Writing Exercise of the Week: The Colors of Poetry
Choose a color, write a 15-20 line poem, where the name of the color is often repeated. Begin by listing the images associated with that color, then consider the narrative and associative possibilities.
Consider as you write the broader, symbolic associations of the color chosen. Also consider the personal associations that color has for you. Incorporate the color in the title is you can. Try to refrain from using "like" or "as" in this piece.
A Short Poem about the Color Blue
ReplyDeleteI wanted to write about red---
how it is the color of passion, sunset,
and sometimes anger.
The bricks of my grandparents house
were that red darker than blood,
almost crimson with the weight of years
pulverizing the mortar stuck between.
My grandmother's tulips all sang
the same red song in chorus,
only the black pupil of the stamen
dared to say anything else.
Everything this morning in me
wanted to write about red,
lay it out in front of you--- just for you.
But when I saw the sun coming up
over the salt flats, everything turned blue
and the color red lost its voice.
Justin--
ReplyDeleteGreat! I love how the title plays against the poem. Nice work.