Words: 66
Average Length: 5.42
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.” I constructed this puzzle shortly after the US presidential election. The poem that underlies the grid’s theme – considered one of the most important poems of the 20th century – was written just after the first World War. It precisely captures the anxiety and dismay of the current moment. You can read the full poem here.
Words: 14
Average Length: 5.29
In the immortal words of President Carter, today’s effort to merge poetry and crossword construction is an “incomplete success.” With recent minis touching on haiku (5-7-5×5) and couplets (Iamb Gridding), I decided to tackle a longer form, known for its 14-line structure, iambic pentameter, and specific rhyme scheme. The goals: (1) construct a grid with the poetic form at 1 Across (check!), (2) make the clues fit the relevant poetic form (check!), (3) have the clues, when read top to bottom, make sense as this particular poetic form (buzz!!!). Alas, they don’t. I spent far too long trying to come up with fill that could be clued as a cohesive verse before deciding that I had better things to do, like sleep. The result isn’t what I’d hoped for, but I think it should still be a fun solve.
Just for yuks (or more likely, yucks), here’s the complete “1 Across”:
Will Shakespeare penned one hundred fifty-four
With learned talent, showing mast’ry true.
A three-D model, making one’s a chore
A doctor who takes care of teeth for you.
It’s shouted in La Liga on TV
Consumed, devoured, scarfed, or nommed it all
A Spanish word whose meaning is to be
An org that fights abuse of alcohol.
The dog who is the butt of Garfield’s jokes
A glowing substance in a retail sign
A bag you get for funding Terry Gross
A store that sells its merchandise on-line.
They’re caps that Scottish men often display
A common one: a pitcher’s E.R.A..
Two weeks ago, I posted a mini puzzle (“5-7-5×5”) where 1 Across was a certain poetic form (evident from the title) and each answer was clued with that type of poem. Here’s a second go at the same idea, with a different poetic form. I’m not sure how many more of these I will post, given that most poetic forms are pretty darn long and I don’t feel like writing a 14-line clue if 1 Across is “sonnet.” (Pretty sure you don’t feel like reading a 14-line clue either, though some of my parentheticals after clues do tend to run on a bit.)
Words: 76
Average Length: 5.00
Here’s a gently springy puzzle for early April, as well as a poem that I wrote after walking around the neighborhood.
Spring in My Feet
Einstein-haired forsythias wave
To daffodils who bow and brave
The bagpipe drone and wheeze of blowers
Lofting leaves among the flowers
Callow cherries blush with pride,
Their elders slumber on and bide
The time til arthritic limbs
Break out in pinkly glorious hymns
Zoysia steals more Zs before
It grudgingly comes green once more,
For now the onion grass stands guard
While squirrels scrabble ‘cross the yard
Weekday children walk to school
In shorts though temps be cold not cool,
Weekend farmers make their beds
With shredded hardwood, blacks and reds.
I’m glad my verse you did indulge;
My friends I thank you very mulch.
Words: 76
Average Length: 4.82
I’ve read a lot of poetry this year; some of you might say “too much” after solving today’s grid. That’s the excuse for the theme of this puzzle: the almost certainly misguided idea to merge movie titles and poetry terms and clue them with verses that illustrate the terms. For those of you who weren’t English majors, the terms are defined below.
I promise Wednesday’s MMM will be rhyme-free!
Jeff's Puzzles