Weekly Poetry Challenge Stars | Challenge #173 – Synonyms Only: Idea & Fancy

Posted on by Colleen M. Chesebro

Hello, everyone! Finally, my house painting project has ended. My husband and I are both worn out, but we beat the heat! The highs in Phoenix this week will climb into the nineties, which means it’s time to turn on the air conditioning. I want to thank everyone for putting up with my late comments and lack of content in the last month. I appreciate you all!

I had fun thinking up the two different prompt words for everyone to find synonyms to use for their poetry. Our words were idea and fancy. Your poetry was amazing… as usual!

This week’s winner is Kerfe Roig, featuring her Shadorma, “Unexpectations.”

Congratulations, Kerfe, it’s your turn to pick the two prompt words for next month’s Syllables Only challenge. Please Email me your choice at tankatuesdaypoetry@gmail.com before next month’s challenge. Thanks.

The frontside

Unexpectations

all is dis
order, from concept
to whim—in
side random
patterns I hide the stitches,
untamed by surprise

©2020 Kerfe Roig

The backside

source: K. Lines that aim to be

Kerfe employed a few literary devices into her poetry that caught my eye. Did you notice how she split the word, “dis-order?” That immediately gave me the feeling of chaos, which was the emotion she wanted to convey. She repeated this technique when she used the word “in-side.” That repetition reinforces the disorganized or displaced feeling that originates from chaos.

I also loved her choice of stitching circles onto the scraps of handmade paper. The circle has special symbolism. Remember, when writing poetry not everything needs to be conveyed with words only. When you use symbolism to communicate your thoughts, the reader peels away the layers of meaning, uncovering a few surprises along the way from their own interpretations.

Click HERE to read about the symbolism of the circle.

The circle also represents protection, inclusion, and wholeness, which nicely contrasts the idea of chaos. Maybe Kerfe stitches the circles because she finds solace in the circular nature of the form, creating a poetic metaphor we can all relate to.

The last lines in Kerfe’s Shadorma: “…in–side random patterns I hide the stitches, untamed by surprise.” Don’t her words scream out to you? I feel like she is asking where is the normalcy?

Let’s talk about it! Tell me in the comments what you get out of this poem.

Learn more about using literary devices in your poetry writing HERE. Not all of these devices are used in syllabic poetry, but you’ll be able to tell which ones to use in no time!

See you tomorrow for the new challenge!

19 thoughts on “Weekly Poetry Challenge Stars | Challenge #173 – Synonyms Only: Idea & Fancy”

  2. Is breaking a word into two syllables from one line to the next a device commonly used in shadorma? It’s very effective in the poem, but it raised the question in my mind.

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  5. First of all, wow. That was both a powerful poem and image. I definitely am in line with what you said Colleen, yet, there’s so much more. Heck, that image is a great themeprompt! Going in circles, frayed threads, both sides., who knows what to expect! There’s a lot of stories in this beautiful short poem ❤

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