Question

Try writing a poem in pentameter about a major theme emerging in The Iliad. Possible options: loyalty, pride, competition, friendship, forgiveness, stubbornness, or warfare. You can use enjambment to help your meter work. Also, make sure every ten lines rhyme.

Your poem should also be twenty-six lines long. Here’s a hint- it is much easier to write your meaning, then write your end rhyme, then make sure your syllables work into ten syllables. A rhyming dictionary (there are many online) may also be extremely helpful.

Answer 1

In the Ancient tale of Troy, with honor and pride,

The Greek and Trojan forces clashed side by side.

But Achilles, with a hubris that would not abide,

Refused to join the battle, his honor denied.

His mother, the goddess Thetis, chose to provide

A shield of gold, and asked him to take it with pride.

But Achilles, with rage and a burning desire,

Refused his fate, his honor and courage on fire.

Thetis, his mother, in her sorrowful state,

Tried to persuade him to honor his fate.

But Achilles was sure, and his pride would not abate,

He refused her request, and his courage stayed strong.

His pride was so strong, it could never be wrong.

He chose the path of honor, and fate held him long.

His courage and pride made his destiny known,

That his legacy would be written in stone.

Achilles chose the fate of a warrior so brave,

And his courage and pride would forever save

The day of the Greeks, and their story to be told,

A legend of courage, with pride as its gold.

His pride and his courage would never be sold.

His honor and legacy will never grow old.

A legacy of courage, and a pride that was bold,

Will forever be remembered and told.