we were writing this exact comment at the same time

While I appreciate the comment, I don’t really think Sonnets  need to adhere to the old rules. Realistically, sonnets in modern poetry rarely ever rhyme or follow iambic perfectly. I’m not super interested in anything other than the volta, which I think is the heart of any sonnet

Just telling people to "follow the rules" may cause more harm than help, but agreed that it's helpful to point at the rules/conventions and see how the poet is conversing with them, even if the conversation is complete defiance! Anecdotally, very interesting write-up by one of our very own mods here: https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/62gpog/bad_poetry_21_how_not_to_sonnet/ (around that time, a lot of frequent contributors started posting very innovative sonnets, some following the rules, some just nodding to sonnets more obliquely, like the OP).

Gonna jump in here with an *akchually* because sonnet form isn't necessary characterized by strict [rhyme/meter](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49731/incandescent-war-poem-sonnet). It's more about the volta (whether an end couplet or sestet or neither) and the opposing views/resolution that entails. A sonnet doesn't even have to be [fourteen lines](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44703/modern-love-i). I think the stylistic elements in OP are interesting framed as a sonnet, because the departures from the stricter view of form played a significant role in my reading of the piece, to its benefit. Just my $0.02

The poem isn't bad, but it isn't a sonnet. Check out this link and it'll give you the structure to write a proper sonnet. 

https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/sonnet-poetic-form

There are multiple types of sonnets but the traditional ones mostly used in the English language are the Italian and English sonnet. These are also known as the Petrachean and Shakespearian sonnet, respectively. Good luck!

Really cool poem. I love the narrative element, the imagery, the magical quality. I agree it's a stretch to call it a sonnet, so maybe re-title it (people will be able to see on their own that it's related to a sonnet, without it being given in the title). But again, I really enjoyed this one. 

Just got really bored with the type of poetry i usually write and wanted to try and jam a full story into a sonnet. I like the idea of a sonnet being filled with a story that is trying to break out of the confines of the form, which is why the last line breaks the syllable count  all together. 

As for the content, it is based off a legend here in Newfoundland about a lake monster called Cressie, and also a story of a child murderer in my home town. Combining the two seemed, weirdly, appropriate. The real title for the piece is Sonnet (of Nat and Cressie) 

I really like the story here. Sonnet or not it's captivating. Took me a moment to realise the impact of the last line, which is just beautiful. Just because someone listens, doesn't mean they believe you! What motivated this poem? 

If this comment isn't the best ever, then my Name isn't Mom

Quite a fable. You have put the reader in many moral dilemmas: whether to abandon his discriminatory values and accept fantasy as real ) or refuse to fall into esoteric belief and find a scapegoat, one hardly believable that fits into a logical narrative if the events.

I think you've made a very successful poem. It certainly serves a social purpose by inducing criticism to the authority is the masses. If and when taken seriously, you've created a powerful tool to question morality and how we perceive reality. The language you've used is us therefore a double edged sword.

While I intially was going to say this didn't fit the normal rules of the sonnet form, I then went through the comments, and decided you're probably right, in that a sonnet doesnt always have to strictly follow all the rules, and that the volta is more important. I personally love sonnets that rhyme, bc I've tried my hand at sonnets and the end rhymes can be a bitch to get right some times. It takes skill. But! You have a ton of internal rhyming that helps pull this poem/story to a unique and satisfying conclusion!  You may not have a rhyme scheme, but your internal rhyming is on point! 'paper' with 'creature', 'eel' and 'real', and my favourite:  'listened' and 'missing'. That's brilliant! And most are not perfect rhymes, so theyre more subtle. I also loved the story that didnt really resolve until that final line, when the mystery is finally solved. I love stories in poetry, especially those that have a punch at the end! Sort of reminded me of 'My Last Duchess' by Browning. You have 


 	    

You got in the local paper when you 

told them you saw the lake-creature, it was

the first time your name was recorded 

for something innocent. The town drunk

noted by name, Nat Tucker, in black ink,

your photo right next to a mock-up of 

the beast, tall as clouds. So many teeth. Looked

like an eel. You claimed it devoured

an entire moose. "It isn't real," they

said, "he went up on the lake looking for

liberty caps and he was already

half-cut before that." It wasn't until 

the kids went missing while skinny-dipping

that they finally listened, and then threw you in jail. 


&amp;nbsp;

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/8d6vvg/a_weak_voice_is_a_symptom_of_heart_failure/

https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/8df4v7/a_good_day_for_it/
 
