NaPoWriMo Prompt 26: Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a poem that involves alliteration, consonance, and assonance. Alliteration is the repetition of a particular consonant sound at the beginning of multiple words. Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds elsewhere in multiple words, and assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds. Traci Brimhall’s poem “A Group of Moths“ versedaily.org/2024/agroupofmoths.shtml provides a great example of these poetic devices at work, with each line playing with different sounds that seem to move the poem along on a sonorous wave.
On a trot with my dog, I stop for the mail unlatching the yawning black box, rust starting to sear the metal to lace, flap flaccid and eager to hang open. Only fliers and an envelope, my name typed neatly: an invitation to explore cremation services (detach below the dots for a free leaflet) because apparently I’m dying soon. I mean, I am the one who told my husband (hesitant and hushed) that we should prearrange our plans to save our children from making choices in the gravel pit of grief, sinking deeper as they dig. I don’t know when I’m going to die, or what the reason will be I don’t know who will cope with my corpse, and with what care and while I appreciate the company wanting badly to share the latest trends among cremation patrons, I will decline at this time (if that's okay with everyone).
I love the visual of “starting to sear the metal to lace”! Beautiful
Wonderful use of language, Margaret Ann -- and a rueful look at, well, that sort of mail.