Also Posted on: PurpleTreehouse Poetic Forms Week 6: Back to Basics
Where we were asked to write “Stellar Verse” specifically about the constellation ORION. The simplest for of Orion consists of seven stars (without the Hunter’s shield and club.) The poem had to be 7 lines which had to begin with the initial letter of the names of the 7 stars working in sequence from the celestial zenith, ie, B, B, M, A, A, R, S and each line in the “pure” form of the Orion, must have seven syllables, but flexibility is allowed. There is no set rhyme scheme.
The actual names of the stars from which the letter sequence above has been generated are: Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Mintaka, Alnilam, Alnitak, Rigel, Saiph.
Since Orion is a hunter/warrior, I chose weapon words, some of which you might not understand (I didn’t know over half of these) so I am giving you the definitions:
acutiator – person in the Middle Ages who attended armies and knights to sharpen their instruments of war
armisonant – rustling in arms; resounding with arms
baldric – belt worn over one shoulder that is typically used to carry a sword
bistoury – surgical instrument for making incisions
malchus – short sword with a broad tapering blade
roundhead – weapon used as a club
I really enjoyed learning this vocabulary! Well done — so fittingly written!
Wow, great words. “Baldric” and “malchus” might come in handy for Scrabble.
But I digress.
Excellent poem. That’s what I meant to say.
Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel
Great poem and words,allways cool to learn something from these.
Aloha dude! I’ve just stopped by to say thanks for this nice resource! Keep posting that way.
So glad you shared this, Bat-Ami, and the myth behind the constellation. Thanks, too, for the process notes!
Very clever use of words. An enjoyable read.
The Lonely Recluse.
wow nicely done!
Lovely done 🙂