Three short takes on poetry for this sunny Friday…
Alan Jacobs writes that both Borges and Neruda considered English the best language for poetry because of the great number of one syllable words. This is fascinating to me! Of course, it sent me back to my own small poems…where there are plenty of one syllable words. I love their weighty heft. Like smooth stones in my hand that just might skip over the surface of a poem.
In a recent newsletter, Jocelyn K. Glei shared Jazz Keys. It’s a simple program that composes music while you type. We’ve been having lots of fun alternating basketball dream teams with character names for a novel. Take a listen to this wee poem of mine about the coming of Spring. Even my typos are melodic!
Finally, I was a guest on a recent episode of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast. The RAR team talked about ALA award winners including a new picture book biography of poet Gwendolyn Brooks called Exquisite as well as Cat Man of Aleppo by Karim Shamsi-Basha and Irene Latham. My copy of Irene’s delightful book This Poem Is a Nest arrived this week, and I am utterly charmed by the idea of creating nestling poems out of a source text.
So much more Poetry Friday goodness at my juicy little universe!
What a wonderful wee poem! And welcome to Poetry Friday! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
Thank you so much, Ruth!
I love that spring poem! Great to see/sea you here, Kortney!
Ah, Laura! Thanks for your close reading–such a wonderful gift for a poet!
Good day, Kortney, and welcome! I’ve seen your name, I know, but are you new to PF? I do love a smorgasbord of a post like this: enjoyed considering one-syllable words while noodling about with JazzKeys and considering your woman so vast, and then seeing all those books to look for. Yes, nestlings! (It’s harder than it looks–https://myjuicylittleuniverse.blogspot.com/2021/01/nest-nestlings-la-irene.html).
Thank you for the welcome, Heidi! I am a long time fan of PF, but it’s been a while since I participated. Your nestling (and rug!) are a wonder! So glad that you shared them!
Welcome to Poetry Friday. Those jazz keys sound like fun! Now I’m going to be pondering one-syllable words.
I love the quiet insistence of the one-syllables! Peace keep you, Kay.