The DPL wants you to tap into your imagination. We want you to use your visionary super power. We are also willing to bet that most of you never associated golf with poetry. How is that possible? GOLF and POETRY?
Most people think that writing poetry is a sedentary event. You sit at a table or desk and write. While this is true to an extent, POETRY can also be a moving, artistic expression. Look at dancers, whether their movements are choreographed or improvisational, it’s poetry in motion.
Every time I play golf and decide which club to use, for me, it’s like I’m picking up a pen to write. What shall I write? Well, what do I see? Where do I want the ball to land. What direction is the wind blowing? I’m taking in and processing all the sensory information needed in order to select the right club that will assist me in writing the outcome I want.
Let’s explore what our POETRY CADDY put into our bag:
a METAPHOR is a comparison between two things that are otherwise unrelated. A golf ball isn’t a bird, yet the object is to not only to make it fly like one, but to also make fly in the direction that we want it to go. When I do all the right things, the bird listens; when I don’t, well, you know the rest…
ALLITERATION is when two or more words that start with the same sound are used repeatedly in a phrase or sentence. The repeated sound creates the alliteration, not the same letter. For example, ” Tasty Tacos.” When golfing, even if my swing varies a little from time to time, I still want to make solid contact. Usually when the ball is hit on the sweet spot of the club, a distinctive “Click” sound is heard which is sweet music to a golfer’s ears. That’s the alliteration I want. I want to hear that sound over and over again. CLICK, CLICK, CLICK…
IMAGERY is an important poetic device-it’s how you make the BIG IDEAS in a poem as well as the poem’s meaning come “a live” for the reader. Before I swing that club I need to visualize where I want the ball to land. Of course, I don’t want it to land in the water, or in a sand trap (typically referred to as the “beach”), nor in the other fairway. However, I find it best to stay focused on the good shot I want to see. Block out everything else. I can’t focus on what I don’t want.
RHYTHM- I always said, “If you have a heartbeat-you have rhythm.” Rhythm brings together all the elements that makes for a smooth golf swing, whereby it flows (like a well written poem) and doesn’t look staccato like I’m fighting physics. I even downloaded a metronome app to help me establish a sense of timing. I also heard fellow golfers say that they count in their heads as they start the backswing, 1…2…3…4. And some even use names of their favorite golfers, for example: TI-GER-WOODS (3 count), FRED-DEE-COUP-PLES (4 count). It works when you break it down into syllables that not only fit but also sounds good to the ear. Pick a name and add some spice to your game.
RHYME- It’s simple- IT DON’T MEAN A THING IF YOU AIN’T GOT THAT SWING.
NOW. The only thing left to do is to pick up those clubs and BE your own POETRY-IN-MOTION.
UNTIL NEXT TIME. PEACE, LOVE AND LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE!!!
Recent Comments