Wednesday 2 November 2011

Synonyms for locust

It appears there aren't any. Apart from grasshopper and insect and cicada, none of which will do. I might check out the latin name, but I'm not convinced that will cut the mustard either.

What is this for, I hear you ask. It's for the latest exercise in my online poetry course with Jen Hadfield and The Poetry School

I am trying to 'negate' Robin Robertson's 'Drowning in Co Down' and somehow my negation of a poem about water and weight and drink has let me to locusts.

Some days I'm gobsmacked my brain works at all.

2 comments:

  1. Cicada? Ravening cicada? Voracious insect? Plague insect? Cursed swarm. Biblical swarm. I like a bit of bible I do. Also, I noticed that locust contains the word locus (I know you know that) but I really admire the way CA Duffy uses the word centre (something about a noun with a verb dancing in it) in her poem about Shakespeare's wife. So, maybe that's some use, maybe not. YOU decide. Cathy x

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  2. I think in the end I solved the problem by sticking locust in the title, and then not mentioning it again in the whole poem. A cop out perhaps, but it worked.

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