Happy autumn everyone (in the
northern hemisphere anyway)! Autumn officially begins in my place on the map at 10:49 AM today
(September 22nd). Just as that happens, I’ll be conducting a
workshop and critique sessions at a Women Who Write poetry conference in Madison, NJ, and
tonight I’ll be celebrating the autumnal equinox (a time of equality between
day and night) with friends, dinner, and a bottle of mead. My mom always called autumn “the brief, bright season.” As a
child, it was always my favorite time of year (quite probably because autumn’s
arrival heralded my birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas).
There’s something special about autumn's mixture of warm sun, cooler air, and colorful leaves. This week, let’s celebrate the season and write
poems about autumn. You might try an ode or a sonnet, or you might write about
an autumn experience that you had (memoir poem). You might describe the season (being careful
to make your description unique and memorable – avoid those seasonal poem clichés that can ruin otherwise good poems). You might work with autumn as a
metaphor (again, be wary of clichés and definitely stay away from autumn as a metaphor for a particular time of life). Another idea is to use the prompt title as the title of your poem
(“What Autumn Brings”). An option you might like is to take on the character of an autumn aspect and write a persona poem (write from the perspective of a tree, a leaf, a bonfire, a chestnut, a
migrating bird, etc.). Have fun with this – enjoy the imagery of this colorful
season!
Examples:
Happy autumn, Adele, from Nicola and me! This is my favorite time of year, along with spring!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jamie and Nicola! Autumn is lovely, no doubt about it! Enjoy!
DeleteHI Adele,
ReplyDeleteI've been traveling for work and away from my personal "desk," so there's much to catch up on with your blog. I like the new look. The beige margin adds a bit of lovely brightness. Now ... on to the blog posts!
Happy autumn to you!
Slainte,
Máire Ó Cathail (Ireland)
Great to hear from you, Maire! I hope your journeying was productive and pleasant. Glad that you like the little "facelift" and that you enjoy the prompts.
DeleteI love autumn but this poem by Giuseppe Ungaretti (1888-1970 is very sad...
ReplyDeleteSOLDATI
Si sta come
d'autunno
sugli alberi
le foglie.
SOLDIERS
We stay as
in autumn
leaves
on the trees.
Adele, what do you think?
It's better " leaves on the trees" or " the leaves on the trees"?
P.S
There is also a french version: Ungaretti was bilingual.
MILITAIRES
Nous sommes tels qu’en automne sur l’arbre
la fueille.
Thanks so much, Jago, for sharing this poem. Yes, it is very sad – so much nuance, and so much said in those few words. I must look this poet up and see more of his work! Thanks again,and thank you for all your contributions to this blog!
DeleteJago, Ungaretti is an immensely interesting poet! I've just been reading a few of his poems (in translation, of course, on the Net). His style is interesting, especially the to-the-point lines, cryptic messages, and shorter poems that are more memorable because of their brevity and power. I would guess that he's more well-known in Europe than in the US.
DeleteHere's one I like (the translation is from the net):
Sono Una Creatura
Come questa pietra
del S. Michele
così fredda
così dura
così prosciugata
così refrettaria
così totalmente
disanimata
Come questa pietra
è il mio pianto
che non si vede
La morte
si sconta
vivendo
I Am A Creature
Like this stone of
San Michele
as cold
as hard
as thoroughly dried
as refractory
as deprived of spirit
Like this stone
is my weeping that can't
be seen
Living
discounts
death
Wonderful poem and wonderful translation!
DeleteG. Ungaretti was very famous and really a myth for my generation. At my time every one wrote poems in Ungaretti way ( Ermetismo).Me too:
Si sono perse le bandiere
nei venti
Qui
ognuno ha sofferto
ed ha una tomba
da curare
Flags vanished
in the winds
Here
everyone suffered
and has a tomb
to care
Jago, you've captured the Ungaretti style perfectly! There's something about the short lines and deep meaning that's compelling! Thanks so much for sharing!
DeleteAnother great prompt! Thanks, Adele!
ReplyDeleteThe new look (beige border) is very nice - elegant. The black background has a classy look (it's been said that it's harder to read than a light background, but I don't find it to be so). I hope you don't change that!
Thanks, Rich! I read the same thing about black backgrounds not being the easiest to read, but I do like the look. So ... no change in the works. So glad you're onboard, and thanks for your comments.
DeleteI just discovered your blog and I'm not sure how to post this, but I'm going to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteThank you for such an incredible poetry site! Brilliant!
I look forward to visiting again and again.
Gil Croft
Welcome, GIl! It's nice to "meet" you here on the blog! Thanks so much for your kind words.
DeleteGreat prompt - there's so much symbolism in autumn, so much striking imagery!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bob! You're right about autumn symbolisms and imagery.
DeleteMy stepdad used to recite, "When the leaves are in the gutter, that's when I think of me mutter." Always cracked me up.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Bob! Memories ...
DeleteMargo Roby sent me this way. Here's a poem I wrote two years ago, but it happens every year, so I hope you don't mind.
ReplyDeleteFare Well
A fleeting moment of wonderment
from our window this afternoon,
the sky a transient mosaic
of whirling, swooping birds
dipping and diving over the pond.
Avian sea planes plunge and skim
along the water, drinking on the wing.
The house martins have flocked to go,
their stay with us too short.
Our garage pair has brought some friends
for a farewell curtain call -
they like to travel in company.
Bon voyage, my summer joy,
and come back soon.
Hi Vivian,
DeleteSo nice to see you here on the blog, and thanks so much for posting your poem! Poems like this are timeless and always current in the appropriate season. Thanks again - I hope you'll come back!
Welcome aboard! Thanks for sharing your poem with us!
Delete