The finest clothing made is a person's skin,
but, of course, society demands something more than this.
– Mark Twain
Have you ever thought about poems that have been written on
the topic of clothing? There are many, notably:
“Couture” by Mark Doty
“The Plaid Dress” by Edna St. Vincent Millay
“Shirt” by Robert Pinsky
“My Shoes” by Charles Simic
and, of course Robert Herrick’s “Delight in Disorder”
Clothing is often considered an extension of an individual's personality.
Interestingly, among the poems, there are also numerous stories about poets and
clothing. For example, Randall Jarell once traded ties with colleague Robert
Watson, gloves and scarves with his wife Mary, and jackets and hats with his
friend Peter Taylor; and when James Laughlin first met Ezra Pound, he wrote in
terms of clothing, “There came Ezra, dressed to the nines in his velvet jacket,
pants with equestrian seat, his cowboy hat, swinging his silverheaded cane .…”
You guessed it! Our prompt this week is for poems about clothing.
Guidelines:
1. Go through your closet and pick out something you haven’t
worn in a long time. Think about associated memories, people, etc. and use
those memories as “fuel” for a poem.
2. Take a “field trip” and visit an op shop (used clothing
store). Walk up and down the aisles and think about the clothes you see. Choose
a piece of clothing that you are especially drawn to or repelled by. Buy it and
take it home. Use this piece of clothing as your inspiration for a poem (a poem
about who wore the article of clothing, about what happened to someone who wore
the clothing, etc.).
3. Write a poem about a favorite piece of clothing or about
an article of clothing that had special significance for you.
4. Think about someone from your past, and note his or her
clothing in a poem.
5. Think about articles of clothing as metaphors and try
writing a poem in which you use clothing (one article of clothing or several)
to represent something else.
6. In dreams, it is said that clothing
represents two things: the way we would like the world to see us and the way
we’re afraid the world sees us. Dreaming about clothing may also represent our
attitudes about ourselves and about others. Write a poem about the way you are
seen, or would like to be seen, by others.
7. Think about your clothesline (even if you use a dryer,
imagine a clothes line that you might use). What’s hanging on that line? Write
a poem about your clothesline (what laundry would you hang out to dry – actual
or metaphorical).
8. Take a humorous approach to clothing and write a funny
“clothes poem” (i.e., “Ode to Underwear”).
9. Thoreau
wrote, “It is an interesting question how far men would retain their relative
rank if they were divested of their clothes.” Do you remember the Hans
Christian Anderson story about the Emperor’s new clothes? (You can read it here:
http://www.andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheEmperorsNewClothes_e.html) Was
there ever a time when you felt figuratively naked in a crowd of people? Write
a poem about that time.
10. Create an article of
clothing, something never before seen or worn and write a poem about it.
11. Write a poem about the
proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing (was there ever one in your life?).
Tips:
1. Include such things as color, texture, and patterns.
2. Show, don’t tell—through striking imagery, a strong emotional center, and
an integrated whole of language, form and meaning.
3. You will write about clothing,
but don’t forget that the best poems have obvious meanings and unstated
meanings. Your poem should be about more than simply clothing.
4. Clothing is often considered extensions
of people’s personalities, clothes can express emotion and mood. Keep these in
mind while writing.
4. Think about things that certain garments might symbolize.
5. If you enjoy writing humorous poems, got for it with this
one! "Dress your poem up" with laughter.
Examples: Please see above (first paragraph).
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