So, Friday’s assignment for Writing 201 – Poetry, was Day 5: Map, Ode, Metaphor. Map of a woman’s heart by D.W. Kellog 1833-1842
I did a couple of odes last spring with the Writing 101, and I think I liked them…. Okay, just checked, yep, I loved them. See Odes to Things in Drawers – Wooden Spoons & Handkerchiefs
But this time around I think I sort of got lost in what is an ode. I need to revisit it and work on more odes to get the feel. However, I liked the them of Map and Metaphor, so while I’m not sure this is an ode, I’m hoping it’s close.
Map Me Out
Unfold me out on a table-top
Map me who I am inside and out
I’m made up of rivers of hair
Valleys, mountains and rising peaks
Run down the roads in my palms throughout.
Traverse and travel the backroads of me
I’m a citadel of silence behind walls
A lone city in a country all mine
Fields bare my stamp of ownership
Mountain winds tug me with wild calls.
Folded up I’m a mystery of only a name
Spread out, you see all my hidden flaws
Take out your marker and find points of interest
I’m there but I’m not until you arrive
I’m an adventure of sideshow draws.
I’m a map of myself and not like any other
An priceless country of all that I am
There’s no one quite like me around
My mind is a cave all to myself
And read me all you want, this is who I am.
So… again, personal. I seem to only be able to write this way. Not a complaint, just an observation. I’d love people’s opinion on if this is an ode or not. I seriously need practice for sure. But I hope you enjoy.
Kate
Kate's Bookshelf 
I like the map and the description.
“Folded up I’m a mystery of only a name
Spread out, you see all my hidden flaws”
You made this map have life and strength. It was amazing.
Thank you so much! I had this image of people being like the map you have in the car for driving, and well… I just went with it.
I am not an expert at all but it reads like an ode to who you are! I enjoyed it.
Well thank you so much. I was rereading what Ben H. said about how odes used to have a specific form but are much more loose these days. I still like to have a bit of a rhyming scheme within, but I think an ode can be a little more open than past days. Thank you for your lovely comments.
This is really really good but pertaining to being an ode, i don’t get the musical lyrical vibe from it. You addressed a subject not an object which is what an ode should do so you got that right.
Hope this makes some sense and good luck. I love it.
With love, Eye candy
OH that makes perfect sense. No, that was what I wanted to know. The lyrical quality isn’t easy to accomplish and that is where I struggle. Because usually it involves rhyme and getting the rhyming scheme together sometimes sounds tacky in my opinion if you (me) can’t get it right. But I actually didn’t know about the subject vs. object aspect of an ode. I thought they were about anything. So that’s good advice. Thank you so much, Eye candy.
Don’t fret; I, personally, dislike rhyme as well. You don’t need to rhyme to have rhythm in a poem. There are other devices you can use to help the fluidity of your poem, such as consonance and parallelism. You can also use near rhyme and other types of rhyme that aren’t as overpowering as true rhyme. Just read your poems out loud, and you should be able to hear their rhythms and make adjustments as necessary.
Thank you so much, MonAlysa. You are totally right about fluidity and rhythm. I just automatically think ‘rhyme’ equals flow. I am terrible about reading things out loud to myself. I feel really silly, which is crazy because, does it really matter? No. But I forget how crucial reading something out loud is. I need to start doing that and your suggestions are so helpful. Thank you. As for fretting, I only do it for a bit, then think, “How can I make this better?” So now I want to try and make the next one better.
I’m glad I was able to give sound advice. (The pun was not intended, but it made me smile when I realized it.)
You’re welcome.
With love, Eye candy
Great post! Personal is good!
Thank you so much! Yes, I think personal is good and as it stands, I seem to write those kinds. 😀
Its the best kind of writing!
I totally agree.
Epic
Wordidge
Class A
Like!
Wow, thank you so much!
Great poem, I like the way you incorporate so much mapping analogy into your poem. Great first line!
Aw, thank you so much! You got exactly what I was going for, and the first line is one of my favorites too. Thank you, thank you!