This morning as I looked through a book on painting with oil
pastels, I was reminded of an old school lesson on vision: i.e., The rods of
the eye distinguish light from dark, whereas the cones assess hues of color.
Reading about rods and cones brought to mind the fourth verse of
the twenty-third Psalm:
“Even though I walk through
the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff—they
comfort me.”
Wow! This newly considered meaning of “rods” resulted in the following senryu,
which I wrote down quickly before I forgot!
The rods of the eye
distinguish light from darkness.
God’s rods comfort me.
In this instance, the added connotations produced a poem, but this
process can work backwards too. For example, as you read through poems you have
already written, consider each word and any additional meanings they might
have. Then, as you revise, use the most interesting connotations to add new
depth and fresh insight to your poetry.
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