Friday, August 25, 2017

Theophrastus on Time



It's a good time for poetry!

I took a Greek philosopher again this week - the suggestion of Irene Latham. 

Last week I did an eclipse/dandelion poem from a quote by Odysseus Elytis: "You'll come to learn a great deal if you study the Insignificant in depth".

This time I have the quote from Theophrastus (370 BC - 285 BC Greek philosopher):
"Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend."

And with this quote, I wrote a form of "Golden Shovel", though with a quote instead of a line of poetry.   Each word in the quote is used in order and placed as the last word in each line of the poem.

Time

Ahead, shiny time;
Behind, each withered moment is
Slipped into the
Memory banks, most
Foolish; valuable
Time used for a flighty thing,
Slight remembrances of a
Time past, acquired by man
Who can
Never save, but might wisely spend.

by Donna JT Smith, 8/14/2017


As I read this a couple of days later, I thought - hey, how about an acrostic?  Hey, how about an acrostic Golden Shovel?  Ok.  Let's try it.
So I did, with a few changes, too.  The title is the T (Time), and the last letter I had to use my last name (Smith) as the last letter.  The quote wasn't quite long enough.  But I'm going with it even though it doesn't quite fit for an acrostic.
So, it is an Acrosti-Shovel or a Golden Acrostic or a Goldstic Acroshovel or Acrogold Shovelstic....Oh, this is almost as much fun as writing a poem!

Time

Hastening ahead through shiny time;
Escaping behind, each withered moment is
Over, and slipped into the
Purse of memories, most
Hasty and foolish; valuable,
Rare time spent on a flighty thing,
Acquired recollections of a
Single man:
Time he can
Ultimately never save, but only more wisely spend.

Smith, Donna JT, author

Spend your time today wisely.  Spend your week wisely.
Spend a little, get a lot!
Read poetry!
Start with Jone at Check it Out who is hosting Poetry Friday today. 

30 comments:

  1. Indeed - reading poetry is a fine way to spend valuable time - you get so much more than you put in, and the benefits linger long after you've turned the final page!

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    1. Thanks for spending some time here today, Jane!

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  2. I see that you had much fun with the Golden Shovel and your new acrostic form, Donna. Today, I will take your advice as I drive down to Cape May to spend valuable TIME with my 10 week old grandbaby, her parents, and other set of grandparents. "Time he can
    Ultimately never save, but only more wisely spend. "

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    1. Remember this time - the time you said "10 weeks old". In a moment, she will be 10 years old! Glad you are getting to spend some precious time wisely! Plus Cape May is beautiful!

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  3. Donna, I love the way you play! How inventive to combine the Golden Shovel and acrostic...hmmm, what's hemmed in on both sides? Could be a name for this new form. :) I particularly love the "purse" in the second poem. Time is a gift. Life is a gift. Sometimes we forget. xo

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    1. I liked the change to "purse", too. Tickled you noticed it!

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  4. What fun. I like your thinking and crafting, Donna. (And yes, your 'purse' here too.)

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    1. So happy you spent a bit of your time here today! I liked the change to purse, too. Seemed fun!

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  5. Very playful progression to bookended inspiration.

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    1. 😊 There should be a name for this, but I'm not sure if it would carry over to another poem or not! Guess I'll have to try it again someday.

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  6. I love your 'admonition' to us, Donna, and your play with the golden shovel. It is good to 'wisely spend' yet I like being frivolous, too. My favorite quote is from Thoreau, "Time is but the stream I go a fishin' in." I'm glad that he did!

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    1. Great quote! Frivolous is a good way to spend time, too! I totally agree!

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  7. Wow! Who would have ever thought to combine two forms like that--and that gives us such a timely reminder. I do think that time spend with poetry is time well-spent.

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  8. Now the next thing you might try, Donna, is to make each line iambic pentameter. Just kidding!! But you do awfully well when you up the difficulty. I am in awe!

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    1. I never understood what iambic pentameter was, until I just now looked it up again...I get finally it! Maybe I should try it...

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  9. Wow--a double challenge! Nicely done. I love the way a constraint (or constraints in your ambitious universe) push a poem in new directions.

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    1. It is strange how constraints seem to open up the possibilities!

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  10. I like your new form--Acrogold Shovelstic! How exotic it sounds. Well done, Donna!

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  11. Wow! You are doing really well with this prompt! Makes me want to give it a try. I saw that exercise and was pretty intimidated.

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    1. Oh, you should give it a go! It's fun and almost easier if you turn it into a Golden Shovel.

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  12. Wait...WHAT?!?! You did an acrostic golden shovel?!?! Wowsers! Why didn't you rhyme it, too? (she asked, TOTALLY sarcastically) :-)

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    1. Ha! I guess it would be possible if the line was like out of Dr Seuss! That would be SOME line!
      A cat, a bat and horse, of course, sailed out and about to land on sand miles away one day.... yeah, you could do that one! Please don't challenge me to find one! You know my compulsive disorder is getting worse!

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  13. Oh my, you are one adventurous poet, m'dear. I bet even Time slows down to watch you at work!

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  14. Wow! This is most impressive!!! It was fascinating to see how you altered your poem to meet your acrostic challenge. (Another vote for "purse"!) I can only say again, "Wow!"

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    1. I like to see works as they progress. Part of what I don't like about working on the computer to write is that I can get rid of so much as I edit and lose the journey!

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  15. I must try the golden shovel! And how cool that you included an acrostic in this week's post.

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  16. "Purse of memories..." I like that. :)

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