read write prompt #61: reveal your dialect
by Juliet Wilson
I read a number of interesting books about language over the holiday period and started thinking about dialects. Read Write Poem is a community bound together not only by a shared love of poetry but by a shared language.
But how much of our language really is shared? There are some participants for whom English isn’t their first language and those of us who do speak English as our first language are in such different areas of the world that we must have different vocabularies.
Some of us would perhaps claim to speak an identifiable dialect, but even those of us who don’t speak a dialect almost certainly know and use words that are local to the area we live in (or even unique to our family!). These words, if used sparingly can add a wonderful color to English language poetry. (There’s a place too for dialect poetry but that usually requires a standard English translation or at the least a glossary to be fully appreciated by many people.)
So the challenge this week is to do one of the following:
- Use one or a few words from your area in your poem (remember to define the words that other readers may not understand).
- If you speak a dialect, you could share a dialect poem (complete with translation or glossary!).
- If you speak a foreign language you could share a poem in that language complete with an English language translation.
Poem on!
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get the read write poem badge! 
Wear it loud, wear it proud! Display the Read Write Poem badge on your site. Just click here or on the image above to get the code! read write poem news- yes, yes, here’s another virtual book tour stop for ‘a walk through the memory palace’
February 6, 2010 | 11:37 amFind the latest tour stop for Pamela Johnson Parker’s debut collection, A Walk Through the Memory Palace at Jillypoet, Jill Crammond Wickham’s blog, where you can find an interview with Pamela that discusses how she creates manuscripts.
Previous stops include Daniel Romo at his blog, Peyote Soliloquies and James Brush at his blog, Coyote Mercury.
You can find all our plans for the tour here.
- the best of the web is in our ranks
February 6, 2010 | 11:35 amSarah J. Sloat’s poem,”Attending the Tasting” (published in The Literary Bohemian) has been selected for Best of the Web 2010. Congratulations, Sarah!
- another (w00t!) read write poem member on the joe milford poetry show
February 6, 2010 | 11:34 amOn the Joe Milford Poetry Show tomorrow (Feb. 6): W.F. Roby at 9 AM (PST). Find the show here!
Joe describes Will as a “great language poet and bad-ass.”
- ‘literary podcasting made simple with wordpress.com’
February 6, 2010 | 11:33 amDave Bonta has published a how-to article that might be of interest to WordPress users: “Literary Podcasting Made Simple with WordPress.com,” based on his and Beth Adams’ experience at Qarrtsiluni.
Thanks, Dave, for continuing to help make the community aware of technological resources that can expand our art.
- the latest (virtual) book tour stop for ‘a walk through the memory palace’
February 3, 2010 | 3:53 pmThe latest tour stop has been posted for Pamela Johnson Parker’s debut collection, A Walk Through the Memory Palace. Find out how Daniel Romo responded to the work at his blog, Peyote Soliloquies.
James Brush provided our first tour stop at his blog, Coyote Mercury.
You can find all our plans for the tour here.
- planning for napowrimo in april, and you are invited!
February 2, 2010 | 6:12 pmHello, hello dear Read Write Poem community members! We are in the planning stages for NaPoWriMo. (What? Is that a groan I hear, or an excited exclamation?)
We are planning another prompt-every-day for those folks who love to write a daily poem in April (which is, as most of you know, National Poetry Month in the United States — although there is an international following of writing poetry every day in April, too, so it is not just about the States).
Anyway! This is a call for prompts because we want to run your ideas, one every day, in April. So here’s what to do:
- Prompts must be no more than 250 words, and we will take the first 30 that we receive.
- Include “NaPoWriMo Prompt” in the subject line of your email as well as your username (e.g., the name you use when you log in) so we can match you up with your prompt and give you the link love.
- Email your submission (in the body of the email — no attachments please) to prompts (at) readwritepoem (dot) org!
We’ll let you know when we’ve got the 30, but don’t delay because it takes a lot of time to format the posts and we want to be ready come April Fools’ Day. Woohoo!
- new senior contributors at read write poem
February 2, 2010 | 11:51 amWe are thrilled to announce that Ren Powell and Dave Jarecki are moving into the senior contributor role at Read Write Poem. Both have been writing feverishly for the site, as well as providing ideas for content and for the community as a whole. In short, they make this site a more lively, and better, place.
Ren and Dave will fill the roles vacated by Carolee Sherwood and Jill Crammond Wickham, who have moved into the manager role.
Everyone please thank Ren and Dave for their hard work and commitment to Read Write Poem.
- rounding out the virtual book tour of sarah j. sloat’s ‘in the voice of a minor saint’
January 31, 2010 | 1:53 pmOur last stop on the Virtual Book Tour of Sarah J. Sloat’s In the Voice of a Minor Saint is with Ren Powell. Find Ren’s review at More Babel.
Joseph Harker provided our first stop in December, and you can find David Moolten’s review at Edible Detritus. David’s was followed by Dave Jarecki’s. Dave’s review is at his blog. Find Jill Crammond Wickham’s at Jillypoet: Mom Trying to Write.
In case you missed the introduction, we are (virtually) hosting Sarah J. Sloat’s In the Voice of a Minor Saint. For complete tour information, such as how you can get your own copy of the collection or how you can get involved in future tours, read this post.
- make your own book: get off the computer and onto the paper
January 30, 2010 | 4:19 pmBeth Adams has posted her latest project at The Cassandra Pages. “A Handmade Book” may not explicate all the details of bookbinding, but Beth shows readers the “Secret Belgian Binding.” It’s a beautiful as well as inspiring post.
If you would like more detailed instructions, Google “secret Belgian bookbinding” and find sites such as this one. Or look for a local book arts class for hands-on instruction.
As Beth says, ” … it did me good to get away from the computer and feel my hands at work!”
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Shall try that with a few Yorkshire farming dialect words. If it works will post it.
That is an awesome prompt. I’m going to try it!
Crafty, me a go dweet!
What’s ‘colour’?
Well Philip, “colour” and “flavour” go together!
See, how I ‘favour’ Juliet!
As long as we are all on our good “behaviour”!
i think that is wonderful idea, as a non native english speaking i find it very hard sometimes to convey my full ideas in english though i do write mostly in english. translating hebrew into english seem as hard. i have nothing specific to put on this week, but have done few translation in my place before, you are wleocme to have a loot.
blessings
dhyan
Combining dialect and pun might be difficult for non-native speakers:
I was in Texas and and passed a home with a Nativity scene outside, but the Three Wise Men were all wearing fireman helmets. So I asked him, “Why are the Three Wise Men wearing fireman helmets?” He replies, “The preacher tells us in church they came from afar to visit baby Jesus.”
(Notes: Last Tuesday, January 6, was El Dia De Reyes. And people today say “firefighter”, not “fireman”.)
That was an interesting prompt and I’ve written a ‘puzzle’ reply.
http://rinklyrimes.blogspot.com
The contributions should be fun to read, but the prompt isn’t resonating for me at this point. However, I’ll see if something comes forward for me.
Hey there Brenda, glad to have you here! Be sure to come back Thursday and post your comment/link on our Get Your Poem On post (it publishes midnight CST).
That way the more people see it!
Rob,
I have been thinking of regional dialect, something from my Texas family, who use words in ways I don’t…
You might also think in terms of the dialect of professions, say musicians, or some other group that has a hidden language.
OK, cool Deb — thanks!
I can look back to my time in Cincinnati to unearth some local dialect/colloquialisms, and combine that with some musicians terms… good idea.
…rob
Here we go:
http://geoffreyphilp.blogspot.com/2009/01/mule-train-version-by-geoffrey-philp.html