We were studying Shakespeare’s sonnets and the assignment for the week was to write a sonnet about an everyday object or event. At the time, I was putting down approximately three or four Subway sandwiches a week and had developed a vicious habit for the turkey and bacon deluxe. It seemed natural for me to write a sonnet about this.
I think we were suppose to approach the assignment with some degree of seriousness, if only out of respect for Shakespeare. But I just couldn’t do it. However, if I remember correctly, this sonnet was written in iambic pentameter in an ABAB rhyming pattern.
The Subway Sonnet
Jason A. Carter
English 400
9–23–93Her delicate hands poised with utmost care
Grasped the thin utensil as they prepare.
The strip of leavened wheat fresh out the oven
Lays atop the counter ready for cuttin’
After she slices the hot loaf in two,
He’s eager to dress it and looks at you.
“I’d like turkey with bacon.†you say to him,
And he slowly fixes it without a whim.
Wrapped in paper and covered with plastic,
The footlong delight appears fantastic.
When finished with the delectable treat,
You think of the pair who achieved this feat.
Without their labors, accomplished with zeal,
You would not have received such a good meal.