This exercise was great fun to prep. I can see, using other sources, that this has possibilities for my particular armoury. Before we get to the prompt, the Editors and Staff of the Found Poetry Review have taken the time [God knows from where. I’m pretty sure they don’t even have time to breathe.] for a Halftime Report, where each of them have picked a few examples of what has been happening among the oulipoets. Should you have plenty of time on your hands [say during a commute, at the dentist, on a conference call] check out the main page for each day’s contribution. You’ll quickly identify a few poets to follow.
The prompt:
‘The chimera of Homeric legend – lion’s head, goat’s body, treacherous serpent’s tail – has a less forbidding Oulipian counterpart. It is engendered as follows. Having chosen a newspaper article or other text for treatment, remove its nouns, verbs and adjectives. Replace the nouns with those taken in order from a different work, the verbs with those from a second work, the adjectives with those from a third.’ I did so. The only thing I tweaked was to repeat ‘no matter’.
The poem:
Gather the actor of your artist
the unflappable ultra skills. No matter
where the sales yell the role, it does not
slip — important to shout for the actor —
which throws why the instructor slips here,
to refer to the job. No matter. Win
your upper problem and warn for years
of life’s degrees, even the fictitious focus.
The sources:
Main: an ad for the Lincoln Financial Group
Nouns: Shellenbarger, Sue. ‘Typecast at Work Actor Finds a New Role in a Tech Job’ Work & Family Wall Street Journal 16 April 2014
Verbs: Robinson, Joshua. ‘Liverpool is in control but can the Reds hang on’ Sports Wall Street Journal 16 April 2014
Adjectives: Fowler, Geoffrey A. ‘Cool Tube: Testing Out Ultra High Definition TV’ Home & Digital Wall Street Journal 16 April 2014
Now, go read some of the wonderful work coming from ouliposters. Then try your hand at an ouliprompt.
Misky
16/04/2014 at 11:32 am
Yours turned out better by far. Here’s mine. I think I have a permanent frown line between my eyebrows. Bother. http://miskmask.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/day-16-it-is-all-in-the-detail/
margo roby
16/04/2014 at 11:34 am
I’m not so sure. It’s… okay. Unfrown that brow.
Misky
16/04/2014 at 5:24 pm
Hacked up. http://miskmask.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/day-16-it-was-a-fine-day/
Carol Carlisle
16/04/2014 at 5:52 pm
Sales yell and fictitious focus! My goodness!! That sounds like a juggling act. It is a mixed creature indeed!! I already hurt my head today writing the hymn of the Mooms from yesterday. http://piecesofstarlight.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/poetry-day-16-lie-to-me/
whimsygizmo
16/04/2014 at 11:57 pm
LOL:
“Gather the actor of your artist
the unflappable ultra skills.”
Love it.
I’m here: http://whimsygizmo.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/188-sops-made-joyful-for-texting-in-garden/
margo roby
17/04/2014 at 8:51 am
That first line is my favourite.
On my way.
sonjajohanson10
17/04/2014 at 11:50 am
Mmm, i agree w Whimsy, that’s a strong line.