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***MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW!***
dVerse LIVE will be Saturday August 17th from 10 AM to 11 AM EDT.
The link to join us with audio and video will be embedded in the OLN prompt published on Thursday, August 15th. 

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Hello, and welcome to Tuesday Poetics at dVerse Poets Pub, where we serve drinks and thinks! This is Melissa from Mom With a Blog, here to engage you with our prompt of the day.

The word zeugma is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a figure of speech in which a word applies to two others in different senses”. It comes from the Latin word zugon, meaning “yoke”, which comes from the Greek word zeugnunai, meaning “to yoke”. Zeugma is a rhetorical device that is used to emphasize, add humor, or surprise a reader. It’s also used to juxtapose two objects.

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Here are some examples of zeugma:

  • He carried a strobe light and the responsibility for the lives of his men. (Tim O’Brien, “The Things They Carried”)
  • Like cement, Kiowa whispered in the dark. (Tim O’Brien, “The Things They Carried”)
  • When she arrived later in the day, she took the point at once, but she also took the spoons. (J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring)
  • Yet time and her aunt moved slowly — and her patience and her ideas were nearly worn out before the tete-a-tete was over. (Jane Austin, Pride and Prejudice)
  • They covered the earth with their shields and themselves with glory. (Homer, “Iliad”)

Here is a song from Alanis Morissette, where she employs zeugma. Can you find it?

Notice that in all these examples, one word, a verb, applies to two other words or ideas, one being literal and one being figurative or metaphorical. That’s a simple breakdown of how to create zeugma in your own writing.

Are you up for the task of becoming a zeugma master? Ready to be zeugmatic? Will you write your heart out along with your sentences? (I hope my humble attempts writing zeugmas makes you confident in your own ability.😉)

Today’s Poetics prompt, if you choose to accept it, is to write a poem including one example of zeugma. You may come up with more if the muse strikes, but only one is required.

If you’re new, here is how to join us:

  • Write a poem in response to the prompt.
  • Enter your name and a link directly to the post containing your poem into Mr. Linky. Remember to check the box to accept use/privacy policy.
  • Read other poets’ work as they enter their links into Mr. Linky. Check back as more will be added.
  • Please link back to dVerse from your post.
  • Have a wonderful time!🎉

Mr. Linky will remain open until 3pm EST on Thursday, August 15, 2024.