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.)
%20.png) |
| Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash |
Happy writing!
Carmela
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.
ReplyDeleteThat's a new word to me - thank you! Here's to more laughter in the world! xo
ReplyDeleteYou definitely have permission, Linda! I'd love for you to share it.
ReplyDeleteYes, Irene. I think we could all use more laughter!
ReplyDeleteOh my, Carmela, I had an agelast neighbor, too. Thanks for the new word. See you in the Poet's Studio!
ReplyDeleteWOOOOW. She thought she owned the SIDEWALK!? So, SO agelast.
ReplyDeleteWhat 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 :>)
ReplyDeletePatricia, seems as though there's at least one in every neighborhood!
ReplyDeleteI know, Tanita. Right!
ReplyDeleteI 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!
ReplyDeleteOh 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?
ReplyDeleteYes, Heidi. I feel sorry for agelasts.
ReplyDeleteI 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!
ReplyDeleteLike 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'.
ReplyDeleteSuper 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!
ReplyDeleteTricia, 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! :-)
ReplyDeleteLinda, I'll have to look up that character from To Kill A Mockingbird. I don't remember her!
ReplyDeleteTabatha, what a great idea to think of an agelast as a challenge!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun word choice for your definito! I guess Eyeore was the ultimate agelast!
ReplyDeleteThanks for a new-to-me word, and for joining in the definito fun!
ReplyDeleteMolly, Eyeore is indeed. I didn't think of him!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Mary Lee!
ReplyDeleteThanks, for bringing Tabatha's post to my attention, Carmela ~ I love Tanita's comment about your poem...that she thinks she owns the sidewalk.
ReplyDeleteAnd, 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!
ReplyDeleteThanks, April. I looked up agelast on A.Word.A.Day. Contradictory to my other sources, they actually define an antonym:
ReplyDeleteThe 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!
ReplyDeleteI 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. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carmela!
Love it, Karen. Thanks!
ReplyDelete