An Ode to my Thesaurus
With a little help from Horatio
Come to me, my dear Thesaurus,
Valued as if thou were aurous,
Bless me with the words I seek
To make my narrative less bleak!
*
Safe within thy dogeared pages
Lie the words of saints and sages
Cloistered with their synonyms
To be penned in psalms and hymns.
*
Let the fruits of thy grand larder
Raise my humble poems of ardor
'Til they ring in Heaven's halls,
Echoing from marble walls.
*
When my ineloquence ails me
Thy abetment never fails me.
Thou continually foster
All the works of this impostor.
*
In the quest for fame and glory
Thy words live in every story
And this timeworn brontosaurus
Bows to thee, my dear Thesaurus.
***
Author's Note: If my research is accurate, this poem can be classified as a Horation Ode. Here's one source that supports my conclusion: https://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/topic/1120-the-horatian-ode/
It seems Horatio may have been as lazy as me. Just kidding. I was pleased to find that there's room for the iamb and regular quatrains in the definition, at least according to some.
I'm still studying forms and structures and may try to strain my brain with a more structured entry later. I am actually having fun learning more about this poetic style and all of its nuances. I am also, occasionally, asking myself "Why?" My current theory is that the old poets promoted their sorrow by creating torturously demanding forms.
As always, thanks for reading my random ramblings. I'm thankful to Vocal for presenting us with this challenge and I'm going to really enjoy reading all the marvelous creations it's going to encourage. Here's the information and your chance to enter:
Last, and perhaps least, here's my unabashed self-promotional blurb:
1. Leave a comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts on odes and I love feedback on my writing.
2. See that little heart just a bit below this list? Click it. Easy-peasy!
3. Scroll down a bit more and you'll find 3 big buttons. With those, you can:
- Subscribe for FREE to get a notice when I post something new (unless the button says “Unsubscribe” in which case, clicking it would be silly.)
- “Pledge Your Support” which just means you can help support my writing here with a small monthly donation. You don't have to take an oath or anything.
- Leave a one-time tip. A buck means a lot. Ten thousand bucks means you're probably crazy, but I love ya' anyway!
About the Creator
Dana Crandell
Dad, Stedpad, Grandpa, Husband, lover of Nature and dogs.
Poet, Writer, Editor, Photographer, Artist and Tech/Internet nerd. Content writer by trade. Vocal Creator by choice.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
Keep reading
More stories from Dana Crandell and writers in Poets and other communities.
Collier's Junior Classics
A shelf of my own Among Mom's vast collection Adventures within *** I don't know how many readers will be old enough to remember these books. Collier's Encyclopedia was one of the prized collections in my mother's extensive library. The Junior Classics were a "bonus gift" that the salesperson could offer to close the sale. (Encyclopedias were expensive enough then to come with a payment plan and sometimes a subscription plan that allowed you to purchase one volume at a time.)
By Dana Crandell9 months ago in Poets
Two Pink Lines
I had never really felt like a child. I'd always had to raise myself. My mother was just a teenager when she'd had me and consequently, we had spent my whole childhood arguing and fighting like a couple of sisters as opposed to mother and daughter. My father was older than my mother but still had some maturing to do himself. He focused his entire life on me, his little girl but never realized the pressure that put on me. I always felt I had to raise him even as he was trying to raise me. We raised each other. Then, I met him. He cares, he shows me a love like I've never known. For once, it's about me and I don't have to focus on other people's needs and what someone needs from me. Someone always wants something from you. That is what my parents have taught me. Love is selfish but it isn't with him. He is perfect, beautiful, funny, and can take me to places I've only dreamed about. Places outside my mind and my own pathetic life and I know that I will always love him. When we first met, I wanted him to have my children, but now? Right now, with us both still in high school? This is all happening so soon. I slipped into the restroom at work. It had been 6 weeks since my last menstrual and this was not normal. I couldn't wait any longer. I put the top on the test and waited. These 60 seconds felt like forever. What would we do? We were both seniors so we didn't have long to go before school was over but this was not the plan. The plan was for him to join the Army and me the National Guard and for me to get my associate's degree and then we marry, then have kids.
By Lindsey Altom5 days ago in Fiction
Comments (31)
Wonderful Ode
Absolutely stunning! 😁
I love it - I always feel more poems should rhyme, and I especially like this snippy snappy rhythm that's so fun to read aloud 😁 Thank you for the educational bit at the end - its an area I'm totally ignorant in.
This was so fun to read. "Thou continually foster--All the works of this impostor" resonated with me! 🙂 The entire piece is fantastic!
Love it, Dana! Very well done, indeed. Where would we be without the humble thesaurus?! 💕🙂
This is really good. Kinda reminds me of ancient poetry like in biblical times.
Lol I so relate to this one Dana! I don’t know what I would do without my thesaurus.
Fantastic, as always. To be honest, I don't think they knew what they were doing. They just wrote whatever insanity made sense to them. LOL!
I was pretty sure I had already read this one - I did! I'd just forgotten to heart it. It's hearted now! Just as amazing the second time around :)
I thought this was really fun and playful, nice work.
Love it buddy, 😊😊
Oooo, a Horation ode! Mike did a specific type of ode too but I forgot its name. It started with a P. Anyway, I loved your ode!
Well done entry
So clever and well done!
This is a strong entry, my friend. Very well done!
Hi Doc Dana - Spoke to the other Doc - our Gen misses you J-Bud
I love this challenge, because I think the objects people choose to write about reveal much of who they are. It’s a fun way for me to psychoanalyze my Vocal faves. 🤪 You choosing a thesaurus makes sense to me, because you are a wordsmith. It also says you are practical. You chose something you use for your career, your livelihood. I’m choosing something ridiculous. And I’ve never even used a thesaurus. I probably should. I love that you explored a specific type of ode, mastered it, and shared the info with us. I shall travel down that rabbit hole now, and procrastinate writing my ode. 😄
I love this ode to an oh-so-dangerous weapon! A thesaurus can be many things... a vocabulary booster, a story lifter and a story sinker... I love my thesaurus dearly and use it daily, but I've seen what happens when it ends up I the wrong hands and it's nothing short a cruel murder of what could have been a great story! I love your view on it though and the way you illustrated your adoration for it! Very clever!
This is clever and I enjoyed reading ❤️ Well done
I will definitely look the link up and do a bit of researching, but this read, looked and felt like a classic ode. So much sophistication and elegance in this piece. Awesome job with this. One thing...my eyes were obviously not fully adjusted lol...I read "'Til they ring in Heaven's halls, Echoing from marble walls." as "Heaven's balls". I dunno why, but felt you might appreciate that!🤣🤣 This is a great poem though and just love it!👏👏
A proper ode from a proper wordsmith. Well done, Dana!
Not only a great choice as to object, but a fantastic job on the rhyme and rhythm. The thesaurus is definitely a great treasure (which is what that means in Latin). I especially like your likening it to a storehouse: "Let the fruits of thy grand larder Raise my humble poems of ardor" Strong work!
This is such a great ode! I love how you used “larder” in this poem. It truly helps solidify the idea of a thesaurus being a place of storage meant for perusal and use. Awesome job!!
Wow, right up there with the sages, my friend
A truly wonderful ode! 🤗❤️ I relate to this so much: "Bless me with the words I seek To make my narrative less bleak!" 😅 Story of my life. I love the language you wrote this in too 🤗 Awesome entry!