"The Shard" — by London Bridge

By Rhiannonw

Fri, 01 Jun 2012
  • 2565 reads
7 comments
 

Sharp shard of glistening glass,
thrust up among,
the grubby, grounded, jumbled mass,
that shelters motley working throng.
It doesn’t seem to quite belong –
an icy thorn,
from glacier torn
to gleam and shimmer;
a spike that sparks a shiver,
and punctures sky above the river.

Certificate U
Poem
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous

Comments

Submitted by steve_elliott04 on
I really like this poem. Brilliant use of poetic devise: alliteration, assonance, imagery, rhyme - all utilised so aptly and to significant effect! Very nicely done. All the best, Steve.

Submitted by Rhiannonw on
Thank you very much, Steve, and glad you liked it! I think my Welsh upbringing with the complex 'cynghanedd' poetry, gave me an enjoyement of the musical effects in verse of sounds, alliteration, rhyme etc. Suddenly seeing the Shard for the first time when passing through London in the train made me analyse my feelings for it too! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on
An excellent poem, Rhiannon, which succinctly sums up what I felt on first seeing it. Couldn't have put it half as well as you though;-) The last two lines, by the way, are extremely effective. Very much enjoyed. Tina

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on
Thanks for that appreciation, and glad you enjoyed, and empathised! I must say that I did enjoy the way it came out in the end expressing my thoughts in the way I wanted to! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Indrani Ananda on
Indrani Ananda A brilliant 'sharp' poem, this, Rhiannon. You've really captured the alien quality of this cutting edge architecture rising out of everyday things. It's quite a shock when you first set eyes on that glass 'spear', after the rounded softness of some of the other high-risers. I am also intrigued by your unusual rhyming patterns in this piece - very clever. Indrani.

Indrani Ananda

Submitted by Rhiannonw on
Thank you for your comments, Indrani. Yes, I was happy at managing to capture what I felt about it in this way! Sometimes, short pieces are good to work with. Glad you felt it caught the shock value of the building. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on
I'm not sure I'd like to go up there anyway! But, I just didn't actually like the look of it, and it did seem so incongruous by the mixture of old and utilitarian buildings 'on the ground'! Maybe some architects just want to try out new things, but they do seem to be so expensive and ostentatious, which is such a pity. Not just in our country, though. Thanks for enjoying it and telling me. Rhiannon