Profanity in Poetry

This is another post from my cache of Helium articles. I love poetry! I find it so disturbing when vulgarities appear in literature and poetry, it just reinforces bad behavior in society, and let's face it, we don't need to go and encourage this sort of language. To view this article on Helium, click here.

The use of profanity in poetry indicates a lack of creativity and a level of immaturity on the part of the writer. Everyone is capable of writing and using obscene words, but that doesn't make everyone a poet. Poetry is an art form, beauty in the written word. The use of expletives is exactly the opposite, it is crass and bane.

A poet searches for the precise words to use to get his message across to the reader. In the creation of a poem, many words are rejected, they don't feel right. The sound isn't sensuous or the rhythm is wrong. Sometimes the locution and cadence work, but the word choice is off and the poet goes on the hunt. Settling for swearing is like selling out. Why use such low language in a literary art form? A poet is called upon to do better, and if he cannot rise above the riffraff, he is neither creative, nor a poet.

Finding alternatives to foul language is not always easy. Anyone who has tried to break bad speaking habits can attest to the difficulty of the task. But the poet is called upon to be a master of language, a professional in phrasing. The poet has time to think, rework, and rewrite. It is part of the passion, and poets are indeed, very passionate people.

Some will mistake profanity for passion, thinking the only way to express deep rooted, intense emotion is through the use of inappropriate language. Occasionally the poet is attempting to write for shock value through profanity. This exhibits a level of immaturity in thought and expression and ought to be avoided.

It may be necessary to cause a reader discomfort through poetry. It may even be desirable to manipulate morphemes to bring your audience along the emotional journey you would like. Finding synonyms, working with metaphor and simile, using alliteration and punctuation, these are all far more effective than assaulting and offending through the use of blasphemy or other four letter words.

There are many tools in the belt of a poet who is masterful at his craft. Many like to call themselves poets. Few achieve greatness in the field. Time spent studying the tricks of the trade is time well spent. The satisfaction of expressing your ideas and conveying your message in an unusual and thought provoking manner cannot be matched. The elation of a completed poem, the perfection, brings peace and joy to your soul.

Even a disturbing poem, well written, provides some serenity for the poet, because some emotion or event has been worked out through the process, and the poet can release it. Profanity exercises neither intellect nor imagination. The ugliness can never bring peace to your soul. Profanity has no place in poetry.

Flosculi

I just discovered a delightful blog, written by an amazing mother of eleven children. I 'know' Izzarina from elsewhere and I'm just tickled that she has a blog and I can keep up with her a bit better now. Do stop in and read her blog and tell her I sent you :-). She has a very cool feature on her blog, where you can type your smiley (like I did above) and it morphs into an actual smiley. Isn't that awesome? As a preview, here's a picture I nicked from her blog, of cookies her dd made for her. She has gotten me thinking about some fun topics. Since my internet is intermittent it seems these days I hope I can manage a post or two in the near future.

Don't those cookies look awesome? The picture is from her post called, "Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies are Evil" LOL. Go read her blog, she is very witty and entertaining, though she will deny it.

Now, I Understand

Mother was called at sixty-one.
Cancer claimed her. Life undone.
We struggled through life
she and I. Days of strife
trying to understand each other.
Good times too, but always another
struggle ahead. The ironic thing
when she died, I was just beginning
to understand the experiences of her day
and how she came to be the way
I knew her. So different from me.

She was a child of change
in the life of the Church, and range
of thought in the world. She embraced
equality for women; and I traced
the differences in our points of view
to feminism. Its philosophy so new,
she had yet to learn the effect
it would have on families and reflect
as I’ve been able, about the role of women.

But now I understand. I understand
what I never could before. I understand
our differences resulted from the choices
we made in life. Our separate voices,
though not of the same opinion,
each reigned throughout the dominion
of our own distinct lives. Despite
all of this, which seems so trite,
now, I understand. There was always love.

The Hand That Rocks The Cradle Is The Hand That Rules The World

Blessings on the hand of women!
Angels guard its strength and grace,
In the palace, cottage, hovel,
Oh, no matter where the place;
Would that never storms assailed it,
Rainbows ever gently curled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

Infancy's the tender fountain,
Power may with beauty flow,
Mother's first to guide the streamlets,
From them souls unresting grow--
Grown on for the good or evil,
Sunshine streamed or evil hurled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

Woman how divine your mission
Here upon our natal sod!
Keep, oh, keep the young heart open
Always to the breath of God!
All true trophies of the ages
Are from mother-love impearled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

Blessings on the hand of women!
Fathers, sons, and daughters cry,
And the sacred song is mingled
With the worship in the sky--
Mingles where no tempest darkens,
Rainbows evermore are hurled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

William Ross Wallace

This poem beautiful in both its simplicity and its message. It so perfectly expresses what motherhood means and all that we are charged with when we become a mother. Wallace eloquently describes what I've always seen to be the most important aspect of motherhood, teaching children about the Lord. What a great charge God has placed us with, the souls of our children, teaching them to keep their souls in a state of grace. Protecting their purity. Illustrating custody of the eyes, the mouth, the ears. Modeling modesty in our demeanor, manner of dress, tone of voice, through patience.

We are the first teachers of our children, Wallace points that out once again for us when he says, Mother's first guide to the streamlets. Mothers hold the power to guide their children to good or evil. I do not think that anyone deliberately leads their children to sin. But I do see a disturbing trend in society. Mothers who are leading their children astray because they are ignorant. They do not realize they are teaching their children wrongly because they have accepted immorality as a societal norm.

"There is nothing more fearful than ignorance in action." (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832, Criticisms, Reflections and Maxims)

Admittedly, this sounds a bit harsh. How did society get to the point where immorality is the rule rather than the exception? Modesty is one of the gifts of the Holy Ghost. When mothers sport fashions that are too tight, bare too much skin, or draw the eye to linger over private areas of the body (and here I'm including pants which are too tight) she is moving further from God and is teaching her children to tolerate this manner of dress in others. Worse still, is when she dresses her children in similar fashions. Mothers are called to a higher standard of life. Wallace illustrates my point here, in his poem.

Grown on for the good or evil, Sunshine streamed or evil hurled;

How does fashion influence good or evil? Men and boys are visually stimulated. That is one reason why the video industry is so popular with the male gender. By dressing in a provocative way, women are bringing the men in society to a near occasion of sin. Once the mind starts to wander in such an immoral way, the downward spiral begins. There is so much evil which stems from the desensitization to sex that prevails in society today. When people are no longer shocked by a plus sized woman sporting a tank top hanging on for dear life by two tiny spaghetti straps, her midriff exposing her pierced belly button, hanging over the top of her too tight shorts, and her thong strap hanging out the back, society is in trouble. We are not surprised by the inappropriateness of the full figured woman, or even the tight body sporting the same outfit. Really there is no difference in the lack of propriety exhibited by either. From this point it is only a very short hop to cohabiting instead of vows.

We need to keep Satan at bay and defeat him. Right now it feels as though Satan is winning. The fashions are leading to a loosening of morals. Just look at commercials on the television. We do not have one in our home for this reason.

Satan is fully aware of the claim that Wallace makes in his poem. That is why Satan is tempting women. When you destroy the faith and morals of women, you can collapse society faster than through any other method. By tempting women with the desire to compete with and outdo men, Satan has begun to destroy families. Men do not want to compete with their wives and when they are put in the position of feeling inadequate in any way (income, athleticism, etc.) it becomes unbearable to them. Women can effectively destroy the love of their husband by being too masculine in appearance, mannerisms, and abilities. Now women dress like men, are aggressive like men, compete in business and sometimes they are the executives who direct men at work. The divorce rate is soaring, even among Catholics.

Working outside of the home, once they become mothers, is how Satan is tempting women. They want the money and the 'stuff' it will buy, they want the recognition of a job well done. But, children are coming home to empty houses with television, video games and the Internet to entertain themselves. When your moral compass is an electronic device instead of a nurturing mother, society goes astray, and we can see the results. Teens acting out the behaviors practiced by 'role models' on television. Life today is more dramatic than the soap operas. The local kindergarten class of 17 students has 11 children whose parents have split up. Four of the eleven live with their grandparents because the parents aren't mature enough to raise their own children. These five and six year old children are moved around from one household to the next, witnessing the drama in their parent's lives. Job drama, romantic drama, financial drama, housing dramas. We owe it to our children to give them a safe and secure start in this world. We owe it to them to love and nurture them, creating a happy environment for them to grow up in, setting limits, making rules and modeling virtue.

Keep, oh, keep the young heart open /Always to the breath of God!

This is the key, forming our children to love and worship God. Modeling a prayer life, making God a central part of family. Living a virtuous life, trying to eliminate your vices and faults so your children can witness victory over vice is an important lesson for children to learn. When you improve yourself, they will notice your efforts. When you keep children actively engaged in healthy, moral activities, always turning their eyes to the Lord, they will thrive and flourish. We need to look to the ultimate role model for motherhood. The mother who was presented to us by our Lord, when he was dying on the cross for our sins, His mother, our Blessed Mother, Mary, Ever Virgin. She will lead us back to Him, the Way, the Truth and the Life. Women have the power to lead the charge against Satan because women can and will define society through the children. When mothers are looking for rewards in their work, the daily grind of the job is thankless, but the greatest reward any mother can receive is through leading her children to God and improving society through the caliber of the children she sends into the world.

Satan is fully aware that the hand that rocks the cradle is, in fact, the hand that rules the world.

Helping Students with Memorization

There is one method which I have employed in teaching my children memory work, in particular, the memorization of poetry. It has proven itself reliable through all of my children. First you read the poem aloud to the child so he can feel the rhythm, the cadence of the poem. Make sure you begin with the title and author. They need to learn to quote both at the beginning of the poem. The student will learn it like the first two lines of the poem in this manner, and the title and author will be forever associated with the poem itself.

After reading through the poem once, you choose a small section of the poem to work on, depending upon the age of the student. You may want to try a couplet or a stanza. Then you read the line and have them repeat it. Follow this procedure for five minutes and then stop. Consistently practicing for five minutes a day will ensure your student learns the poem in no time at all.

This method works very well for any aspect of memorization. If the student is really struggling with some memory work (history dates come to mind) doing this memorization exercise at bedtime will help immensely.

Poems to Help Children study the Holy Ghost

As a home school teacher, and a catechist, I am always seeking ways to teach faith to the children. Often poems and songs make the perfect memory aide. Here are three I wrote about the Holy Ghost. The first one is calling on Him to Help us. The second is about the Gifts of the Holy Ghost and the third is about the Fruits. Feel free to use them with your children, but please credit Lily A. Thorns with authorship.

Come Holy Ghost, Paraclete

Come Holy Ghost, Paraclete
These are the words I often repeat
Crying out for your Wisdom again and again,
in a prayer you have never failed to claim.
Be it study or chores or friends I debate
You always manage, somehow, to relate
The answer I seek, if only I listen
A solution will find me, in quiet submission
To God's Holy Will in every respect
of my life, you will guide me, in every aspect.

The Gifts of the Paraclete

Through your gifts, O wise Paraclete
My actions will make my soul complete
Your wisdom will guide me in all of my days
Counsel will help me to improve my ways.
Understanding will show how reasonable I can be
Fortitude provides the resolve I will need
Knowledge lights the path to the Lord
Piety shows in the Truth I am moored.
The fear of the Lord, I know what that is
Remembering the just punishments God gives.

The Fruits of the Holy Ghost

Your fruits, Holy Ghost, serve to remind
What I need to always keep in mind.
Charity shows true love of God in our actions
Joy is the happiness which brings satisfaction
Peace is contentment deep in the soul
Patience, ability to wait, a worthy goal
Kindness should be shown to all fellow man
Goodness forsakes evil each time it can
Giving of yourself is generosity
Gentleness is showing how meek you can be
Faithfulness, living your life in God's trust
Modesty in dress and behavior's a must
Self control is an art everyone must master
Chastity is a gift to your love ever after
Please guide me to Jesus where I want to be
Forever united for all eternity.

FURY

No, I'm not mad at anyone, it just popped into my head :-) I don't know where it came from. Does that ever happen to you?

Fierce
Unyielding
Rage,
Yelling, yelling, yelling.

Schoolboy hues

This one is a work in progress, what do you think of this? I'm not sure it is done yet, though I feel it is close. This one was inspired by one of my sons. I home school, and when he was younger he would get so frustrated. I always joked that if I could only find a way to write his lessons on a football he would gain good grades faster.

There is nothing quite so forlorn,
As a student's notebook, pages torn
fists upon the table will beat it
the schoolboy hangs his head defeated.

"But Mother," he pleads, "I don't do well
Describing how the waters swell
Or wondering why the sky is blue,
Should it be some other hue?"

But with a knock upon the door
His heart beats out a different score
He grabs his football helmet and runs
Poem left upon the table, undone.

A mother's work is never completed
But she cannot hang her head defeated.
It is up to her to prod him again
She'd settle for poetry upon the pigskin!

Laurie

This is a poem I wrote for my friend, another acrostic. It was supposed to read SPIN DYE AND WEAVE but somehow it ended up SPIN DYE AND WEAVING which is a problem stylistically. When I finished the poem and realized what I had done I was so attached to the sentiment that I didn't change it. It is what I wanted to say about my friend, how much I admire her for taking something difficult in life, an injury, and making something beautiful. The poem was a birthday gift. Laurie, you are amazing!

Sanguine at the wheel
Protracting the fibers
Intuitively. Twisting the strands
Nimbly, rhythmically she spins.

Delineated in her mind,
Yarns are pigmented
Expressively, instinctively.

Advancing her tranquility,
Never yielding to the limits imposed,
Doctors and nature defied.

Warp and weft on the loom
Exactly ordered to their design,
Aesthetically arranged by Laurie.
Victoriously the fabric exhibits her
Independence from the
Neurology that tried to
Govern, but couldn't contain her soul.

A Young Girl's Hair

My four girls were all the same
When upon a pair of scissors they came
About the age of three or four
Their baby locks all hit the floor.

It makes no difference if you tried
To make the offending scissors hide.
Whatever cuts, they do not care
Two used nail trimmers on their hair.

Doubtless, it is always done
The day before a big reunion
Or when the photographer will be
Taking pictures for posterity.

Marriage, an acrostic poem

Matrimony, a sacrament of God's love
Acquiescing to His Holy Will.
Requiring love and commitment
Resplendent with consanguineous joy
In sickness and in health
Agape, and leading your spouse to
God. You exist to inspire achievement of
Everlasting happiness in heaven.