It's National Poetry Month and we look to the Oz books for inspiration. When we look to Baum's books, all we find are songs such as the one the Musicker sang or the songs sung by Rinkitink in Oz. Also, in The Patchwork Girl of Oz, there appears to be variants of poems in the form of quirky songs. Furthermore, it seems that according to the Wogglebug in The Road to Oz, the only way people recite poetry in Oz is through spell form or by taking a knowledge pill in subjects like elocution and literature. Fascinating! Can I get in on that knowledge pill action? Anyways, when we look to Maguire's Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, we find numerous poems (quells and song verses) that were written. So, we will be getting inspiration from this text to see what poems we can create from an Ozian (or Ozite) perspective. Let us begin with the first type of poem introduced in the book, which are the children's nursery rhymes and they are truly fascinating to read as you get a direct look into the cultural belief system of the Ozian culture. Nanny, a character in the book who watches over Elphaba, speaks these rhymes during different conversations. The first one is a glimpse into how a baby will turn out depending on what type of day it is. Well, that's definitely bleek! Anywho, that is an 8-line poem with a aabb pattern, meaning the last works of the first two lines need to rhyme and the last words of the second two lines need to rhyme. This pattern is repeated a second time to add more descriptors to the time of day. Now, moving on to the next poem, it was spoken as a rhyme describing the difference between boys and girls as well as the distinctions between each group of people in Oz. Keep in mind that that an extra group of people were added to the original five groups of Baum's versions. So, let's check it out. First, I should notate that the extra group mentioned in this nursery rhyme is called the Glikkuns and they live to the Northwest region of Oz called Ugabu. More about he Glikkuns can be found in detail in the third book in Maguire's series. They are not very nice people. They sound very much like the vegetable people in Baum's fourth book, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. Alright, so this is a 12-line poem with an aabb pattern. It has an additional line meant as a moral or take away to learn. In this case, its asking the listener to give an apple if you would like to hear it again. This is teaching that nothing in life comes for free. It is just as bleek as the other one and definitely adds more violence into the poem. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. The other type of poem that is introduced to us is called a quell, which we will discuss next. So, a quell (definition above) is used in the story as a way to keep people calm and keep the words inspirational. This can be subjective to anyone who is speaking, even the not-so-nice Madame Morrible, who recites two in the story. They are spoken at a poetry night at Shiz University in Oz. So, let's check out one of them now, below. Now, this poem has quite a different pattern. It follows the more complex "aaaabbccccccc" pattern with an extra line that is meant to share a moral, based on whoever is talking. It also does not rhyme with any of the other lines. The poem's main idea is about being a community, which is something that is super needed right now. However, that last line is the odd ball piece that doesn't really fit with the poem but more a statement that the speaker is wishing to say. It is very similar to the Bible verse, "spare the rod and spoil the child." In this poem, they are saying to use the rod on the child and it will humble them. Goodness! So serious for the land of Oz, don't you think? It is also saying that if you use the rod, you will ruin the child. So, beat them and ruin them or coddle them and they grow up just fine. Interesting message! Anyways, she also does another quell in the book and ends it with a quite offensive phrase we see in the play (seen at the top of the post); so, let's check that out. That feels wrong to me as my parents used to say something like this to me a lot growing up, but instead of the wod "animals", the word "children" was used. Well, this quell follows a different pattern in that all the lines rhyme, except for the final line. It has another bleek message and is depressing to read, but is still very interesting to see in Oz. Baum's books did not follow the poem path as much as the song path, which added to the lightness. These have their own breadth and weight outside of the text. But, I want to hear from you. Which one of these Wicked poems was your favorite? Did it inspire you to write anything? If so, please let me know in the comments below. Also, if it did inspire you to write your own poem, please feel free to post them below and share them so others can admire your work. As an added bonus for the time we spend in our houses, I thought it would be helpful to provide some fun activities for Oz fans of all ages. Check them out and be sure to post anything you might find fun and entertaining in these times for fans of all ages; and, until next time, we'll be seeing you somewhere over the Vinkus. Happy Poetry Month! At Home in Oz Activity #1) I mentioned earlier in the post that Baum wrote songs for Rinkitink in Oz. Well fascinating enough, an Oz member, Sean Carlson wrote music to the lyrics in Baum's book and it might be available online. If you go to the following IWOC website and ask for the CD to see if they have any copies available, you can listen to the songs as well as read the lyrics in the Rinkitink in Oz book in the CD covering yourself. If not, feel free to check out this article that another Oz fan, Jay Davis, wrote, where he gives his review of the CD. Also, you can always contact the musician himself, if you want. He is on Facebook and he might have more insight if he is able to get you your own copy of the CD. #ObscureOz. At Home in Oz Activity #2) If you like to play computer games, you will want to check out Emerald City Confidential. It is a film noir type of story as you take on the role of Petra, an Ozian detective, and solve various cases in the game. You even go through many facets of Oz including the Wogglebug's University, where you can try one of the knowledge pills that I mentioned above. Its a truly fun game and it has its creepy moments as well as its hilarious moments. I purchased it on Amazon, but it is also available play it on Steam, another online computer game platform, as well as available through the Mac Store. So, however you plan on having fun, please keep yourself safe and be kind to others always, as Ozians would recommend.
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AuthorMy name is Vinkus Ken and I have been a long time fan of many things in Oz and how their world truly does emulate much of ours. Did you know that they have a flag of their own? Or did you know that they have a law about only having 9 jurors in their courts? Also, Oz has a court system! I like to introduce facts that seem meaningless and bring meaning to them by comparing them to our world. So, come along on this journey and enjoy the ride. |