Guard!!

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Wed, 09 Nov 2022
  • 1732 reads
18 comments
 

Fire, fire burning bright
in the forest day and night
damaging the national park –
from where came igniting spark?
Great the dangers felt down under
when a drought makes grass like tinder.

Fire, fire burning bright
on an icy winter night
– welcome heat, and warming stew
when returning chilled right through.

Fire bright in furnace burning
smelting metals, engines turning -
useful power to safely harness
fuelling the wheels of progress.

Fire, fire, destructive sight
but power for good if used aright.
Wise precautions must be learnt
or more than fingers will get burnt!

[IP: fire] with apologies to William Blake

 

Certificate U
Poem
Miscellaneous
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by Ciadish on

I love the rhythm of this, and the elemental appreciation it shows. I don't think you need to apologise to Blake at all.

Feel free to use any of the pictures on this page if you'd like a flame photo to go with your words. https://groweatgift.com/2017/07/16/fire/ I love taking pictures of fire and seeing what stories emerges from the captured flames. It fascinates me that we can all see different stories.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you. What intriguing and clever photography! I was realising last Saturday how difficult it is to catch fireworks on a still shot, but we weren't near a bonfire this time. yes, flames do conjure up such pictures to us all. It was just the first line that was obviously taken from Blakes; 'Tyger, tyger'. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

oh yes, some wonderful fire pics on that link - and a brilliant Ip response, thank you Rhiannon!

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks Insert. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks for the cherries. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by marandina on

A salient nod to Blake,Rhiannon. I like the use of the refrain at the start of the stanzas. "More than fingers will get burnt..." Let's hope not. Paul :) 

 

 

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Paul. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

you've used Blake's rhythm wonderfully! and I loved the reference to stew, which always seems such comforting food as if it holds all the time of heating in it. Made me want to make one :0) Hope youb read this to your grandchildren

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, the heat of fires to warm us is completed by the ability to cook warm stews in those cold days! Memories of coming home from school years ago in winter! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

A very good take on the I.P., Rhiannon. Well done.

Luigi x

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Luigi. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by hilary west on

I liked this, Rhiannon. Nice rhyme and intelligent nod to Blake's 'Tiger, Tiger'

Much enjoyed.

hilary  smiley

 

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Hilary. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Good! Good advise foe little boys playin wit matches. But what is this "apologies" business I could never figure it out. Are you apologising for plagierism or what? I don't see any. Sorry my keyboard's knobs a got stuck.

Keep well! Tom

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Hi, Tom. Thanks for your appreciation.

The phrase 'with apologies to William Blake' is meant to just acknowledge that the first couple of lines and rhythm are inspired by his famous poem:

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry? …

 'tiger' is spelt 'tyger' in that poem because that is the old English spelling I gather..  Rhiannon

 

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Hi Rhiannon my brother also wrote an apologies for William Blake that was long ago but I think he's is better https://www.abctales.com/story/baker-street/lion

One must be careful when reading Tyger Tyger you can fall into a really stupid rhythm. Blake was a genius I like Garden of Love and of course Jerusalem still the most. He was generally regarded as insane but he didn't bother anyone.

Tyger Tyger "What the hammer what the chain, in what furnace was thy brain?" Fearsome. Terrifying.

Keep well, Goodnight! Tom Brown

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Hi, again, Tom. My poem here wasn't meant to be totally patterened or parody of Blake's , just acknowledging an inspiration to apply to my work on 'Fire'.

Both in Blake's poem, and your brother's we see the fighting in nature that it would seem wasn't there at creation, nor will be in the new earth (Isaiah 11:6,7; 65:25). and it does remind us that God himself has just anger as well as compassion, love, grace and hears and aswers calls for help. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

cheers