Urban Solitude Shakespearean Sonnets
Budget: £10 – £15 GBP
I’m compiling a small collection of Shakespearean-form sonnets that meditate on life in the city. Each poem must keep the 14-line, iambic-pentameter structure with the classic ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme, yet feel unmistakably modern in voice and setting.
Themes to weave through the sequence are isolation, love lost, and the restless pulse of city life. I’d like a hybrid approach: several pieces should link loosely—recurring characters, echoing images, or a subtle narrative thread—while others can stand completely on their own. Think of it as a city map where certain streets connect and others end in solitary cul-de-sacs.
Deliverables
• A manuscript of 18–20 polished sonnets in a single Word or Google Docs file
• A brief (one-paragraph) note before each poem describing its place in the overall arc, if any
• A working title for the entire collection plus individual titles for each sonnet
Acceptance criteria
• Strict Shakespearean form maintained throughout
• Clear presence of at least one of the stated themes in every sonnet
• Natural, contemporary language—no forced archaisms
• All work must be original and unpublished
If you’re comfortable balancing strict form with fresh urban imagery, I’m eager to read your samples and discuss any ideas you’d like to bring to the city streets of this project.
Themes to weave through the sequence are isolation, love lost, and the restless pulse of city life. I’d like a hybrid approach: several pieces should link loosely—recurring characters, echoing images, or a subtle narrative thread—while others can stand completely on their own. Think of it as a city map where certain streets connect and others end in solitary cul-de-sacs.
Deliverables
• A manuscript of 18–20 polished sonnets in a single Word or Google Docs file
• A brief (one-paragraph) note before each poem describing its place in the overall arc, if any
• A working title for the entire collection plus individual titles for each sonnet
Acceptance criteria
• Strict Shakespearean form maintained throughout
• Clear presence of at least one of the stated themes in every sonnet
• Natural, contemporary language—no forced archaisms
• All work must be original and unpublished
If you’re comfortable balancing strict form with fresh urban imagery, I’m eager to read your samples and discuss any ideas you’d like to bring to the city streets of this project.