Here at *Rhyme-and-Reason we're not just about the contests-although that's fun. Our goal is to bring about a resurgence of traditional forms. If you look at the subcategories deviantART provides for the literature section, you're not going to find much beyond the ever popular sonnet and vilanelle. These are both fantastic forms, but there are so many more to be found!

So, *Penessence and I, =tina-go-lightly have decided to point out other forms to all of you.

This article's subject is the epitaph. Cheery, isn't it? Literally speaking, it is an inscription on a tombstone. Poetically speaking, it is much more than that.

One of the most famous ones is Shakespeare's. Who better than The Bard to show us how it's done?

"GOOD FREND FOR JESUS SAKE FORBEARE TO
DIGG THE DUST ENCLOASED HEARE.
BLEST BE YE MAN YT SPARES THES STONES AND
CURST BE HE YT MOVES MY BONES"

That's certainly enough to scare off grave robbers! Although it does seem a bit mild from the man who coined the phrase "a plague o' both your houses".

Think of the possibilities in writing an epitaph-it doesn't even have to be about you! You could write it for a loved one, a pet, a nasty one about your worst enemy...And if you do write it about yourself, it will likely be better than the one your descendants plaster on your tombstone.

Inspired, *Penessence and I both wrote our own epitaphs.

His is entitled "The Poet's Epitaph" and is a lovely poem with the message that "Death does not conquer art".


I went for a more romantic route and wore "A Lover's Epitaph".


That's really about all the explanation that is necessary. An epitaph can be short, or long-it's up to you. If you have an epitaph you've written (or you've been inspired to write one!) you can always send it in to us. *Rhyme-and-Reason is always accepting submissions for our weekly feature!

Reasonably yours,
=tina-go-lightly