Friday, November 13, 2009

POETRY FRIDAY: MOON FEVER


Arcade Souvenir 
(I want that hat....) 


Last week I was  moon-drunk, and there's still something going on between the moon and me, so I must have moon fever. I wrote "Late Night Thoughts" (below) as a response to Tricia's Poetry Stretch over at the Miss Rumphius Effect this week.  The challenge was to write a rictameter (another counted-syllables poem - like the Zeno! Only not like the Zeno!) which is a non-rhyming nine-line poem with the following syllable count: 2/4/6/8/10/8/6/4/2. The first and last lines must be the same. (Of course, that last rule immediately makes me want to bend it - or even break it, though bending rules is much more fun.) When I write in response to a challenge, I'm not sure I produce an actual poem. But I do a few things usually that interest me. In this poem, I enjoyed turning the first two words of the poem into a complete question in the last line. I also liked coming up with line "the sun never rises" - it was like a backward curtsy to Hemingway. Putting howl and now next to each other felt good - almost like singing a Roy Orbison song - oh, I know why! - " in BLUE... BAY...-OUUUUUU!"  The rules say no rhyme, and I assume that's no end rhyme - that's usually what people mean (unfortunately?) when they talk about rhyme. There actually is quite a lot of internal rhyme in these nine lines:  Thoughts/not, might/night, howl/now, moon/soon, one/sun. The "wolf-throated chance" is an image I might actually want to save for a more serious poem. So - here's the second in my Moon Fever series (or so it seems):

Late Night Thoughts

Why not
howl at the moon?
Soon it will be sun-up --
who knows what happens after that?
This might be it: Your one wolf-throated chance.
You know, the sun never rises
at night -- what kind of friend
is that? Howl now!
Why not.?


Arcade Souvenir
(...again, the hat!) 

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The Poetry Round-Up this week is over at Gotta Book  (thank you, Greg) - You gotta go there and see the links.

17 comments:

  1. I find that first moon's countenance to be too much the leering sort, and yet, and yet, I would pay to have my photo taken with it.

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  2. I love the shape of this when the words are centered. Such a small change that made a difference in the way I read the poem.

    Thanks for sharing!

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  3. P.S. - Thanks too for analyzing/explaining the poem. I love looking more closely at structure and am glad you led me through it!

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  4. Too much fun. Thinking about my "one wolf-throated chance".

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  5. Why not indeed? Great poem! I understand your moon fever, too. I've been mesmerized by the moon of late, standing in the backyard with our dog around midnight, staring at the sky.

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  6. Julie,

    Excellent moon-themed rictameter! I didn't get around to trying Tricia's poetry stretch this week. I'm still hooked on double dactyls. I love light verse.

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  7. Those photos are terrific!
    Great poem, too!

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  8. I'm all agog over your poem and the hats and the moon!

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  9. Love this. I like that the words are centered as well (although I didn't get a chance to read it before). Thanks for the analysis. I love to hear people speak about their work. I learn more-about the "finished" form and about the process itself.

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  10. Love those hats, although I'm not keen on the way that first moon leers at the lady in his lap. He needs a good howling -- "Howl now!"

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  11. Hi Julie! I love the poem's diamond shape. It looks so inviting on the page. And the question at the end is perfect.

    If you like hats take a look at this one:

    http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3b40000/3b43000/3b43200/3b43264r.jpg

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  12. My favorite line: "Who knows what happens after that?" Thanks for giving us the back story too. Love this poem!

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  13. wolf-throated!! Love this. I hope your moon fever continues. A good thing for which there is no vaccine.
    daphne

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  14. Thanks for all the feedback, everyone - this experiment was fun, wasn't it? What would I do without Tricia and her Stretches?

    I guess that first moon really is leering - but I think it wants the hat - nothing more! I wish we all lived closer together and could have a hat party.

    Martha - I love the idea of looking at the moon with a dog. There's a poem in that. Write it?

    Diane - how do you suppose the woman with that hat (your link) even moved through the world when it was on. You'd think she would have just tipped over....

    Daphne - no vaccine - absolutely right - owwww-ooowwwww-oooowwww!

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  15. You know, I think I *will* try a dog/moon poem ... thanks!

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  17. Julie,

    I'm leaving today (Thursday) for Philadelphia. I'll be at the NCTE Convention. I won't be around on Friday. Here's the URL of my "Poetry Wednesday" post.

    http://wildrosereader.blogspot.com/2009/11/thanksgiving-poetry.html

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