top of page

triveni spotlight: 11th May 2025

triveni spotlight A FEATURE EVERY ALTERNATE DAY hosts: Anju Kishore and Mohua Maulik GUEST EDITOR: Shloka Shankar

11th May 2025


triveni spotlight May 2025


                                         

my lack of commitment terminal schwa


 

— Robin Smith

Sonic Boom, Issue #12



 

<> <>


Theme: Metapoems & Language 


I have always been fascinated by the creative process—the sacred act of writing itself, the repealing of the blank page. To celebrate the ars poetica and the building blocks of language, my curation for the month of May centres around metapoems. What happens when whole lexicons, adjectives, verbs, apostrophes, and schwas lace haiku with nuance and layers? How can grammatical terms form the backbone of a poem? I hope you enjoy unfolding these questions—and more—as you ponder these sixteen poems.


Shloka Shankar



<> <> <>


Many thanks to our guest editor Shloka Shankar for this month’s selection and theme. Poets, we look forward to your company on this fascinating tour of what language can do to the poetry of haiku.


_()_ triveni spotlight team

9 Comments


Leena Anandhi
Leena Anandhi
5 days ago

Thank you Alan. That was a fascinating read.


Thank you for the poem- Night Train- brimming with energy.


There are so many references here, all forms of art- poetry, music, movie, and painting too! What a rich tapestry of subconscious.

Edited
Like
Alan Summers
Alan Summers
5 days ago
Replying to

Thank you! Ever since reading Richard Gilbert's Poems of Consciousness in 2012, I really stretched myself and covered many different ways to write haiku.

Like

Alan Summers
Alan Summers
5 days ago

May I recommend this book just out by Judy Kendall, whom many will know as Presence journal's book review editor.


A writers' group could jointly purchase a copy.


Inarticulacy in Creative Writing Practice and Translation

Where Language Thickens

Judy Kendall (Author)

PREVIEW OF TEXT and BACKGROUND

https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Inarticulacy_in_Creative_Writing_Practic/PAY5EQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA2&printsec=frontcover


and


https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/inarticulacy-in-creative-writing-practice-and-translation-9781350502369/

Like

Alan Summers
Alan Summers
6 days ago

.

Combine closer reading, with breaking up the poem:


my lack of commitment terminal schwa


my = personal pronoun


lack = noun

the state of being without or not having enough of something.


 of = preposition

In grammar, "of" is a preposition used to indicate relationships between words, often showing connection, belonging, or possession.


commitment =

  1. the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.

    Similar:

    dedication

    devotion

    allegiance

    loyalty

    faithfulness

    fidelity

    bond

    adherence

    attentiveness



  2. an engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of action.


terminal schwa =

A "terminal schwa" refers to the sound of the schwa vowel (/ə/) occurring at the end of a word or syllable. The schwa is a neutral vowel sound, often described as a lazy…


Like

Kavita Ratna
Kavita Ratna
7 days ago

Ah, another one that I do not understand in these series, Shloka. May we we need some commentaries here. Or is it just me?

Like
Kavita Ratna
Kavita Ratna
5 days ago
Replying to

Dear Alan, deeply, deeply grateful for your time, care and attention. This is most useful and insightful!

Like
bottom of page