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Wednesday, October 10, 2012

For Real Toads: the unreliable narrator


Over at the website of the online writers' group, Imaginary Garden with Real Toads, Kerry has challenged us to write a poem with an unreliable narrator. She says "write a poem from the first person point of view using a narrator whose unreliability becomes clear to the reader through the course of the narrative"
and she offers a few suggestions to consider as a starting point:
Public domain Smiley from WPClipart
tall tales
poisoned pen
impaired memory
hearsay/ gossip
prejudice
diminished capacity
intoxication
personal gain




*
Pssst, don’t tell anyone I told you,
you didn’t hear a word from me,
but I know for a fact that...
*
You-know-who and Whatsisname are
lunching daily at that new bar.
Mr. Green has bought a sports car.
Down the street the Smiths are pregnant,
and the Joneses’ pool is stagnant.
Mrs. Brown has two new boyfriends,
gossip about her never ends.
*
But, of course, I’d never gossip,
don’t say you heard it first from me
because, you know, I’ll disagree.

12 comments:

Hannah said...

Nicely handled....makes me wish I'd have taken this angle...your played it out perfectly, Kay!! :)

Daydreamer said...

Haha, so typical of a typical gossip to say, 'but, I never gossip '

LOL

Well said :)

Ella said...

Oh, yes, I know a few of these narrators ;D Clever Kay! Well Done
xo

Kerry O'Connor said...

Haha! Exactly so! These know-it-alls are the first to plead innocence when called to book.

Susan said...

Ha ha! You have the transcript here, and the script never changes!

Leslie said...

this makes me smile :)

nicely done.

hedgewitch said...

I think there's a bit of this in all of us, but some people really cave to it and make it their whole focus. Gossip does as much to ruin the gossiper, imo, as the victim. Great take on the prompt, Kay.

Fran said...

I love this, so many people it could apply to! Now retyped and put on to my inspiration wall!!! Xxx

Kay L. Davies said...

@ Fran
Wow, thanks, Fran. I don't think I've ever been put on anyone's inspiration wall before. I'm pleased, and very flattered!
K

Margaret said...

...well.. two new boyfriends is worth gossiping about :)

Jinksy said...

Hehehe! Nice one.

Fireblossom said...

Oh geez, I think we have all met THIS woman before!