This week I have been closely examining Cento poems. A Cento poem is composed of various lines lifted from different poems. They are sometimes referred to as Patchwork or Collage poems. They are yet another form of found poetry.
The idea is to gather appealing lines from poems to create a pool of content from which to choose the most suitable lines for your new poem. You are aiming for lines that might lend themselves to meshing together to create a cohesive work. The poet becomes a weaver- a weaver of words.
You begin by choosing one or two lines per poem. Once you have your pool of lines you may commence to reconstruct, reconfigure and remix the word order of your chosen lines. You may also make them rhyme if you so choose. It is important to be consistent with your use of tenses and voice.
As a poetry form, Cento poems are quite old. They stretch back to the ancient Greek poet, Homer and the Roman poet, Virgil. Many famous poets have written Cento poems. Two examples of contemporary centos are 'The Dong with the Luminous Nose,' by John Ashbery and Peter Gizzi’s 'Ode: Salute to the New York School.'
When writing a Cento poem it is important to cite your sources. I found this writing exercise both challenging and in the end, quite rewarding. I embraced the necessity to weave and shape words and lines to provide some sense of cohesion, with enthusiasm. Here's what emerged...
Two Songs In The Night
The wild
woods and the misty valley
There
was a fire in my head
The wind
old, and at play
With
that distinctive chord that breaks at night
It did
not hush
And the
leaves were aflutter around me
I heard
the lake water lapping
with low
sounds by the shore
And
under the blinking of the stars
I sang a
song for when day’s toil is done
Sweet
was the sound that rose
first as
a murmur
Before bellowing
up and bellowing out
A sweet
and sad lament
To the
mournful moon
over the
clamour of the wind
And then
the wind departed
and my
voice was left alone.
Alan j Wright
*Cento, citing famous Irish poets, Samuel Ferguson, WB Yeats, Thomas Moore, Oliver Goldsmith
*It is once more Poetry Friday and our host this week is Mary Lee Hahn. Mary Lee presents an Etheree poem to announce a new writing project which involves writing a Cherita poem each day for the entire month of April.
I'm a sucker for moon poems! This cento is amazing!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mary Lee, that's very kind of you. I admit, I am quite pleased with the end result. I kept revisiting the words across the week doing a lttile tweaking in order to feel at ease with the final flow of the poem.
DeleteAlan, that is so beautiful. I like the way you have identified the "rules" that help your cento poem have consistency and a true weaving of words. I'm curious how many poems did this come from? I like these lines the best today:
ReplyDelete"There was a fire in my head
The wind old, and at play"
Thank you Denise. I had a host of beautiful lines with which to work, but you're correct, consistency and a weaving of words that are at ease in each other's company were major considerations. In the end I looked at 15 poems in the anthology of a book titled- 'Land of Poets, Ireland.'
DeleteWow. This is just...wow. So atmospheric and gorgeous. Masterful weaving!
DeleteThank you, Laura. Your generous response is very much appreciated.
DeleteAlan, this cento does not have the tell-tale breaks that most do--I suppose due to your use of sources all in the same vein and place and register. The result is a wholecloth masterpiece. Wow--just enthralling! Happy US National Poetry Month!
ReplyDeleteIt pleases me to hear my weaving efforts with these lines have been done with a measure of success. I agree with you rergarding the source material. No doubt it assisted my efforts. There was certainly a theme of time and space running through many of the poems I was reading. Sadly, we do not have a similar celebration of poetry in Australia. I wish we did. I recall being involved when living and working in New York schools.
DeleteAlan, your cento has such beautiful sound images. The winds are kicking up here quite a bit and so your cento is lulling beyond the winds. The last line is so powerful.I felt mesmerized by the lines you chose to create your own poem.
ReplyDeleteCarol, your generous response is much appreicated. The last line is always important, so it pleases me to hear you liked it.
DeleteIt's amazing how these lines knit together without looking like they were from different poems. Beautiful arrangement, Allen. I'm with Mary Lee, "A sweet and sad lament/To the mournful moon" is lovely.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda. My knitting skills certainly got a work out here, but I enjoyed both the experience and ultimately, the outcome.
DeleteThanks for explaining so thoroughly, Alan. I "think" I didn't know about the rearranging of words, too. This is a beautiful cento, a gathering of mood so ethereal that combines wonderfully with your picture. You've made me want to be right there! I love stanza two, starting with "It did not hush." Somehow it touched me a lot, thinking of those leaves and the water. Hope the weekend is going well. I'm still catching up.
ReplyDeleteIt's important to set up the reader to fully understand the particular poetry project you are undertaking, so I appreciate your comments, Linda. The ability to re-arrange words allows a greater flexibility when composing. I was grateful for that. It enabled subtle but important changes. As always thank you for dropping by and leaving your pertinent remarks.
DeleteWeaver of words; maker of meaning.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have been called far worse than this across my life, so I find myself most flattered by this description, which I shall wear with humble pride while continuing to seek out my best possible words. Thank you, sincerely.
DeleteGorgeous. I'm enjoying reading and re-reading your words. I linger at "that distinctive chord that breaks at night" - It reverberates. I imagine standing near a lakeshore and knowing this song from the inside out.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Patricia. Always appreciate the feedback. I'm glad you can see clearly into my poem.
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