avatarCarolyn Hastings

Summary

Carolyn Hastings' article "Opalescent Oarfish" is a creative exploration of the letter 'o' through a tautogram, featuring a poem, illustrations, and fun facts about oarfish, while also inviting readers to participate in a month-long poetry prompt on Medium.

Abstract

In the engaging piece titled "Opalescent Oarfish," Carolyn Hastings employs the literary device of a tautogram to craft a poem where every word begins with the letter 'o.' The article is adorned with an original illustration and delves into the fascinating world of the oarfish, a remarkable sea creature. Hastings' work is inspired by a chain of alliterative challenges issued by fellow writers Denise Darby and Christine Graves, showcasing the collaborative spirit of the writing community. Additionally, the article extends an invitation to readers to contribute to the "‘O’ is for October" poetry prompt hosted by Paper Poetry on Medium, encouraging participation and creativity. The author also shares a personal anecdote about discovering tautograms and expresses gratitude to her peers for the inspiration.

Opinions

  • The author, Carolyn Hastings, appreciates the challenge of creating a tautogram and expresses excitement about the opportunity to focus on the letter 'o.'
  • Hastings acknowledges the influence of Denise Darby and Christine Graves in sparking her interest in tautograms and alliteration.
  • The article conveys a sense of playfulness and joy in the act of writing and participating in the writing community.
  • Hastings humorously notes the deviation of her poem's theme from the original black cat subject proposed by Christine Graves, while still embracing the 'o' theme.
  • The author views the tautogram as an "overwhelmingly obvious offering" for the "‘O’ is for October" poetry prompt, suggesting a perfect alignment between the content and the theme.
  • Hastings lightly pokes fun at her own creative liberties, such as using "opalescent" to describe the oarfish, despite it not being accurate.
  • The fun facts about the oarfish reveal the author's fascination with this mysterious sea creature and its mythical associations in maritime lore.
  • The article concludes with a thankful tone towards the readers for their engagement and offers them ways to stay connected with her work through subscriptions and affiliate links.

‘O’ is for October

Opalescent Oarfish

An ‘o’ tautogram

Illustration and text by author

octopi occupy ocular orifices ospreys orbit oceanic organisms orcinus orca oscillate ornamental oysters opalescent oarfish orchestrates oafish opinions overly-old oracles obfuscate obedience obsessively offering others outrageously overrated oration!

© Carolyn Hastings 2022

Talk about perfect timing! Denise Darby tagged me into her tautogram and activated an avalanche of alliteration!

I’d never heard of a tautogram — neither had Denise until she read Christine Graves’ tautogram poetry prompt.

A tautogram (Greek: tauto gramma, “same letter”) is a text in which all words start with the same letter. Historically, tautograms were mostly poetical forms. The difference between a tautogram and alliteration is that tautograms are a written, visual phenomenon, whereas alliterations are a phonetic one. Wikipedia

Christine invited writers to create a tautogram about a black cat. Er, mine isn’t about a black cat, but it is about the letter ‘o’ which makes it an overwhelmingly obvious offering for Paper Poetry’s ‘O’ is for October poetry prompt!

Thank you, Christine and Denise, for the opportunity to go overboard with ‘o’! 😆 🙏

Come join us at Paper Poetry for the ‘O’ is for October prompt —

Raine Lore takes us to the opal mines in the Aussie Outback —

Denise Darby encourages us with her optimism —

And I tell you about an odd-looking owl with orange eyes rediscovered in Borneo —

Fun Facts about Oarfish

  • world’s longest bony fish — up to 8m (26 feet) long
  • coral-red dorsal fin runs the full length of its body
  • named after its oar-shaped pelvic fins
  • no scales, no teeth
  • silvery-blue skin — not opalescent but I needed an ‘o’ word so give me a break! 😜
  • gelatinous, jelly-like flesh — you would have to be desperate to eat it! 😝
  • believed by ancient mariners to be mythical sea serpents

Thank you oh-so very much for being here. 🙏 💕

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Tautogram
Poetry
O Is For October
Alliterations
Oarfish
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