an exact translation, but some of the differences are really interesting. The French seems less...over the top, to me. More elegant, but that might be the nature and character of French.
But I'm fascinated by this exercise, and I wanted to share one of the sonnets I got when I did the cutty-switchy maneuver. Share some of yours!
He bent right down to pick up his valise
His nasal ecstacy beats best Cologne
Replies like this the dumbstruck brain may tease
'Ere meanings new to ancient tribes are thrown
The roundabout eats profits made on swings
Filching the lolly country thrift helped save
He's gone to London how the echo rings
Etruscan words which Greece and Rome engrave
Emboggled minds may puff and blow and guess
And starve the snivelling baby like a dog
The colonel's still escutcheoned in undress
No need to cart such treasures from the fog
The Taj Mahal as trinkets spice and gum
And lessors' dates have all too short a sum.
But I'm fascinated by this exercise, and I wanted to share one of the sonnets I got when I did the cutty-switchy maneuver. Share some of yours!
He bent right down to pick up his valise
His nasal ecstacy beats best Cologne
Replies like this the dumbstruck brain may tease
'Ere meanings new to ancient tribes are thrown
The roundabout eats profits made on swings
Filching the lolly country thrift helped save
He's gone to London how the echo rings
Etruscan words which Greece and Rome engrave
Emboggled minds may puff and blow and guess
And starve the snivelling baby like a dog
The colonel's still escutcheoned in undress
No need to cart such treasures from the fog
The Taj Mahal as trinkets spice and gum
And lessors' dates have all too short a sum.