Reverie: absentminded dreaming
while awake;
a state of being
pleasantly lost in one's thoughts.
Originally Posted Saturday, August 14, 2010
For me, during these “dog days”
of summer, reverie means sitting in
my gazebo (with my Yorkie next to me) and being “pleasantly lost” in thought to
the music of birds, crickets, and cicadas. Sometimes my “absentminded
dreamings” become poems.
For your reverie poem:
1. Take a
walk, lie on the grass, lounge in your favorite lawn chair (or, if the outdoor
weather isn’t cooperative, relax on a sofa or other comfortable place in your
home). Any time is fine, but try doing this in the morning or evening.
2. Keep
paper and a pen or pencil nearby.
3. Simply
unwind, free your mind of distractions, and let yourself daydream.
4. Write
down some of the things that come to you, and don’t try to organize your
thoughts.
5. Later in the day (or the next
day), go back to the notes you took during your reverie and look for
inspiration. Is there something there that you can develop into a poem? What
did you daydream about? What did your reverie bring to mind? Instead of one
poem, you might find material for several short poems or a sequence of short
poems. Your reverie may take a traditional, experimental, or fantasy form (and
it's not necessary to use the word “reverie” in your title.
