Concerning the Heat of You

Summary

The web content is a poetic prompt encouraging writers to explore romantic themes in a fresh and modern way, emphasizing the connection between heat and passion.

Abstract

The provided text is a poetry prompt titled "Concerning the Heat of You," dated 24 July 2021, which encourages poets to delve into romantic themes, specifically the well-trodden path of heat as a metaphor for passion. The prompt challenges writers to rejuvenate this classic image of love with a contemporary twist, suggesting that the audience is capable of moving beyond clichéd expressions of romance. It acknowledges the challenge of working with familiar themes while also expressing confidence in the creativity of the readers. The prompt is accompanied by an evocative poem that illustrates the desired depth and originality, referencing the sublime in the context of overwhelming heat as a metaphor for intense emotion. The text concludes with a call to action, inviting poets to contribute their work and tag the prompt's author.

Opinions

The author, J.D. Harms, expresses a desire for innovative interpretations of the connection between heat and passion, moving away from traditional love poetry.
There is a hint of self-aware humor in the author's quasi-dialogue, poking fun at the potential repetitiveness of romantic themes in poetry.
The author believes that the readers, a "gang of incredibly talented people," are fully capable of creating original and impactful poetry without needing basic guidance.
The prompt suggests that the act of writing about love can be likened to putting on one's face, implying it is both a personal and routine practice for poets.
The author seems to value concreteness and modernity in poetic expression, pushing for tangible and current representations of romantic connections.
There is an underlying appreciation for the sublime, as the author references Immanuel Kant's concept of the sublime in relation to the overwhelming nature of heat and emotion.

24 July 2021 Saturday Poetry Prompt: get romantic

Trying to madly swim over this great consciousness – reach out for something you – comes back

Touching moving toward a scalding piece – like a Tennessee roof – packing all the moments into brief lines – or making statues out of the seething twilight – shot through with

Your candle your candy your sails – setting into a musing – you prepare yourself for that these days – must be like putting on one’s face

Only the face should be pressed in between the cover and the book –

Weight of waiting – plus the humidity changes what, when I can focus -when it’s too hot to do anything but drink and sweat –

Then to be found in the corners of you –

And the furnace doesn’t break doesn’t go on hiatus on medical leave – but keeps winding that thread through all the right parts –

Indelibly – under the other skin you call home – all placement of furniture and paper structures on

The thin film of heat that only grows – by orders of magnitude – because that’s where old Immanuel placed the sublime.

*For the absolutely stunning m.

Prompt:

Get romantic, already. Like I’ve never published love poetry here before, huh? (How annoying is my quasi-dialogue with myself? Maybe Zay should run a poll…?). Alright. So drawing parallels between heat and passion is an old fucking story. However, I’ve done my damnedest to add to the image fresh ways of interpreting connection. Y’all know that Scrittura isn’t going to publish anything of the “roses are red” variety, but we also know that you’re a gang of incredibly talented people and don’t need to be told. Just saying. (Zay, is that warning too obtuse?) So, take an old, romantic image of love/connection and freshen the Hel out of it. Make it modern, make it concrete. And, of course, rock on! (After tagging me in it…)