Valdamossa - A Sonnet

For Emily Rose's Romantic Competition

 

Valdamossa – A Sonnet.

 

 

Rose bowered, sitting beneath cerulean skies

At Valdamossa’s lofty flowering stair,

Music’s gentle, fragrant cadences arise

Our minds and hearts forever to ensnare;

Chopin’s sounds transcend the flowers’ perfume 

Drifting over garden, valley and hill,

Enriching ambience of the afternoon;

While hidden ears, delighted, take their fill.

 

As night falls, flitting fireflies scintillate

While roses and mazurka, evening spurn;

The music undergoes a subtle change

To savour night stock, lily and nocturne.

 

On nights like this ‘tis joy to spend our hours

Conflating music’s scent with sound of flowers.

 

 

Some years ago, we spent some time at Valdamossa on the Balearic Isle of Mallorca. We soaked ourselves in Chopin – not recorded but played live at various times throughout the day and evening. The old convent in which Chopin lived with George Eliot, the writer (actually a woman, Mary Ann Evans, Author of The Mill on the Floss and Silas Marner et al) was a place of rare beauty with delicately framed windows looking out onto his garden, in which we sat, soaking up the music and flowers and a view down the valley which extended for miles. This is a memory to be treasured forever; I never hear Chopin without sitting again in this garden, seeing fireflies and ‘feeling’ the perfumes and the night.

Reviews

[Odrah]

While reading this work, I was transported from my tiny little corner in this University lounge to somewhere that makes me forget about the sleeping winter world around me. I was completely taken over by your imagery. After reading, it felt as though this the memory were my own.

Highly charming.

"On nights like this 'tis joy to spend hours
Conflating music's scent with sound of flowers."

These last lines in particular made me feel a part of that experience. It also struck a special chord. I am a musician. I sing mostly choral music, classical in particular. The choral students are constantly discussing the color of chords, notes, and sounds. You have created a magnificent and moving comparison for musical sound. Flowers.

I consider myself lucky to have had the chance to read this. Thank you for suggesting it.

~Odrah

[Phibby Venable]

incredible piece of writing...it transports the reader....thank you
for taking me to such a beautiful place.

[J]

Oh yes, John, I recognize the need to express the soul in the exquisite sweetness of Chopin, jasmine, nights of stars casting etheral light only for you .........

Delicious!
j

[emmajoy]

This is utterly and completely captivating, dear friend; your words took me on a journey with every one of senses working at full capacity and capability..

As night falls, flitting fireflies scintillate While roses and mazurka, evening spurn; The music undergoes a subtle change To savour night stock, lily and nocturne. - what absolutely beautiful words those are.. i can see them, actually see them..

More so, your words lure me to Valdamossa!

Your sonnet writing is a true art form, there seems to be very little you can't do.. i so admire that.. and no, don't need to borrow any money... saying all that free! :-)

[R J Askew]

I first read this over a week ago, but was not in the right mood or read it too quickly. This morning I read it in a calmer mood and got it. Tis a lovely job. Delightful. I missed the first time round how the senses conflate...marvellous! And I missed the slowness and calm of the moment, of sitting there. I do love quiet gardens and having time -- which I normally do not. The scene you describe has so many winning elements -- the view, the music, the garden, the peace, the scents, the English literary connection, and the love of the musician and the novelist. I can well imagine that you will be straight bach there whenever you listen to Chopin or even think about Chopin. Loved it.

[Gandré]

Hello John, thanks a lot for reviewing my small poem and really insightful review, it lets me even look differently at my own words..

As night falls, flitting fireflies scintillateWhile roses and mazurka, evening spurn; The music undergoes a subtle changeTo savour night stock, lily and nocturne. ---------oh! I totally adored this stanza. Mazurka...how long didn't I hear this word. I even can dance it...ha ha I learnt in Slovakia.

Conflating music's scent with sound of flowers -------to say this, what a beautiful combination to smell music and to hear flowers this says to me... delicious.

Chopin's sounds transcend the flowers' perfume -----oh I hear this music of romantic school....what a seduction within 5 words!

You enriched my day with your poem. Absolutely breathtaking experience.

[Fran Marie]

A most beautifully penned and well crafted sonnet~

Quite lovely in every way ~ Taking the reader there

THanks for sharing this exquisite piece~

Fran Marie

[Emily Rose]

Oh, you paint this night so beautifully! As usually the imagery is simply wonderful - you describe the scene in incredible detail, especially given the rigidity of the structure that you chose. I could almost smell the perfumes of the flowers and hear the Chopin! My only critique is that the word "scintillate" seems oddly out of place in the poem - the sound is just to hard for the scene that it's describing. I'm not sure if you'd want to change it, but I think a softer word would work better. Of course, the problem there is that messes up your rhyme scheme... But if you do decide to change it, I'm sure you'll think of something perfect! This is very well done, John; thanks so much for sharing! (And for entering my contest... it's sad how few people actually wrote things that fit the Romantic period. YOU captured it beautifully!)