"To keep the review thread clean..."

[Tzara]

What's the C word got to do with cars?!!!!! *innocently sits back in amazement*

I think he means cliché, not cunt. Now if you had asked about a "purring kitty," it would be different.

A sentence like Having easily evaded the police, The Shadow feathered the throttle of his sleek black sedan and cruised away into the darkness, the car's powerful motor purring softly is the kind of thing that would appear in 30s pulp fiction. I think he was cautioning you that a car purring (although usually it is the engine or motor purring) at the very least verges on cliché.

Doesn't mean you can't use it, just that you should try to use it in a fresh way.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Tzzzzzzzzz!! *collapses in shock* bad bad boy!!!! *giggle*

 

[Tzara]

Tzzzzzzzzz!! *collapses in shock* bad bad boy!!!! *giggle*

On second thought, perhaps he meant "coy," which you are being now.

 

[Angeline]

Could I possibly ask a question in here as I'm not sure where else to ask it? Would you say that writing that a car purrs along is ok ? If someone could find the time to answer I would be much obliged

I don't see how you could do it without using the word "motor," as Tzara did (and it does have a Mickey Spillane-ish feel to it). If you still want to convey "purring" in ref to a car, I think the way to do it would be to find another word that expresses it. If you find just the right word (and I am in no way averse to a thesaurus for this; it's what I'd do), people will get "purring" without your having to actually use it.

 

[Tzara]

I don't see how you could do it without using the word "motor," as Tzara did (and it does have a Mickey Spillane-ish feel to it).

"Motor" is typical, but not required: After depositing the Joker, trussed tight as a chicken on the courthouse steps, the Batmobile purred away into the inky night.

If you still want to convey "purring" in ref to a car, I think the way to do it would be to find another word that expresses it. If you find just the right word (and I am in no way averse to a thesaurus for this; it's what I'd do), people will get "purring" without your having to actually use it.

This is the best solution. The problem with "purr" or "purring" in relation to the sound an automobile makes is that that is an image others (many others) have made before.

So it becomes boring, or cliché, which is death to poetry.

 

[EroticOrogeny]

Thank you, but not all of us can be gold-standard poets.

Especially with a tin ear!

 

[Angeline]

"Motor" is typical, but not required: After depositing the Joker, trussed tight as a chicken on the courthouse steps, the Batmobile purred away into the inky night.
This is the best solution. The problem with "purr" or "purring" in relation to the sound an automobile makes is that that is an image others (many others) have made before.

So it becomes boring, or cliché, which is death to poetry.

Yes, but "Batmobile" is not "car." And while technically, yes, one can say a car purrs, it sounds silly to me. Even when you separate the verb from its subject with a pronoun (e.g., "The car is in top running order: it purrs like a kitten."), it still comes off cliched. Now what is cliched is often subjective. Still, I wouldn't hesitate to use a word like "rainbow" in a poem if I felt it was the perfect word. But I'm pretty sure that whenever a word has been used in a metaphoric way in colloquial English, like "motor purrs," it's a combo I want to avoid in a poem. Well, unless I'm writing a poem about cliche. Maybe then.

 

[EroticOrogeny]

Could I possibly ask a question in here as I'm not sure where else to ask it? Would you say that writing that a car purrs along is ok ? If someone could find the time to answer I would be much obliged

And most cats only purr from time to time, rather than continuously as a car would be expected to (but we have a cat who purrs most of the time).

 

[Tzara]

Yes, but "Batmobile" is not "car." And while technically, yes, one can say a car purrs, it sounds silly to me. Even when you separate the verb from its subject with a pronoun (e.g., "The car is in top running order: it purrs like a kitten."), it still comes off cliched. Now what is cliched is often subjective. Still, I wouldn't hesitate to use a word like "rainbow" in a poem if I felt it was the perfect word. But I'm pretty sure that whenever a word has been used in a metaphoric way in colloquial English, like "motor purrs," it's a combo I want to avoid in a poem. Well, unless I'm writing a poem about cliche. Maybe then.

I don't think we basically disagree here, though I don't see how rephrasing the sentence as After depositing the Joker, trussed tight as a chicken on the courthouse steps, the Batman's giant car purred away into the inky night loses anything in interpretation (not that it had stocked up much in the way of real imagery in the first place).

The basic problem is, I think, that "purr" and "car," if used to describe the sound of the automobile, is cliché or verging on cliché, and unless you've come up with some clever way of using that metaphor, you're better off just avoiding it altogether.

I may, of course, be wrong, and often am.

 

[Tzara]

And most cats only purr from time to time, rather than continuously as a car would be expected to (but we have a cat who purrs most of the time).

Oh, fine. Fuck with the metaphor.

Scientist.

 

[Angeline]

I don't think we basically disagree here, though I don't see how rephrasing the sentence as After depositing the Joker, trussed tight as a chicken on the courthouse steps, the Batman's giant car purred away into the inky night loses anything in interpretation (not that it had stocked up much in the way of real imagery in the first place).

The basic problem is, I think, that "purr" and "car," if used to describe the sound of the automobile, is cliché or verging on cliché, and unless you've come up with some clever way of using that metaphor, you're better off just avoiding it altogether.

I may, of course, be wrong, and often am.

No we do agree, and I wanted to respond to clarify that I'm not saying it's ungrammatical to use it. It's grammatically fine, but it's a cliche.

Your example about the Joker trussed like a chicken is also silly (and I agree with you about this, too). But what neither of us has said that I think is important is that all our examples have been prose, not poetry. Well, a cliche is a cliche is a cliche, but to me they always sound even more clunky in a poem.

And none of this discussion can wipe the beatific smile from my face as the Red Sox just thoroughly trounced the Yankees.

 

[Safe_Bet]

Yes, but "Batmobile" is not "car." And while technically, yes, one can say a car purrs, it sounds silly to me. Even when you separate the verb from its subject with a pronoun (e.g., "The car is in top running order: it purrs like a kitten."), it still comes off cliched. Now what is cliched is often subjective. Still, I wouldn't hesitate to use a word like "rainbow" in a poem if I felt it was the perfect word. But I'm pretty sure that whenever a word has been used in a metaphoric way in colloquial English, like "motor purrs," it's a combo I want to avoid in a poem. Well, unless I'm writing a poem about cliche. Maybe then.

Of more critical importance is the fact that Bat Girl's bike was WAY cooler than Bat Man's doofy old car! (and she looked HOT riding it with her cute little butt sticking up and all).

Now back to the action on your regularly scheduled bat.... no I mean poetry channel.

POWIE! BAM!!! BIFF!!!!

 

[Tzara]

No we do agree, and I wanted to respond to clarify that I'm not saying it's ungrammatical to use it. It's grammatically fine, but it's a cliche.

Your example about the Joker trussed like a chicken is also silly (and I agree with you about this, too). But what neither of us has said that I think is important is that all our examples have been prose, not poetry. Well, a cliche is a cliche is a cliche, but to me they always sound even more clunky in a poem.

And none of this discussion can wipe the beatific smile from my face as the Red Sox just thoroughly trounced the Yankees.

Silly? Silly?

Well, Verse-i-gal, how about this:

Now my insidious, deft fingers,
like how the Batman left
the Joker blanched and trussed
on those steps of Justice,
tossed trussed on the concrete curb,
swale at her hidden throttle, set
her whole car to purr.​

Hey. Five minutes compositional time. Cut me some slack.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

I don't see how you could do it without using the word "motor," as Tzara did (and it does have a Mickey Spillane-ish feel to it). If you still want to convey "purring" in ref to a car, I think the way to do it would be to find another word that expresses it. If you find just the right word (and I am in no way averse to a thesaurus for this; it's what I'd do), people will get "purring" without your having to actually use it.

"Motor" is typical, but not required: After depositing the Joker, trussed tight as a chicken on the courthouse steps, the Batmobile purred away into the inky night.
This is the best solution. The problem with "purr" or "purring" in relation to the sound an automobile makes is that that is an image others (many others) have made before.

So it becomes boring, or cliché, which is death to poetry.

It was going to be something like 'We purred down country lanes' deliberately not mentioning motors giving the illusion only as in not zooming down them which with the tiny English country roads you most definitely can't do unless you want to end up upside down in some farmers field with a load of chickens whch I have done but that was a different era! So would it work in that context?

And most cats only purr from time to time, rather than continuously as a car would be expected to (but we have a cat who purrs most of the time).

Lol I do love your input!

 

[bflagsst]

I don't know that you can even get away with a cat purring in a poem without someone ringing the bell on you.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Cats purr when they are in pain too and this pussy is off to google car noises

 

[UnderYourSpell]

I don't care if I set the cat amongst the pigeons with this post because I am flaming mad and I don't get mad that often. I just wish there was some way I could block even seeing some poems that get posted by certain poets because even the titles shout out what they are without even reading them. Yes Ramonathompson I mean you! You are sick and unkind and out to hurt people that don't deserve such treatment and I not only thoroughly dislike what you have just done I hate you for it too. You are one sicko!

 

[bflagsst]

I don't care if I set the cat amongst the pigeons with this post because I am flaming mad and I don't get mad that often. I just wish there was some way I could block even seeing some poems that get posted by certain poets because even the titles shout out what they are without even reading them. Yes Ramonathompson I mean you! You are sick and unkind and out to hurt people that don't deserve such treatment and I not only thoroughly dislike what you have just done I hate you for it too. You are one sicko!

Ramona has gotten into a few scuffles like this since I've been around. You should read her poem from yesterday "First Kiss", I think she even admits that's it's a genuine expression. I'm not a fan of song lyric re-writes or 'shock' poetry either, but I think Ramona writes those poems to get a reaction from the reader, a sick feeling in the stomach and so on.

Normal Jean, I like alot of your poems, such as "It's not what you know". I don't really know what you're going through with your disability and such, but I don't think it has anything to do with people on a message board. I'm young and fun and want to share my youngness and fun-ness with you through poetry, because I like yours and I hope you'll read mine. I want to be friends with you because I like the poems you've written. We can share new poems that no one else has seen with each other. I like to argue with people about anything, but I like even more sharing excellent poems. I don't know if I can act like a man on the internet, the internet is best approached child-like, reveling in the absurdity of communicating 'important things' thru text boxes.

 

[normal jean]

Ramona has gotten into a few scuffles like this since I've been around. You should read her poem from yesterday "First Kiss", I think she even admits that's it's a genuine expression. I'm not a fan of song lyric re-writes or 'shock' poetry either, but I think Ramona writes those poems to get a reaction from the reader, a sick feeling in the stomach and so on.

Normal Jean, I like alot of your poems, such as "It's not what you know". I don't really know what you're going through with your disability and such, but I don't think it has anything to do with people on a message board. I'm young and fun and want to share my youngness and fun-ness with you through poetry, because I like yours and I hope you'll read mine. I want to be friends with you because I like the poems you've written. We can share new poems that no one else has seen with each other. I like to argue with people about anything, but I like even more sharing excellent poems. I don't know if I can act like a man on the internet, the internet is best approached child-like, reveling in the absurdity of communicating 'important things' thru text boxes.

Aww, bflaggst, my "disability" ( temporary) hasn't got squat to do with a message board except I haven't been here much since my job started and I was just sharing with the couple of people who care.

I could go through and point out at least 30 people here to talk about their health, sorry my problem offends you. Hope you have a nice day.

heh!

I just realized what your post is about. I apologize for hurting your feelings.

 

[Angeline]

Silly? Silly?

Well, Verse-i-gal, how about this:

Now my insidious, deft fingers,
like how the Batman left
the Joker blanched and trussed
on those steps of Justice,
tossed trussed on the concrete curb,
swale at her hidden throttle, set
her whole car to purr.​

Hey. Five minutes compositional time. Cut me some slack.

I'll cut you plenty of slack. It's almost impossible for you to write a bad poem anymore.

 

[bflagsst]

Aww, bflaggst, my "disability" ( temporary) hasn't got squat to do with a message board except I haven't been here much since my job started and I was just sharing with the couple of people who care.

I could go through and point out at least 30 people here to talk about their health, sorry my problem offends you. Hope you have a nice day.

heh!

I just realized what your post is about. I apologize for hurting your feelings.

The thing about text boxes is you don't see body language, you can't decipher tone and meaning all to well. I thought I was being genuine when I offered my friendship, and I can't really decipher whether your last sentence is sarcastic or genuine. I'd just assume it's sarcastic and you're being unfriendly, if you look back it was you who approached me in an unfriendly way. Regardless, I'm not patronizing, I like your poems and hope you'll read mine and share with me.

If we were friends I'd say that how you approach people on the message board might have something to do with your injury. As you've said, you're unhappy at home by yourself out of necessity and maybe that discomfort enters into how you interact with people. Why can't I argue and carry on with James or whoever then approach you in a friendly way? That goes for anyone reading this, if you write good poems you can pretty much say whatever you want to me, because I forgive a good poet anything.

 

[ramonathompson]

I don't care if I set the cat amongst the pigeons with this post because I am flaming mad and I don't get mad that often. I just wish there was some way I could block even seeing some poems that get posted by certain poets because even the titles shout out what they are without even reading them. Yes Ramonathompson I mean you! You are sick and unkind and out to hurt people that don't deserve such treatment and I not only thoroughly dislike what you have just done I hate you for it too. You are one sicko!

And just what in the hell is your problem with me now? I'm an artist. You don't like it then you can stick it up your ass!

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

And just what in the hell is your problem with me now? I'm an artist. You don't like it then you can stick it up your ass!

Very poetic.

 

[ramonathompson]

Very poetic.

To hell with being poetic. I'm sick to death of being attacked over my art when other people in this screwed up world have done much worse. I'm no criminal. I do not deserve to be treated like one.

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

To hell with being poetic. I'm sick to death of being attacked over my art when other people in this screwed up world have done much worse. I'm no criminal. I do not deserve to be treated like one.

I don't think you're a criminal, but nor do I think over-writing song lyrics is art(or poetry), mona, sorry.....a skill perhaps. I don't know what you wrote that upset UYS so I can't comment on that. It's a matter of free speech, you write what you want to and UYS responds in kind and so it goes.