An Itinerant Mind

It pays to increase your word power

There was a time when a staple of every waiting room, and not a few charity shop bookshelves, was the magazine 'Reader's Digest'. Usually I read these in a very specific order, based upon the assumption that I would be interrupted by my actual appointment at some time whilst reading them.

I'd begin with 'Laughter The Best Medicine', because I love jokes. Next I'd read 'Humour in uniform', which usually was a little less funny, but still okay. Then I'd look at 'It pays to increase your word power'. This was a quiz where unusual words were printed with several possible meanings, only one of which was correct. Depending on the issue I might do reasonably well at these, but of course the other attraction was learning new words.

Someone reviewing one of my poems said that they 'didn't use those silver dollar words' themselves. I was rather surprised by this. The poet should always be learning new words, and we should also be using those words in our poetry, and our conversation. A poet, like a shaman will ordinarily have a much wider vocabulary than the majority.

Someone I was very close to told me that I played with words. This was a compliment, they meant that I used them like toys, rather than I am a liar, (at least I'm pretty sure that's what they meant ). I have written poems where the sound of the words was all that mattered, (at least one reviewer I respect hates that, but thankfully those poems aren't posted yet). Often when I write, I can hear the words following a tune or a flow of words. I'm considering recording some of my poetry and putting it up on YouTube, if I can work out how to do that. I suspect I will have to buy a webcam.