Tea Pot and Mouse

I was reading a post on my favourite blog that made me think of words and how they make me feel.  The post talked about favourite quotes and the readers were sharing (in the comments section) their personal favourites and why they were special.  I shared mine:

“The time has come,” the Walrus said,

“To talk of many things:
Of shoes—and ships—and sealing-wax—
Of cabbages—and kings—
And why the sea is boiling hot—
And whether pigs have wings.” – Lewis Carrol

At the time I couldn’t share why the quote is special to me.  It was the quote I used in my high-school yearbook and I have always loved it, but I didn’t know why.  I thought about my reasons a lot, and other than loving the topic (a time for things less serious) I think it’s the flow of the words that appeals to me.  The way they feel when I say them and that they don’t demand a purpose.  I can read them for depth of meaning, but I don’t have to, they’re enjoyable just for what they are.

I love nonsense.  Words that have no strict meaning and writing that doesn’t need a meaning to be enjoyable.  I love the flight of fancy that comes from reading something that may not have a purpose, but is still engaging to the mind or mouth.

If you have a favourite quote that you love for the topic or for how the words make you feel, I would love to hear about it.

Writing Exercise:

Words create a feeling by their construction, their use, their tempo and what they suggest to the reader. Write a poem that uses nonsense.  Choose to use only nonsense words (of your creation) for one element of your writing.  For example you could choose to use nonsense nouns, or nonsense verbs.  Are you distressed by the freedom?  Choose to explore the distress and find nonsense words that play off of your emotion.  Or, work to get past the stress with the knowledge that there is no wrong way to create nonsense.

If you need more guidance in your efforts, choose a poetic style to follow.  For example much of Lewis Carrol’s work is in iambic pentameter, a fairly common poetic style that can help provide structure to your nonsensical efforts.  Explore nonsense and aim to write 250 words with or without meaning.