A Picture's Worth a Thousand Poems
Viewing comments for Chapter 19 "~Vlad the Impaler~"A compilation of pictapoems from my portfolio
79 total reviews
Comment from Patrick G Cox
Hi Dean Kuch,
It wasn't only your head he staked ...
I learned on visits to Romania that Vlad Dracula Tepic (to give him his full name) was born in Sighishoara in Transylvania and ruled neighbouring Moldavia. He is a national hero as he successfully kept the Ottoman Turks at bay. His secret was that all Turkish captives could expect death by impaling on his border fence, the living prisoner being impaled through the bowel ... Brutal, yes, but they were brutal times, and the Turks were no better, their enforced taking of eldest sons and obligatory conversion to Islam has left a legacy of hatred right through the Eastern European states. Romania was not successfully invaded until Vlad died ...
All of which does not detract in any way from your short poem. Nice work.
Patrick
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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Hi Dean Kuch,
It wasn't only your head he staked ...
I learned on visits to Romania that Vlad Dracula Tepic (to give him his full name) was born in Sighishoara in Transylvania and ruled neighbouring Moldavia. He is a national hero as he successfully kept the Ottoman Turks at bay. His secret was that all Turkish captives could expect death by impaling on his border fence, the living prisoner being impaled through the bowel ... Brutal, yes, but they were brutal times, and the Turks were no better, their enforced taking of eldest sons and obligatory conversion to Islam has left a legacy of hatred right through the Eastern European states. Romania was not successfully invaded until Vlad died ...
All of which does not detract in any way from your short poem. Nice work.
Patrick
Comment Written 23-Nov-2013
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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Thanks for that added bit of history, Patrick. May I use it in my author's notes? I can add them now that the contest is over.
I appreciate that, my friend!
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Feel free. You may want to add that the name 'Dracula' (pronounced as Draa-koo-lah) means 'Son of the Dragon' in Romanian. His father used a golden Dragon as his coat of arms and was known as "Dracul". The house he was born in still stands, though much altered I would suspect, and is now a Guest House in Sighishoara.
Patrick
Comment from elchupakabra
Yes! I love the 5-7-5 pictapoem with the pointed pun! Ha! Double pun. I happen to be a huge fan of the show Deadliest Warrior, so I know all about Vlady boy. Exceptional work on this short piece, Dean, I seriously enjoyed it. Best of luck in the contest, thanks for sharing.
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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Yes! I love the 5-7-5 pictapoem with the pointed pun! Ha! Double pun. I happen to be a huge fan of the show Deadliest Warrior, so I know all about Vlady boy. Exceptional work on this short piece, Dean, I seriously enjoyed it. Best of luck in the contest, thanks for sharing.
Comment Written 23-Nov-2013
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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Thanks, 'Chup, I appreciate it!
It lost in the contest by a single vote, my friend. Oh well, it was fun to write anyhow...
Comment from Introspection
It's good to see a senryu with no punctuation (as Google tells me it should be). I left a lovely semicolon out of my one and only senryu, and it grates a bit that most people seem to ignore the punctuation convention! Is Vlad the Impaler connected to Dracula in any legend? Who's the bigger villain? Vlad or Dracula? My vote goes to Vlad.
(I see that they are indeed connected. Thank you, Wikipedia.)
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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It's good to see a senryu with no punctuation (as Google tells me it should be). I left a lovely semicolon out of my one and only senryu, and it grates a bit that most people seem to ignore the punctuation convention! Is Vlad the Impaler connected to Dracula in any legend? Who's the bigger villain? Vlad or Dracula? My vote goes to Vlad.
(I see that they are indeed connected. Thank you, Wikipedia.)
Comment Written 23-Nov-2013
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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Hah, thanks, Introspection. We were not permitted to use author's notes, for whatever reason, so I had to rely on the intelligence of the community to get the connection. Seems your intelligence is just fine, LOL!
Comment from goompa
Yep. Sure has my respect Dean. (so do you, by the way) I'm very glad not to mess with Vlad. Best wishes for a happy holiday.
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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Yep. Sure has my respect Dean. (so do you, by the way) I'm very glad not to mess with Vlad. Best wishes for a happy holiday.
Comment Written 23-Nov-2013
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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Thanks very much, goompa, what a nice thing to say. Much obliged for the great review!
Comment from lancellot
Interesting play on words here. Yes i his foes respect did get higher. About six or seven feet higher. I also like that you chose to go with the more historical account of the man rather than the supernatural, mythical version. Well done.
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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Interesting play on words here. Yes i his foes respect did get higher. About six or seven feet higher. I also like that you chose to go with the more historical account of the man rather than the supernatural, mythical version. Well done.
Comment Written 23-Nov-2013
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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Hah, thanks, lancellot, I really appreciate it my friend!
Comment from jandeck
I loved this very clever 5-7-5. Also, loved the play on words in the last line. The pictures go great with the story. Vlad the Impaler, the true Count Dracula! Well done.
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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I loved this very clever 5-7-5. Also, loved the play on words in the last line. The pictures go great with the story. Vlad the Impaler, the true Count Dracula! Well done.
Comment Written 23-Nov-2013
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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Thanks a bunch, jandeck! Much obliged...
Comment from ArcticNight
I loved the play on words in the last line, both a grisly tribute and a humorous approach to indicating the effect it had on his foes.
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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I loved the play on words in the last line, both a grisly tribute and a humorous approach to indicating the effect it had on his foes.
Comment Written 23-Nov-2013
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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Thanks very much for the review, ArcticNight. Much obliged!
Comment from adewpearl
I love your over-the-top presentation of this Count Dracula 5/7/5, which is in good form
enemies heads on poles - enemies' - plural possessive
good alliteration in soon spiked and great play on words :-) Brooke
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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I love your over-the-top presentation of this Count Dracula 5/7/5, which is in good form
enemies heads on poles - enemies' - plural possessive
good alliteration in soon spiked and great play on words :-) Brooke
Comment Written 23-Nov-2013
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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Thank you , Brooke. I appreciate that, my friend!
Comment from SteveY
Wow what a nice little pun on words. I gotta tell you when the music started it hit so loud I thought I was being impaled! Great job once again!
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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Wow what a nice little pun on words. I gotta tell you when the music started it hit so loud I thought I was being impaled! Great job once again!
Comment Written 23-Nov-2013
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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Hah, sorry about that, Steve-o!
Thanks for the great review, though. I really appreciate it!
Comment from barkingdog
This post never came to my inbox. I'm glad that I found it on the homepage.
It's 7:30 am and the music definitely woke me up. I'm ready for battle--well to review. LOL
I'd have to say Vlad had a way with gaining respect.
Fine 'l' consonance(Vlad the Impaler) followed by a barrage of 's'.
Now off to do battle with Bonus Review.:)e
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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This post never came to my inbox. I'm glad that I found it on the homepage.
It's 7:30 am and the music definitely woke me up. I'm ready for battle--well to review. LOL
I'd have to say Vlad had a way with gaining respect.
Fine 'l' consonance(Vlad the Impaler) followed by a barrage of 's'.
Now off to do battle with Bonus Review.:)e
Comment Written 23-Nov-2013
reply by the author on 24-Nov-2013
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No, it was a contest entry, so they don't go to your inbox to retain the author's anonymity. I'm glad you caught up to it, or it to you, whichever the case may be, LOL. Thanks for the great review, Ellen. Much obliged!