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Monday, January 24, 2022

Word Garden Word List #10 (Wallace Stevens)

 


Hello everyone, it's me with your weekly word list poetry prompt! This time our list is derived from the poems of Wallace Stevens, who has been called "the best and most representative poet of our time." Or the recent past, perhaps.

Stevens has been called difficult, and i found him so until recently, when the light went on for me and i discovered that I love his work now. (The same thing happened to me with Billie Holiday. I never got what the fuss was about; then, listening to her one Sunday night, I got it.)

I would be remiss if I failed to mention that, seeing Ernest Hemingway in the street, Stevens is supposed to have said, "You think you're Ernest Hemingway," and promptly punched Hemingway in the face, breaking his hand in doing so. Afterward, Hemingway helped Stevens to bed to recover. 

What we do here is simple: use at least 3 of the 20 words provided to write a new poem of your own--any length, any style. Then link up, visit others, and enjoy. Prompt remains "live" thru Friday.

blackbird
book
catastrophe
chimera
clattering
dithery
fragrance
gloomy
haunted
lilacs
mask
maundering
papier-mache
police
pomp
postcard
snow
song
suffers
witching


11 comments:

  1. Again I have learned some new wonderful things about a poet! Love Stevens and love this list!! Thank you Shay for this!!

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  2. As you know, Stevens was a poet I discovered early in life, and while I can't say I understood him then as I do, or think I do, now, he was a major influence on my writing. No one can really say they've read poetry until they've read poems like Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, the Idea of Order in Key West, Farewell to Florida, or The Sense of The Sleight of Hand Man, to name just a few favorites. I am overjoyed you chose him for your list, Shay. I have something working already, but it's not ready yet. I will be back when it's had time to get itself into shape.

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    1. I was just searching my book shelf when his poems leapt into my hands all by themselves! Far be it from me to show favoritism to my beloved BFF. I would nevah. :-P

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  3. my all-time favorite wallace stevens poem is "the man with a blue guitar" excellent word list shay, thank you

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    1. One of my faves, too, phillip. We patch as we can, world and man.

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  4. "...Light
    Is the lion that comes down to drink. There
    And in that state, the glass is a pool.
    Ruddy are his eyes and ruddy are his claws
    When light comes down to wet his frothy jaws"

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    1. Bonus points for the best lines in The Glass of Water...well except for the part about the politicians playing cards.

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  5. I've heard of his name before but haven't read anything other than snippets. I like the story that you mentioned. It inspired my poem. Am delighted with each new writer and their word list in this weekly challenge.

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    1. I am so glad. It's satisfying to bring new things to my poet friends.

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Spirit, what do you wish to tell us?