Happy Poetry Friday! I'm interrupting our current blog series to share my response to this month's Poetry Friday community challenge to write a definito poem. As Tanita Davis explained in her post introducing the challenge, a definito is a free verse poem of 8-12 lines (aimed at readers 8-12
years old) that highlights wordplay as it demonstrates the meaning of a
less common word, which itself always ends the poem. Heidi Mordhorst created the form.
I found my "less common word" thanks to Linda Mitchell's blog post at the end of last month. In that post, Linda shared a link to a list of uncommon words on the Merriam-Webster online dictionary. What an intriguing list! You can see the word I chose in my definito below. (I'm also working on a longer free verse poem using the same word.)
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| Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash |
Happy writing!
Carmela
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28 comments:
I love it! Poetry begets poetry...doesn't it? How fun. Do I have permission to share this definito with students? I think they'd like it.
That's a new word to me - thank you! Here's to more laughter in the world! xo
You definitely have permission, Linda! I'd love for you to share it.
Yes, Irene. I think we could all use more laughter!
Oh my, Carmela, I had an agelast neighbor, too. Thanks for the new word. See you in the Poet's Studio!
WOOOOW. She thought she owned the SIDEWALK!? So, SO agelast.
What a great word.
And thank you so much for the pronunciation -- as a kid I read so many words and said them inside my head... they were never quite right out loud, so that's a big help in a poem for any age!
Thanks for taking part in the challenge!
Oooh. My father is an agelast. I love that "perpetually overcast." Such fun! Thanks for playing along :>)
Patricia, seems as though there's at least one in every neighborhood!
I know, Tanita. Right!
I was always the same way with pronunciations, too. So I love that the online Merriam-Webster dictionary has an audio feature to let you hear the pronunciation.
Oh, no, Laura. I would hate to live with an agelast. So glad YOU have a sense of humor!
Oh my, how I love to learn a new word! I can't wait to see your longer free verse exploration of your witchy old neighbor...although don't you wonder what's gotten in the way of agelasts and their laughter?
Yes, Heidi. I feel sorry for agelasts.
I love learning new words. I'm sad to say there were a number of people like this in the neighborhood my grandmother lived in. My mother always claimed it was because they lived through the depression. I can remember thinking they should be happy they made it through!
Like Tanita, I too appreciate the pronunciation.
It's new to me, Carmela, and a word that fits a few I know. it makes me sad that nothing seems amusing to them. Well done. I like the opening about the definition, then your own story! Reminds me of that Mrs. Dubose from To Kill A Mockingbird, a true 'agelast'.
Super interesting word, Carmela! I would have guessed incorrectly about the pronunciation and the meaning. Agelasts strike me as a challenge. It's so delightful to make one laugh!
Tricia, that's an interesting idea about the their having lived through the depression. But I know plenty of others who did and were definitely NOT agelasts! :-)
Linda, I'll have to look up that character from To Kill A Mockingbird. I don't remember her!
Tabatha, what a great idea to think of an agelast as a challenge!
What a fun word choice for your definito! I guess Eyeore was the ultimate agelast!
Thanks for a new-to-me word, and for joining in the definito fun!
Molly, Eyeore is indeed. I didn't think of him!
Thanks for stopping by, Mary Lee!
Thanks, for bringing Tabatha's post to my attention, Carmela ~ I love Tanita's comment about your poem...that she thinks she owns the sidewalk.
And, left to my own resources, I would have defined agelast as someone like my mother...she was the last to look or act her age...in a good way.
Another resource, A.Word.A.Day, comes each day and teaches me so much. Anu Garg, the man who started it, has a wonderful sense of humor and of the world. Here's today's entry: https://wordsmith.org/words/today.html
Oh, this was fascinating! A new word! Thank you!
Thanks, April. I looked up agelast on A.Word.A.Day. Contradictory to my other sources, they actually define an antonym:
The opposite of an agelast is an abderian person, one given to excessive or incessant laughter.
Interesting.
You're most welcome, Liz. Thanks for stopping by!
I love learning new words and this one is completely new to me. Alas, the agelast! Adding variety and a sour note to neighborhoods the world over. :)
Thanks, Carmela!
Love it, Karen. Thanks!
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