Hepta Crown response by Jox, The Seven Ages Of Humans Options

[Guest_Jox_*]

© Judith Loughton, 2005. I, Judith Loughton, do assert my right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with Sections 77 and 78 of The Copyrights, Designs And Patents Act, 1988. (Laws of Cymru & England, as recognised by international treaties). This work was simultaneously copyrighted in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. This work is posted as an unpublished work in order to elicit critical assistance and other helpful comment, only.


Ref: JL 0435 AC
The Seven Ages of Humans
(With full acknowledgement to William Shakespeare*)
by JL.

The Human threshold -
crying, uncontrolled actions:
life’s beginning.

Life’s beginning,
gain knowledge, understanding:
reluctant learning.

Reluctant learning?
hormones crave experience:
reproduce, survive.

Reproduce, survive -
construct home, security:
middle-age young nest.

Middle-age young nest -
feathered, reputation built:
life’s settled plateau.

Life’s settled plateau -
trod, escarps downward, backward:
reducing presence.

Reducing presence -
child sans future, sans all:
the Human threshold.

(end)


*Here is the speech:(I have split it for easy reference) - This was prepared for Don elsewhere on MM.

Jacques:

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages.

1>At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.

2>Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school.

3>And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow.

4>Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the canon's mouth.

5>And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part.

6>The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound.

7>Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

Shakespeare - As You Like It (Jacques)

What do you mean - his is better than mine??? He's had 400 years to build his reputation! :)

[Guest_Jox_*]

from Lori:

Well done James!

I'd call this Haiku myself.... :D

So fast in your response - an A+ for the day for you!

Cheers!
~Cleo :pharoah2

[Guest_Jox_*]

Hi Lori,

Thank you.

>L>I'd call this Haiku myself....

So would I but someone will argue it isn't about nature. However, in form it is a haiku cycle, if not in subject.

>L>an A+ for the day for you

Very kind. But this is displacement activity; I should be doing writing of a different kind! I wonder if they'll take the A+ in lieu?? :)

Cheers, Lori.

J.

[Guest_Jox_*]

from Don...

Hi Jox,

Great job, and I thought it was going to be difficult.

Don

[Guest_Jox_*]

Hi Don,

>D>Great job,

Thank you very much.

>D> and I thought it was going to be difficult.

Ah! That rather deflated it! :)

It was difficult, Don, it took blood, sweat, tears, fingers down to the bone and thirty minutes of concerted effort. Actually Don, I've done one before - so I had that experience! Here's the previosus one: Here

Cheers, J.

[Guest_Jox_*]

from Nina:

Hi J

Well done for this cyclical Haiku, a very appropriate form for the seven ages of man - the human life cycle.

Nina

[Guest_Jox_*]

from Don:

Hi Don,

>D>Great job,

Thank you very much.

>D> and I thought it was going to be difficult.

Ah! That rather deflated it! :)

It was difficult, Don, it took blood, sweat, tears, fingers down to the bone and thirty minutes of concerted effort. Actually Don, I've done one before - so I had that experience! Here's the previosus one: Here

Cheers, J.

Written before:

I seldom write new for a contest, but rather dig one out of existing dust pile.

Good show James.

Don

[Guest_Jox_*]

Thanks Don.

I always write afresh - can't get enthused over old work - but experience of similar work is useful.

Cheers, James.

[Guest_Jox_*]

Hi Nina,

Thank you very much indeed.

(Though the subject was kindly presented to me by Will) :)

J.

[Guest_Jox_*]

from Fran:

Hi, James

I was SURE I'd left a comment on your wonderful haiku cycle earlier; apologies for my tardiness. It is very well done, capturing the bard's seven ages of man perfectly. Again, it seems effortless. I recall you had a haiku cycle on your favourite dogs, too - lovely.

I shall have to take the 7-poem idea on holiday with me ...

Fran

[Guest_Jox_*]

Hi Fran,

No apology needed! You don't have to comment on everything!

However, thank you very much indeed. Your comments are really appreciated.

Yes, please produce some pieces whilst enjoying the Summer heat (unless you're off to Bogner, that is!). Look forward to seeing the results when you return. (Unless it is Bognor - in which case, few people do actually return).

J.

[Guest_Jox_*]

from Fran:

James,

We (and that is not the Royal 'we,' lol) said "bug--- Bognor" in the best Royal tradition and we're off to mainland Greece ... perchance to melt in the heat. "Frying tonight!" (Well, Saturday, actually)

Cheers,

Fran

[Guest_Jox_*]

NB These comments have been extracted from, and transferred across, the original single Hep tile. Sorry individual avatars can't be reproduced.

Thanks all, James.

[Cleo_Serapis]

I wanted to pop back in to say I find this one most appealing:

Life’s beginning,
gain knowledge, understanding:
reluctant learning.


Seems we are still in that cycle eons later... :p

[Guest_Jox_*]

Hi Lori,

Thanks very much for your comments.

I agree - I think most things are cyclical in nature if not in precise events.

J.