Friday, January 27, 2012

Illuminated!

Image courtesy of Maisa Gonzalez's Portolio

Quidquid

“Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur.” (Anything said in Latin sounds profound). ~Anon

If you speak Latin, you’ll sound smart,
like Einstein, Plato and Descartes.
But even more, most will not know
what you have said.  Just goes to show

that but a few words, known by heart,
proves you speak Latin.  You sound smart!
Thus when you postulate, ‘quidquid,”
just say it once.  Then say, ‘ibid.”

Or then say, “Bibo ergo sum,”
Some ‘Python’ fans will know, by gum,
your toasts to Latin are so smart!
So, “ergo,” now, here’s THE best part…

To “carpe diem” (seize the day)
use Latin.  You’ll be “illiant-bray”
and so profound,  You’ll stand apart:
if you speak Latin, you’ll sound smart.

###

Notes:  Dang it!  My original notes just got wiped out!  Gotta start from scratch now.  Grrrrrrrr!

Breathe, breathe...

Okay here goes:  The form is called Quatern.  I know, I know, dear reader...you are mega-surprised because you were expecting another Kyrielle Sonnet, right?  Well, to be honest, the Quatern is similar in many ways to the Kyrielle and the Kyrielle Sonnet, which is why it was easy and fun to write.  The prompting for writing this form  comes from Walt and Marie, those nice folks over at Poetic Bloomings. Every week, they do something called In-Form Poet, which is all about poetic form - and this week, the form was Quaterm.

Now, believe it or not, I didn't originally set out to write a pun[ish] poem about Latin.  Instead, my thought was to write something on 'balance' since that was the prompt word over at Theme Thursday.  (Yeah, I know today is Friday.)  The goal was 'neco duos pennipotenti per unus calx'  which basically means (according to a couple of online translators) to kill two birds with one stone.  It's not exact, mind you, especially when you translate it back from Latin to English, but whatever.

Anyway, I started searching for humorous 'balance' quotes, which is actually more difficult than one might expect.  Most 'balance' quotes have a more inspirational kinda aura about them (as opposed to funny.)  But, one hyperlink (and subsequent website of quotes) led to another - and suddenly, there I was.  Latin.

So...did I strike any sort of balance with the above poem?  Hmmmm.  It's a stretch.  But if you put Pig-Latin, Monty Python and certain individuals of considerable intellectual weight (among other stuff) on the scales of life, then perhaps I did, on balance, complete the task.

Okay...okay...Gemitu!  (That's Latin for *groan!*)

10 comments:

  1. Bibo ergo sum - so true, so very true. My life long motto.

    That and 'Nunc ambrosia vero in turbini est' (Now the rice pudding's really hit the fan) have seen me through life's tribulations.

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  2. Brilliant! - great form, and an excellent point too - what does it mean anyway, to be able to speak tongues few understand? (“illiant-bray” sums the whole thing up perfectly!)

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  3. sign me up, I so long to be smart, wise too, but I'll take smart first

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  4. I think you have hit the balance on the tip of the nail. It is funny, as I have said to a few others, that I have no idea up until a few minutes before I actually type the prompt as to what it will be. Then I search for a picture to go with the word. Sometimes I have seen a picture I like and then changed the word. I guess that is something that balances out.

    But the one thing I have been trying to do with these prompts is to make each week a challenge for those who play. I have learned that you all are a very smart group and we have even had some smart children join in.

    Also I have to say that the brilliance and differences of the posts are quite amazing. I think the only time that we did a lot of the same subject was with "gadget", the iPhone won hands down as everyone's favorite gadget.

    I do hope that I will continue to challenge everyone and make some a little easier than others. I always appreciate your feedback as to how I am doing and hopefully listen to everyone.

    So yes, you gave more balance then you know. Thanks so much for playing and I hope you will continue to join us with each weeks Theme Thursday on a Friday, Saturday or whatever day.

    God bless.

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  5. J. Cosmo - thanks for your comments - they always crack me up! ☼

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  6. Christine - something tells me that your wish is somewhat superfluous - but thanks for the kind words! ☼

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  7. Mrsupole - Thank you for all the thought-provoking prompts. You really do succeed in igniting the spark for creative flow.

    And thanks for the kind words. I kinda felt my post stretched the point a bit, but you made my effort feel validated.

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  8. Very nice!
    I wonder if there's going to be a big comeback for Latin?... Who knows, maybe some day. Then it'll seize to be exotic, and one will have to come up with something else to sound smart! :-)

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