Life's About the Adjectives

This is a poem I wrote last year. It won the 2007 Willard Espy Award for light verse.

Life’s about the adjectives,
it’s how we know the world.
Nouns, you see, are only names,
with adjectives - life is knurled.

 

Think about the apple,
just fruit upon the tree,
red ripe skin with tasty pulp,
better lets us see.

 

Providing us the texture,
of color if you will,
ADJ allows us space,
to give our lines the fill.

 

Life’s about the adjectives,
spice for the written line,
Verbs, you see, are motion,
and index things like time.

 

Think about the race car,
going around the lane,
zipping fast with lightning speed,
better feeds the brain.

 

Providing us the feeling,
of nature if you will,
ADJ gives the taste,
to writings we distill.

 

Verbs contain the action,
and nouns have the heart,
adjectives add the flavor,
for cooks of written art.

 

Life’s about the adjectives,
how else could it be,
that words paint the pigments,
in poems for us to see?

Reviews

[Constance]

This is an excellent write, very light and entertaining, yet something anyone who loves words can chew on a bit.
I was in a forum the other day where a staunch "poetic master" was trying to claim that too many adjectives ruined a fine poem by a friend. If he had taken out half of the adjectives, as the reviewer suggested, it would have been half as good. The key I think is using good adjectives, that paint the real picture, instead of obscuring it.
One of the best I've read on the cafe, all told.

[Claire in VA]

I enjoyed this poem! May I share it with my students at school?
Great teaching tool!
~Claire in VA

[Michael]

Sure you can! It is an honor.

[Michael]

I would like to know what grade you teach and how the kids received it

[Claire in VA]

I teach 4ththe grade. I'll work it in soon and then let you know.
ty, claire

[Jules]

This is absolutely brilliant! I think it should be required reading/studying for English classes; it makes clear, better than any dry textbook, the parts of speech.

I just love it! It kept me engaged, it's fun, it's clever, and just perfect! :)

[Siddartha Beth Pierce]

I, of course, love your references to painting. These are my favorite lines here:

'adjectives add the flavor,
for cooks of written art.' - beautifully penned. Congratulations on your award. Nicely done. Quite compelling.
Light,
Siddartha

[Michelle Tarnowski]

I enjoyed this very much. I love words that paint a picture, or create a moment that is so real that I start to reach out to touch it.

[Rainbowco]

Another lesson learned from reading this piece of art. Thank you! Adjectives! They are what I have lacked!

[Fran Marie]

Verbs contain the action,
and nouns have the heart,
adjectives add the flavor,
for cooks of written art.

I just loved this ~ I can see why you won the `Espy Award` for this great piece~
Action, Heart and Flavor` wonderful descriptives and so very true~where would
we poets/cooks be without the ADJ spice of the Art~Fran Marie

[IMOGEAN]

I can see why you won a prize for this. It is a prize winning poem. I am not very good at rhyming poems, becuase they require so much cleverness. This made me smile all the way through, you are a smart cookie, Michael.

I must read more of you...

I will rate this 100% and I almost never rate anything.

God Bless
Imogean~

[Lena M. P.]

I really enjoyed this. Adjectives giving the color and essence to our world. Very well done!

[Hope]

That was literature written by the heavens and given for all to see.
All of the priceless things put in so simple of terms to read.
Every single stanza puts all of the adjectives together in our minds to keep.

Awesome write!

[Nicole Clarice Anna Wie..]

An instant favorite!!! wow. i could read this over and over. it's just so cleaver! great flow!