Write a Bonto!
Was introduced to this lovely pastime and form of poetry by Dennis Perrin, who asked me to be his friend on this site with a lovely, witty Bonto. He said it was a form originated by de Bono - but this was a second-hand explanation.
Bontos are four lines, but the length of the lines themselves (set for the particular Bonto) can vary. The shorter, the more pithy, but the longer these lines are, sometimes the more can be said and the more like a song Bontos will become.
Obviously from these examples, the first line of a Bonto is a provocation
The second line must answer the first, or explain it in some way
The third line describes the combination, effect or consequence of the first two lines...
And the last line describes some sort of moral, axiom or wisdom connected to all.
Does anyone know where the form originated?
Here's are some examples of this type of POetry. You'll see the Bonto's definite form:
Two men fought with custard pies
Each man thought "the other lies!"
Yellow splatters covered both
Well, all matters further growth.
©Robin Damion & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997
the judge paid the villain
for he stole a million
all the villain could say
crime does not pay
©Igshan Bodiat & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997
Take a seed and a shower
Add some sun, get a flower.
All this cause and effect
Is it just intellect?
©Jim Duthoit & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997
The English love the rain,
It allows them to complain.
The sun makes you content,
But rain is heaven sent.
©Jim Duthoit & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997
Bontos are four lines, but the length of the lines themselves (set for the particular Bonto) can vary. The shorter, the more pithy, but the longer these lines are, sometimes the more can be said and the more like a song Bontos will become.
Obviously from these examples, the first line of a Bonto is a provocation
The second line must answer the first, or explain it in some way
The third line describes the combination, effect or consequence of the first two lines...
And the last line describes some sort of moral, axiom or wisdom connected to all.
Does anyone know where the form originated?
Here's are some examples of this type of POetry. You'll see the Bonto's definite form:
Two men fought with custard pies
Each man thought "the other lies!"
Yellow splatters covered both
Well, all matters further growth.
©Robin Damion & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997
the judge paid the villain
for he stole a million
all the villain could say
crime does not pay
©Igshan Bodiat & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997
Take a seed and a shower
Add some sun, get a flower.
All this cause and effect
Is it just intellect?
©Jim Duthoit & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997
The English love the rain,
It allows them to complain.
The sun makes you content,
But rain is heaven sent.
©Jim Duthoit & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sinclair McLay on -
Actor cleans oily Gulf sea
Costner Co hired by BP
Hollywood money bought her
You can mix oil and water!
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Permalink Reply by Franis on -
Fun Facists unite
So convinced they're right!
They will "should" on me,
But, better fun when free.
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Permalink Reply by Franis on
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Cool Bonto, Avirl!
Breathalyser - isn't that a machine used to test for being drunk?
It's a nice image - to test your fears for being under-the-influence erroneously. Although the last line isn't a saying or an axiom or moral of well-known philosophy, it's certainly an original and unique insight on your part. "Breathalyse Your Fears" - we should make it into a bumper sticker or slogan or something!
Well, rules of syllables in poetry are made to be bent - slightly. But a sense of rhythm in poetry is definitely elegant.
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Permalink Reply by Franis on
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You're an editor at heart Avril.
Of course, I could leave off the "but" when I edit the end line to be more of a philosophical statement,
...but I don't wanna.
:p
IMHO, the rhythm and the meaning needs it, because it's a turnaround to what the rest of what my particular Bonto says.
Fun Facists unite
So convinced they're right!
They will "should" on me,
But, fun is better free
In my mind, rules are made to be bent, while preserving the spirit of the form. So there. Call it my eternal Capricorn devil-may-care rebellious conformity, or...poetic license.
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Permalink Reply by Cal on -
Don't know if this qualifies, Franis, but:
Enough of this evolution vs. creation said I,
It's all starting to sound like a pack of lies.
Men came from monkeys, women from Adam and Eve,
Now sort that one out, you bunch of free thought thieves.
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Permalink Reply by Ken Bopp on
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He ate bulb of light,
to try to gain insight,
Now all his insides are aglow.
Its healthier just to use po!
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Permalink Reply by Ken Bopp on
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He chopped off his leg at the knee,
because his foot was itchy,
now his other foot's sore from the hopping,
Think of consequences before chopping!
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Permalink Reply by Ken Bopp on
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He hung upside-down from his toes
To deal with his runny nose
Now using the lav is an issue...
Its hard to improve on the tissue.
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Permalink Reply by Franis on
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Cool one Donald! A five-syllable Bonto is challenging to write.
Move house overnight
scheduled too tight
Beyond intention
Need spawns invention
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Permalink Reply by Franis on
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Well, depends on how you pronounce scheduled "ske-du-ald" or "sked-juld."
I love reading what the first line imagines. This tells me so much about someone's brain.
Actually, it's not possible for me to move house overnight because I just have too much stuff. Though I did pack up and move to Hawaii within a week. If anyone knows what it's really like to move overseas, that was virtually overnight!
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Permalink Reply by Franis on
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Great to see your Bonto, Anthony! Great subject matter.
...Here's what it would be, ( you've got the lines of the form a little turned around) if you kept strictly to the Bonto form:
Thousand Creative Brains a Virus
Creativity Team desirous
A million copies from each nation
A virus spreads by replication
...but I like your original version, Adonis!!
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