Poetry Challenge #297-Jingle Jangle Morning
Do ya think Robert Allen Zimmerman of Duluth, Minnesota sounds like a fitting name for a poet? Obviously Bob Dylan didn’t think it did either.
Twenty years after his May 24, 1941 birthday, Mr. Zimmerman aka Elston Gunn aka Tedham Porterhouse aka Blind Boy Grunt aka Robert Milkwood Thomas aka Boo Wilbury aka Sergi Petrov legally changed his name to Robert Dylan (“Dylan” in honor of poet Dylan Thomas).
If he’d waited a few years Bob might have added the middle name “Woody” or “Guthrie” in honor of his mentor Woody Guthrie, who’s storytelling songster style he emulated.
While Dylan, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016, is “widely recognized as one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century,” and called by Newsweek, in 2004 “the most influential cultural figure now alive," whether or not he should be called a poet is apparently debatable.
or was . . .
Poet biographer, literary critic Christopher Ricks wrote: “Dylan's lyrics not only qualify as poetry, but that Dylan is among the finest poets of all time, on the same level as Milton, Keats, and Tennyson. He points to Dylan's mastery of rhymes that are often startling and perfectly judged. For example, this pairing from ‘Idiot Wind,’ released in 1975:
Idiot wind, blowing like a circle around my skull,
From the Grand Coulee Dam to the Capitol”
The Norton Introduction to Literature included “Mr. Tambourine Man” in the 2005 edition.” Case Closed.
Poetry Challenge #296
Jingle-Jangle Morning
Along with his talent for clever rhymes, Dylan is known for ballads. So, hello! Let’s give it a go!
A ballad is a type of poem that tells a story, is often set to music, and usually rhymes. A traditional English ballad is composed of 4-line stanzas with a rhyme scheme of ABCB.
If you’re so inclined bust out a guitar or tambourine and sing out your rhyme.
One thing’s for certain, compared to Dylan, no matter how bad your voice, you’ll jingle-jangle.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, Write It!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Visit Tulsa's Bob Dylan Center.
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2400+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
