Black and White

ebony raven
­                                  snowy owl
coal-black carrion ghost
­                                  pristine white spirit
wing-clipped to the Tower
­                                  free-flying in the Arctic
croaking strutting shadows
­                                  low and silent
hugging walls of stone
­                                  over treeless wastes.

Kim M. Russell, 26th June 2018

Image result for paintings and artwork of a raven and an owl Pinterest
Image found on Pinterest

My response to dVerse Poets Pub Poetics: Opposites attract, or do they? also linked to Imaginary Garden with Real Toads Tuesday Platform

Lillian is here again to host our Tuesday Poetics and she’s been thinking about antithesis. She says that opposites can be as simple as cold/hot; happy/sad; inside/outside, or as complex as looking at one event or object from two different perspectives.

She explains that the literary device of antithesis places two opposite ideas together to achieve a contrasting effect, as in the opening of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities:  ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…’

Lill has given us wide latitude in how we use the literary device of antithesis / opposites. She asks us to write one poem that includes words that have opposite meanings OR write two short poems about one event,  each written from a different perspective or voice OR take a well known nursery rhyme or parable and rewrite it in the opposite.

46 thoughts on “Black and White”

  1. LOVE the image and your words! Love the spacing too. Somehow, these words, most especially resonate with me:
    “wing-clipped to the Tower
    free-flying in the Arctic”
    I can sense the “stuck” and the “soaring” — the prison and the freedom.
    So very well done. So glad you posted!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  14. I love the structure of your poem Kim 💜 It feels as though imagery and contrasts dancing together side by side in harmony! Beautiful! 😍😍

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  15. I love the structure of your poem Kim!💜 It feels as though imagery and structure dancing together side by side in harmony. Beautiful! 😍😍

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  17. Love the structure of your poem, Kim! 💞 It feels as though imagery and contrasts are dancing together side by side in harmony! 😍😍

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  20. I love this, Kim. Also I lived it the first time I visited the London Tower. Those Ravens were the first I’d ever seen, they were the largest birds I’d seen as well. So pretty, large and ebony black, not bothered by the tourists at all.
    But the snow white owl, I’m not sure. The should have been in New Hampshire (we once lived there ) or in Iceland, Nova Scotia, or the Yukon. Next time we go North I’ll look them up even if it’s at zoo.
    ..

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. That’s one thing I always envied birds, their freedom, which is why I hate to see caged ones and those poor old ravens at the Tower. Although, you’re right, they don’t seem to mind the tourists. Some got the fired – one for stealing – I’m pleased they didn’t chop off his head!

      Like

      Reply

  21. kaykuala

    croaking strutting shadows
    low and silent
    hugging walls of stone
    over treeless wastes.

    Opposites perfectly told, Kim. All these make the world go round and turn them to lots of interesting episodes!

    Hank

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.