Saturday, June 20, 2015

Sunday Mini-Challenge - Ode to the Quotidian



Hey Toads!  

Manicddaily, Karin Gustafson here,to tell you that I don’t much believe in muses.  Or, maybe it’s truer to say that I have absolute faith in them.  

Meaning that I tend to think a muse, i.e. inspiration is here, there, everywhere, all the time, and any trouble I may have in locating her/him/it is due far more to my absence of attention than to any muse having gone missing. 

Meaning that I think there’s a poem (at least an ode) available in pretty much anything, if considered closely.  (Note that I personally am not always capable of this close consideration!) 

One of my favorite “od-ists” to just about anything is Pablo Neruda.  Neruda wrote three collections of odes; they cover topics from the quotidian to the sublime--or maybe he just makes the quotidian--that is, day-to-day stuff-- seem sublime.  One of my favorites is one of his most homely--”Ode to My Socks” in which he rhapsodizes about his heavenly socks as something he is tempted to feed like a pair of tropical birds, with seed and pink melon. 



So, in this mid-June, when, in the Northern hemisphere, you may not even be wearing socks (though you may be eating pink melon) and when, in the Southern hemisphere, you may have donned wool socks "as soft as rabbits," I ask you to think of something simple, something down to earth or day to day--what, for example, your eye passes over as you look over (right now) from your computer screen--and find a poem or ode in it. 

Note that the poem/ode can start with something relatively "lowly", but then scale whatever heights or fancies you wish.  In other words, your ode can, but, need need simply describe the object or experience that is its inspiration; it can just use object or experience as a place for lift-off (if you like).

If the quotidian doesn’t work for you, then feel free to focus upon the “ode” part of this project and keep to a more elevated plane right from the start.  I am thinking here of Keats’ Ode to a Nightingale or Ode on a Grecian Urn.  

Classic odes are lyrical, and may follow a traditional rhyme scheme.  Feel free to use a structured format, but do not feel obligated to do so. 

Also, I include below some photos/drawings of quotidian sorts of things--use as you like, but please do give appropriate attribution. (Karin Gustafson).  (BTW, the green vegetables are brussel sprouts on their stalk.)  

Finally, sorry to be a bit rushed--am preparing for my daughter's wedding this upcoming week (which will be at our house!)  A lot to do!  I will definitely visit everyone, but may be slow.  











20 comments:

Kerry O'Connor said...

The Neruda is magnificent - inspiration indeed. It is quite a challenge to raise an everyday object to such lofty heights.

Outlawyer said...

Thanks, Kerry--I really mean for this to be very wide open. I am posting in a few minutes, I hope--people should feel free just to use the prompt as a jumping off place. k.

brudberg said...

Oh I remember when we had this as a prompt at dVerse.. great to go back to that. No socks, but close this time.

hedgewitch said...

You may not believe in muses per se, Karin, but I'm pretty sure mine wrote this one without conscience intervention from me, being atm in that stage of sleeplessness where things like thinking are pretty remote contingencies. Thanks for pulling this one out of the ether with your challenge. I will be around to catch up when I can.

Sanaa Rizvi said...

Hey everyone,

Hope you're enjoying the weekend :D sharing my poem "Ode to the Wind" hope you guys like it :D

Thank you Karin for this lovely prompt, this one's for you :D

Lots of love,
Sanaa

C.C. said...

Great prompt, Karin. Really had fun with this one :-)

Margaret said...

An example of a poem that never would have been written if not for a prompt here at the Garden. I took the photo but just had no idea how to respond to it... Until now. Thank you!

Margaret said...

Sanaa Rizvi - are you getting my comments? I never seem to be able to make the "stick".

Sanaa Rizvi said...

Hey Margaret,

Yes I did, thanks! :D

Outlawyer said...

Thanks all. I'm glad if the prompt gave rise to some poems! All that I've been seen have been super interesting. K .

Sumana Roy said...

Thanks Karin for this wonderful prompt...

Jim said...

Best wishes to the new couple. And to Mom!!!
Thank you for this fun prompt.
..

Grace said...

I have been inspired by Neruda's odes lately ~ Best of luck to the wedding & happy couple ~

Fireblossom said...

I see dear little Pearl at the top!

Fireblossom said...

Thank you for the earthquake-rattled Hedgewitch for telling me she thought I would do a good job on this challenge. Thanks for the chuck under the chin. I happened to need it.

Unknown said...

Another reason to love Neruda :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks all. I've edited my poem as I realized I really didn't get what I was aiming for at end. Maybe closer now. k.

Anonymous said...

this was such a fun way to get some inspiration flowing - and simply pleasurable for the writing in play sake - for me!

I'm "new" here - and I've popped by all the entries - although I may have been too shy/quiet to comment - but I've enjoyed the challenge and all the posts :)

Marian said...

Karin, this is such a lovely prompt and I'm sorry I didn't get to it. Maybe one day, I do have it in mind. Busy here, and distracted by horrible events in the grand ole USA. But I wanted just say hello, and note that I love your art always. :)

Hannah said...

Linking late because I can't stand to miss a great challenge but I will be short on time to read...will return reads when I can. Thank you, Karen!!