Saturday, January 5, 2008

Totally Optional Prompt: In the Ear

Most poetry (most writing in general) is visually oriented. The flash of color as a bird crosses your line of sight: maybe the sound of its song as an afterthought. The brilliance of a rainbow or a rose. Sounds tend to be neglected.

Yet we're surrounded by a vast and rich universe of sound at all times. These four poems are attempts to open the door inside the ear and let in some sounds.

Alicante Lullaby - Sylvia Plath
Reapers - Jean Toomer
What the Ear Said - Oliver de la Paz
A White Turtle under a Waterfall - Wang Wei

What do you hear?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was just thinking that the sense I most describe in my poetry is that of sight, unless there is a conscious effort to include others. This is a well-timed prompt for me.

And that Plath poem is luscious!

poefusion said...

I love the Plath poem myself. It has a very strong rhythm throughout. And, Wang Wei would be my second choice here.