Hello, Frank Hubeny here.
The topic today is descriptive detail. This is the part that tells the reader what the poem is about. It is how the reader will remember the poem and describe it to others.
Presenting this detail doesn’t mean there isn’t more going on in the poem. It is just the entry door to a room full of metaphor for what the poem really means which the poet doesn’t want to say explicitly and perhaps can’t say explicitly.
How the poet handles this description may motivate the reader to remember the poem and read it again.
Oddly this description doesn’t have to make a lot of sense. Here is a reading of Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky. .What is Jabberwocky about? It is about a son who slays the Jabberwock and brings its head home to his proud father. We know what it is about even though Carroll uses nonsense words, however, we can all imagine what the poem might be really about : rights of passage to manhood, violence and maybe even sympathy for the poor beast – or, if we knew the beast better, maybe not.
T. S. Elliot provides a famous description of April in The Waste Land: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47311/the-waste-land
April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.
That five word description in the first line of April shows how powerful detail can be even when it is very simple and very brief.
I imagine that description has drawn many people to this poem who would not be reading it otherwise. Some even believe what it says. But if one is alive winter is cruel, not spring, not April. However, Elliot was not writing about those who are alive. The detail that comes in the next seven lines suggest he is imagining April from the perspective of the dead. That description using details of “forgetful snow”, “dull roots” and “dead land” draws the reader further into the poem.
But enough description of descriptive detail. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
To participate in this prompt write a poem paying attention to the descriptive detail that will tell readers what the poem is about and what you hope will hold their interest and make them want to read it again.
Post the poem on your blog. Copy the link to the post and paste it in the Mister LInky below. Read and comment on what others have linked. See how they met the challenge.
The prompt will be open for 48 hours.
dVerse 
Welcome! The pub is open!
Hello— I use quite a lot of descriptive details in most of my poems, but I will try to write something with extra attention about the details… It might be something about the library.
Your librarian theme offers a lot of opportunity for detail.
It really worked! One of my favorites from this prompt.
I apologise for the early link-up without ping-back, and that I’m unable to read and comment, but I’m at my daughter’s and in my gremlin infested Kindle. I’ll resume normal service as soon as I get get home! The paragraph took five minutes to type bedsheets gremlins changed every other word. 😫
Thanks for linking up and fighting the gremlins, Kim.
Hi Frank and All. Fun prompt on this beautiful nearly autumn day.
The weather is beautiful here after last evening’s rain.
Hello Frank and All- what a marvelous prompt. I Amy under on this a bit. Thanks for hosting Frank!
Thank you, Linda. I am glad you liked the prompt.
Thank you very much for hosting Frank! 🙂 Please pardon me for sounding like a blockhead, but I don’t think I understand the prompt Frank. Do you mean describe the character in the poem, the setting, the season, the circumstances that lead to the situation in the poem — domething like that? Again, I apologize for being confused.
Any descriptions at all in the poem will do. I think most of the poems we write contain such descriptions. This prompt just focuses on them as perhaps that part of the poem the reader will most likely remember.
Thank you Frank. I was overthinking. Just posted my link. Thank you again for hosting… 🙂
Great prompt, nothing like using Elliott as our sample! Totally up to it. 😐
I’ll try a second one as well (gotta keep up with my “30 poems for September) but in the meantime I had one ready to go.
I loved your poem about that spider who was too small for nightmares (unless one is the spider’s mate). Best wishes on the 30 poems for September challenge.
Thanks for the Eliot interpretation – was not sure I quite understood your prompt since I tend to have a descriptive way with words generally but managed to put something afloat
We often use description. The prompt was to pay attention to it as perhaps the part that the reader will most remember.
Hello Frank. I enjoyed the prompt, what is more secriptive than the nonsensical “snicker-snaktt…!”
And April is cruel, here in Alabama it is more March… not freezing enough to bundle up but cold wet enough to get to the bones and the longing for Spring. Both are wonderful examples. I tried to focus on small details to flesh out a conversation with something I walk past several times a week, but rarely see. I will have a bit of filtered stream water please. Thank you for hosting. I am traveling this weekend, so the reading will be slow, but I am looking forward to it.
Here is some pure stream water. Your poem reminded me of the many things I see but am not aware of seeing on my walks. It is a nice surprise to become aware of them for the first time. Nice description of that stream and the sleeping field of blue.
Thank you, gulp, gulp, ahhhh.
OOPS I accidently reloaded my Tuesday prompt. Please delete it. (The first one!)
I am not sure how to delete them, but that first poem was very descriptive and memorable.
Thanks Frank. I think Grace knows how to delete it.
I enjoyed this prompt Frank. it made me go back and rethink this poem that I wrote last evening!
I am glad the prompt focused attention on an aspect of a poem that was already written. The poem I submitted was written years ago.
It was a good reminder!
Two for this prompt, since the first had just been written and coincidentally fit. (This is one of my rules for prompts–no going into the archives!) Thanks for the indulgence!
Both of your poems were very descriptive. I like those tomatoes dreaming of spaghetti.
Interesting prompt, Frank. It’s hard to imagine a poem without imagery – imagery to a poet is like water to a fish, I guess – but maybe it’s good to consciously think about what we are doing with it.
Having said that, I think my poem for Tuesday night had no imagery in it – but it was only 5 short lines! I’m not sure how much further I could go!
Most poems have some descriptive imagery. I almost wondered whether this was enough for a prompt, but then I thought the prompt could be focusing on that part of the poem that we use often keeping in mind that this is what the reader may find most memorable.
Well, I will be interested in your feedback, mine embodies brevity as description. Great challenge Frank.
You described dreams well as the gift coming in the ornate viking boat crossing misty lakes. There is something fearful about seeing a viking boat, but this one also brings a gift.
Yes, I was struck by that duality, thank you for your thoughtful and encouraging words.
Adding one this morning Frank!
Very sensual and descriptive poem, Linda.
Thank you!
This was a challenge for me Frank–not my usual way of using words. But it gives me a different perspective, which is good. (K)
I am glad it offered a different perspective and challenge. I liked those trees sweeping the sky of cloud dust.
Thanks Frank.
I think I sometimes give too much descriptive detail in my poems. This time I tried to keep it simple with two main descriptive details to carry the poem’s message.
Your last too lines about rising early making the day too long and wounds as hearts were very description and memorable. I am not sure if those were the two main details, but they seemed to be for me.
I think you got it, Frank…