JIM'S LITTLE PHOTO AND POEM PLACE: April -- NaPoWriMo 2023 Day 03 -- a Modified Poem to be INSIDE OUT and EXACT OPOSITE as possible modified

Abou Ben Adhem

BY LEIGH HUNT -- but modified to be

inside out and EXACT oposit e as possible modified

Abou Ben Adhem (may his clan dimmish!)

Slept one morning from a night of turmoil,

And missed, within the sunlight in his room,

Making it poor, and like a corn cob in decay,

An angel reading from a tablet of foil:—

Exceeding turmoil had made Ben Adhem skittish,

And to the presence in the room he said,

"What readest thou?"—The vision lowered its head,

And with a look made of some angry discord,

Answered, "The names of those who hate the Lord."

"And is mine one?" said Abou. "Yep, I guess so,"

Replied the angel. Abou spoke more loudly,

And angerly still; and said, "I curse thee, then,

Read me as one that hates his fellow men."

The angel read, and lingered. The next day

It came again with a little darkened grin,

And showed the names whom wrath of God had cursed,

And piss! Ben Adhem's fame faded below most of the cursed.

Abou Ben Adhem

BY LEIGH HUNT, (Modified by jimmiehov)

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Abou Bhem (the original)

BY LEIGH HUNT

Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)

Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,

And saw, within the moonlight in his room,

Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,

An angel writing in a book of gold:—

Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,

And to the presence in the room he said,

"What writest thou?"—The vision raised its head,

And with a look made of all sweet accord,

Answered, "The names of those who love the Lord."

"And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so,"

Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,

But cheerly still; and said, "I pray thee, then,

Write me as one that loves his fellow men."

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night

It came again with a great wakening light,

And showed the names whom love of God had blest,

And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.

Notes:

1. "Abou Ben Adam" was the first poem besides nursery rhymes that I memorized. I like it still and remember most of it. I chose this poem from a small volume of popular poems that my mother had in her bookcase.

2. Our directions for this messed up poem, "here’s our prompt for the day (optional, as always). Find a shortish poem that you like, and rewrite each line, replacing each word (or as many words as you can) with words that mean the opposite. For example, you might turn “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” to “I won’t contrast you with a winter’s night.” Your first draft of this kind of “opposite” poem will likely need a little polishing, but this is a fun way to respond to a poem you like, while also learning how that poem’s rhetorical strategies really work. (It’s sort of like taking a radio apart and putting it back together, but for poetry)."

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