Dear Readers and Poets,
It's Day Thirty of #Na/GloPoWriMo 2023. The last (optional) challenge of this year asks the poet to write a palinode – a poem in which you retract a view or sentiment expressed in an earlier poem. For example, you might pick a poem you drafted earlier in the month and write a poem that contradicts or troubles it. This could be an interesting way to start working on a series of related poems.
Alternatively, you could play around with the idea of a palinode by writing a poem in which the speaker says something like “I take it back” or otherwise abandons a prior position within the single poem.
I've opted for the alternative option of abandoning a prior position within this poem. It's called
how to palinode
how to palinode
in haiku kept us awake
our restless silence
broken by bird song when dawned
a tanka -- upon spring moon
a tanka -- upon spring moon
gliding in between many
possibilities--
pause. still. lines emerge to show
how to palinode
*****************
I'm tempted to say more about the poem but I'll keep quiet for now. I look forward to your comments and views.
I missed out on a few days' worth of challenges this year. But with all the fabulous resources and prompts shared by Maureen Thorson throughout April, I'm sure May will be blooming with new poems too.
Thank you Maureen and all the poets who shared their beautiful poetry. A very special thanks to all of you who visited this space and read my poems. And an extra special thank you to the lovely ones who left comments:)
Wishing you all a beautiful Sunday.
Love the repetition of the first and last lines and the fact that the poem is self-referential: it begins and ends with a haiku and contains two tankas (unless I didn't count the syllables right). Thank you for your kindness and enthusiasm this month, dear Arti--and I'll see you again at the next NaPoWriMo!
ReplyDeleteThank you for spotting the reflectivity Romana. It has been a fabulous April of poetry. I'm even more in awe of your writing than I was last year:) Till we meet again. xx
DeleteI like the way it flows. I congratulate you on following the prompts for the whole month and writing 30 poems. Mine were much more off the cuff. Maybe next year.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kristin:) Actually, I missed out 6 days on account of travel but I hope to cover up in May. The prompts are too good to miss, methinks:)
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDelete(and again one nearly slipped by me!) Glad I check back to see your concluding April contribution - I had to ascertain meaning of palinode, the better to understand what this one did. For that new learning, I am grateful! Congrats on getting through the month and, as always, I look forward to more from you! YAM xx
Thank you Yamini:)
ReplyDeleteHi Arti,
ReplyDeleteI decided to make four centos out of our final Day 30 lines. I used all last 96 poems written in April as linked to the official NaPoWriMo site. Today I posted the last of the four centos, the one with your lines. Please read it here:
https://manjameximexcessive6.wordpress.com/2023/05/27/four-april-centos-no-4/
Thank you kindly for your words.
Thank you Manja. I've read your four centos -- what a fantastic effort and a cool idea too.
DeleteThank you kindly, Arti. :) I had much fun with them.
DeleteHey Manja, I tried to post this comment on your blog a couple of times but it's not working. I get the response : 'your comment failed to be accepted.'
DeleteI'm posting it here so it'll reach you:
Loved reading your ode to the last day of NaPoWriMo Manja. What a super effort and such fabulous results. Your cento is evidence of the sense of community April is for poets from all over the world. Super!
Oh Arti, thank you for telling me about this miscommunication of our blogs. Sorry to hear that. You're the first with this problem. I checked the spam and your comment is not there either. I love it that you get the sense of community from my centos. (There are four Day 30 centos, did you see the links to the other three at the end of my post?) I think this is why I did it, to keep up this feeling of community. It's what we need. To many more! Thank you so much!
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