We often think of “wordplay” as something clever, maybe even flippant. But in poetry, it can be far more serious. Wordplay can be griefplay. It can be an exorcism. It can be a reckoning.
Take the word routine. It sounds safe. Clinical. A daily procedure. But say it aloud, slowly, and you’ll begin to hear other words buried inside it:
route in — a way in, or a breach
root in — what settles deep, often unspoken
rot in — what decays beneath the surface
ruin — the aftermath
tune — what repeats
Today I want you to choose a single word and listen to what else is inside it. Don’t just think meaning, think sound, root, rhythm. Here are a few starters:
resign becomes sign again, re-sign, restitute, residual, signing, sign-in, sigh
undertow becomes under + tow + undertaker, underworld, towpath, tow-float
blister becomes bless + blister + sister
haven becomes have + even + heaven all at the same time
still becomes stillness / still going / distil / till death do us part
Then write a poem that splits that word open. Let its hidden selves guide your lines.
Start with:
[Word], as in:
…
And see where it leads.
Max x
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