Selections From The 6 Wild Sonnets Books:
With 600 published works in this series so far, it would be impossible to select any absolute favorites – but I am happy to share a few that exhibit and embody the magic, music, mystery and meaning that I try to weave into every Wild Sonnet I write.
THE ORIGIN OF THE WILD SONNETS
There are now over 600 Wild Sonnets. I started writing this series of poems eight years ago as a personal mission to create a variation of the sonnet that was innovative, unique, modern and mine. The six published volumes feature 100 poems each – and I am in the process of writing the seventh book now.
My mission as a poet and artist is to create work that is meaningful, memorable – and if possible, masterful. Connection and craft are both deeply important as I write each of The Wild Sonnets.
ABOUT THE WILD SONNET FORM
The Wild Sonnet takes the 14 lines of the sonnet and divides them into two stanzas of seven lines, each capped with a rhyming couplet. The five preceding lines are allowed to ramble and stray from the iambic and pentameter which is the norm for the form. This is what makes them wild.
THEATER & POETRY
Most of my years leading up to The Wild Sonnets were spent in the theater. A verse comedy of mine, Delirium's Daughters, was produced Off-Broadway in 2015. Before that, I ran a classical theater company in Cincinnati, OH which staged over 23 productions in the city's main arts center. I also studied acting at the National Shakespeare Conservatory in NYC. I mention this because I endeavor to bring a real sense of drama to each of these brief, 14-line poems, and there is an echoing sense of soliloquy in nearly every one of the Wild Sonnets.
Here Are The 3 Newest Wild Sonnets:
These poems will be included in the upcoming book, The Wild Sonnets: Volume VII (601-700) – to be released in August 2024. If you are interested in the 6 Wild Sonnets books already in print, there's information on the download and paperback editions below.
What are fellow artists and writers saying about The Wild Sonnets? Here are some of my favorite reviews:
The Wild Sonnets: Volume VI (501-600)
Poetry That Soars
The Wild Sonnets are filled with exquisite wordplay, turns of phrase that weave, bob, lurch, sway, and surprise. The themes are rich with heart, yet universal. Need guidance from the universe? Simply thumb through the volume, pick a page, and delight at the message you will surely find therein. Volume Six has arrived. What a legacy. Well done Mr. Korn!
– Morgan G. | Trucker, Rocker & Hooligan | Kansas City, MO
Poetry That Hits Every Level
This is deeply thought-provoking poetry, and I'm continually amazed at how well-crafted it all is. He so satisfyingly connects thought and emotion in such beautiful form. "I am a pendulum without an end. On which the counting of my tears depend."
– Laura M. | Singer/Songwriter | San Antonio, TX
Fizzing and Crackling with Inspiration!
I’ve been looking forward to the next Wild Sonnets volume, and now it’s finally landed. This collection exceeds high expectations (based on previous volumes). This is fizzing and crackling with inspiration. “What elements collect to make a life…” These poems do live and breathe a lifetime of experience and reading them touches every emotion along the way. Great work! Recommended reading.
– Shem S. | Producer & Musician | Chester, UK
The Wild Sonnets: Volume V (401-500)
Everything Is Aerial, and Has Its Element of Awe
Nicholas Korn is a poet of incredible energy and verve – of process and vision. It's truly bewildering in its scope, and still growing before our eyes. But these poems are also wild with content – dailiness, observation, philosophical insights, and a stunning sense of purpose. The language is lush, and Korn's approach is reverential toward the history and elegance of the form, while also keeping its eyes and ears in/on the 21st Century.
– Matt Hart | Poet & Head of Writing Program – Art Academy of Cincinnati
Great Book, and Impressive Creative Project!
This book is part of an ongoing writing project. One of the most impressive and ambitious creative endeavors I know of. These sonnets talk about life, love, time, and everything we are. It is interesting how the author has kept and changed the sonnet form. They are wild and yet delicate, like a wildflower. Pick a book, then pick a sonnet. You will not regret it.
– Manuel Iris | Poet Laureate of Cincinnati (Emeritus)
The Wild Sonnets: Volume IV (301-400)
Substance and Form Come Together in Beauty
Nicholas Korn brings the stuff of life into a boiling pot, contemplating the very essence of humanity. He delves into the broken heart, the loss of friendship, the healing of souls, asking and answering questions that are at our core. This is his best work yet.
– Alissa Alissa S.| Poet & Attorney | Cincinnati, OH
The Wild Sonnets: Volume III (201-300)
Verbal Art At Its Finest
In these beautiful sonnets, Mr. Korn has succeeded on multiple levels simultaneously. He makes intelligent use of the English language, delving into its wide selection of word choices to create thought-provoking lines adroitly adorned with artful alliteration, that is available in the tongue especially, perhaps more than any other. There is great joy here, ready for any reader willing to reach in and indulge. So wait not!
– Stefan W. | Poet | Cincinnati OH
JUST ONE MORE:
The great playwright and poet, William Shakespeare, wrote 154 sonnets – not including the few that are scattered throughout his plays. I knew that when I reached the writing of Wild Sonnet #154, it would have to be dedicated to him, and sing in praise of his astonishing work in the poetic form that bears his name.
This poem appears in The Wild Sonnets: Volume II (101-200):
