In this post I am focusing on poems that feature people. Sometimes such poems are sparked by people we know and sometimes the inspiration can arise from clse observation of people we may not even formally know. There are times when the focus of the poem may in fact be a composite of several people. When poems are written in prasie of people, the poem is referred to as an ode. The poems presented below feature the quirkiness of human beings, rather than being odes.
I have written a number of poems concerning people, particularly family members I know well, but those poems were specifically written for that individual, so I won't include them here.
Writing a poem about another person requires the poet to observe them with a keen eye. Your own feelings and attitudes towards them come into play. The aim is to express yourself in a lyrical way.
When I began to search my Poetry Vault for poems about people, I was surprsied to feed so many from which to choose. The more I look at theselected poems, the more I note connections to people I know.
And now, meet some of my people...
Dave’s Mammoth Mondegreen
He sang those songs with gusto.
He was also hard of hearing…
This led him to singing,
‘Tie a sallow gibbon round the old bloke’s knee…’
Poor Tony Orlando fell foul
of Dave’s mammoth mondegreen.
Alan j Wright
Sebastian loved performance art
He liked to dress and play the part
Dramatic verse
Dramatic flair
Fevered brow
Flowing hair
Summer shorts
Favourite thongs
Poignant poems
Soulful songs
Sebastian would stand out in the park
Reciting words
From dawn to dark
He was a rather arty fellow
Sometimes wild
Sometimes mellow
A dedicated logophile
There is an endless about to write about when you study people, as you have for these delightful poems. My favorite is the Performance Poet, that dedicated "logophile."
ReplyDeleteWhat a vast array of potential subjects exist for the poet when considering human beings. Glad you enjoyed my people poems. More power to the world's logophiles, I say.
DeleteQuite a group to imagine here, Alan, love knowing the new word, 'mondegreen' & the creative style you showed yourself in sussing out that phrase about the 'sallow gibbon'. And, the 2nd one you wrote made me want to hear Sebastian read about himself aloud, would be fun. Finally, I loved the "oozes pop and sparkle". Thanks for a new kind of people poems!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed my assorted characters, Linda.
DeleteAll these poems are terrific Alan, though I especially like your "Performance Poet" and learning about a "logophile," and "mondegreen," too, thanks!"
ReplyDeleteHappy to share new words Michelle- feel free to pass them on.
DeleteA lover of words: logophile-I would say the PF community are all logophile. Thanks for the new word, mondegreen. You shared a great example. Thanks for all the rhyming poems, Alan.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with you completely, Carol. Logophiles all! Glad you had some reading fun too.
DeleteThese are quite the characters. My favorite is Florence the Firecracker
ReplyDeleteFlorence is a cracker, Kay. No doubt about it. Thank you for your response.
DeleteLOL! This folks are wonderfully quirky...such great celebrations of being just a bit different. I think you've got the start of a book going here.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like my quirky friends, Linda. I'm with you on the book project idea. Have been going through the 'vault' pulling together my most quirky character and pondering possibilities.
DeleteWhat I love about all three poems is the smile they seem to have been written with -- or perhaps I am reading more into them than is there, but then... I'm the reader, right?
ReplyDeleteThese quirky characters did bring on a smirk or two when I was creating them, so your premonition is most accurate, Patricia.
DeleteOh, these are such fun! If I had to pick a favorite, I think I'd pick Florence. She sounds a delight!
ReplyDelete