I dare you, try saying this word – sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia.
I know, I know! It’s a mouthful, isn’t it? It is already hurting my brains.
But anyway, that word, (I dare not say) is the scientific name for Brain Freeze.
We get this from eating or drinking something very, very cold.
I don’t want to go very scientific with this one, but personally, I associate brain freeze when my brain is telling me to stop, take a break or take it easy.
Writing can sometimes take away our energy. We hit a roadblock. We stop thinking, and we get distracted very easily.
We feel tired, very sleepy, and unproductive.
It is okay to rest and re-invigorate our body because our imaginations are dried up. No matter what we do, nothing comes out of our head.
So, have you tried poetry yet?
Poetry is another form of literature that we use to express our imagination.
Some people find poetry boring.
But here’s a thing: It doesn’t take long to read a poem.
Reading short passages of poetry is relaxing. It teaches us to be imaginative, most especially when interpreting the significance of every word the author was trying to convey to his readers.
When the writing becomes tight and the days seems too long, I have with me my constant companion to help me relax and help me think of new ideas for my writing.
Here are my two favourite little books of poetry.
I have these books for so many years and never parted with them. They are both versatile books and easy to read. A perfect companion when you want to relax.
Let me show you one of my favourite poems from the Little Book of Love Poems.
The Look was written by Sara Teasdale. From the information I gathered, here’s a bit of who she was:
Sara Trevor Teasdale was born on August 8, 1884, to a wealthy family at St Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.
She was an American poet. Her work was characterised for its simplicity and clarity. Her poems are classical in style, passionate and romantic.
At a young age, she grew acquainted with Harriet Monroe and became part of Harriet Monroe’s literary circle Poetry.
In 1918, she won the first Columbia Poetry Prize, which is now known as the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.
Her marriage to Ernst Filsinger in 1914 ended in divorce in 1929, and after that, she lived a life of a semi-invalid. After a painful bout of pneumonia, she took her own life with an overdose of barbiturates in 1933.
Sara Teasdale wrote seven books in her lifetime. Her collections of poetry include:
- Her first volume published in 1907: Sonnets to Duse, and Other Poems
- Her second collection published in 1911: Helen of Troy, and Other Poems
- Her third collection published in 1915: Rivers to the Sea
Her last collection of poems in Strange Victory was later published after her death in 1933.
The Look is a very short poem, easy to read and full of passion from the author’s perspective.
In here, I can only visualise the author’s emotion, passion, and her strong desire and longing for that kiss. Also, this poem could trigger some old feelings and sentiments to the readers that somebody has felt the same way before.
So, come on. Try reading one or two short poems every now and then. It will jazz up your mood, helps you think, and improve your creative expression.
Just remember rhythm and rhymes, and rhythm and beats. If you can easily get lost in music and songs, poetry will immerse you deep into the meaning of each word, because poetry is intoxicating, delirious, and captivating.
It is just simply lovely.
Till next time, feel free to share your favourite poem.
Cheers!
Ninagracia
Sources:
https://poets.org/poet/sara-teasdale
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sara-Teasdale
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/sara-teasdale
The Little Book of Love Poems. (2002 ed.) The Look: Sara Teasdale (1884-1933
Ninagracia 