There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably
desirable.
—Mark Twain
I'm not sure what it is about the forbidden that makes it so tempting, but I'll bet there are, or have been, enticements in all of our lives that we’ve wanted but can’t or
shouldn’t have—definitely forbidden fruits.
Metaphorically (and
idiomatically), “forbidden fruit” is something that we find attractive or
desirable but aren’t allowed to have (often because having it is immoral or
illegal). The phrase is derived from the Bible’s Genesis story of Adam and Eve
and their partaking of the Tree of Knowledge fruit that was forbidden
to them by God. The term “forbidden fruit” came into figurative use during the
seventeenth century when, in 1663, James Heath used the phrase “The stealing
and tasting of the forbidden fruit of Sovereignty” in Flagellum; or, the Life and Death … of Oliver Cromwell. In recent
times the term has come to mean anything that is forbidden, prohibited, or off
limits.
In prompt #105, we wrote about
fabulous fruit; this week, your challenge is to write about a metaphorical “fruit”
that is or has been forbidden to you. You might start by making a list of
things that you want but can’t or shouldn’t have (currently or in the past).
Look at your list and choose one “forbidden fruit” to write about. Whatever you
choose (object, person, occupation, action, relationship, food), write into
your poem exactly why the “fruit” is (or was) forbidden to you. Think about how
giving in, or not giving in, to the “forbidden fruit” you’re writing about
impacted your life. Why was your “forbidden fruit” bad for you? What made it
seem so good? Don’t avoid a “forbidden fruit” experience that makes you
uncomfortable. When it comes to “write or flight,” dig your heels in and write.
Some Possibilities to Consider:
1. Write a poem about something
forbidden to you as an adult.
2. Write a poem about something
forbidden to you when you were a child.
3. Is there a “forbidden passion
fruit” in your story? Write a poem about a forbidden romance.
4. Write a poem based on the
following quotation (or use the quote as an epigraph for your poem): “We always
long for the forbidden things, and desire what is denied us.” (François
Rabelais)
Examples:
