"Dogs & Sonnets" [a pedagogical sonnet]

The initial stanza speaks of some one facet
of a topic that one desires to ponder deeply
if thinking of dogs -- one mentions here a basset
a chihuahua or a poodle! -- not too cheaply

are canines of this nature purchased -- no!
(the second stanza treats another aspect)
of course to the dog-pound one could certainly go
but mutts   alas   would seem the likely prospect

there are other facts of dogs one needs to think on
(in the final quatrain things might grow dramatic)
if it's raining cats & dogs   can one then drink on
a sad poodle puddle?   dogs are not erratic

they're loyal   and (like the couplet at the end)
it's the wag (or wit) that encapsulates this friend

-------------

A correspondent asked me to teach her how to write a sonnet. I'm not sure how one teaches such things. I made some suggestions, and also composed this attempat at a pedagogical poem.

Somewhat relatedly, there's Garrison Keillor's admonishment to "Write a sonnet for Mom."