Words of Wonder #3: Revelatory Words

Elysian, Revel, Reveille, and Halcyon

Elysian

Elysian Fields is a place in Greek mythology where virtuous souls go when they die. It’s also a street in New Orleans where the play and film A Streetcar Named Desire takes place.

David Byrne of the Talking Heads sang, “Heaven is a place. A place where nothing, nothing ever happens.” But maybe heaven is a place where morning sunlight filters through a library window, illuminating an eternity of books waiting to be read. Books full of fascinating, wondrous words.

Revel

The introvert’s dilemma: To stand at the edge of the festivities, watching? Or to jump in and get swept up in the wild party? Introverted revelers reveal new sides of their personality. And occasionally regret and revile their decisions when the sun rises.

Reveille

I was the world’s worst boy scout from first grade through seventh grade. Halfway through seventh grade I dropped out of scouts—to my dad’s chagrin. What do I remember about my brief time in boy scouts? I remember orienteering on a bitterly cold winter day, failing the summer camp swim test and being forced to swim in the shallow end, and failing to tie anything resembling a knot. Every morning at scout camp the reveille song, played on a bugle, roused us from our bunks. I would have made an even worse soldier than a boy scout—but I still love the tune of reveille.

Halcyon

Another definition of halcyon is kingfisher. Or an even better definition, from Oxford Languages: a mythical bird said by ancient writers to breed in a nest floating at sea at the winter solstice, charming the wind and waves into calm. This word is like a rowboat waiting to drift out onto a still pond to watch the sunset.

Coming next week: Luminous Words.

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For more words, pictures, and small revelations, check out my new book, POETRY COMICS. Here’s the starred review from Publishers Weekly:

⭐ Poetry Comics

Grant Snider. Chronicle Books, (96p)

Poetry verses about self-reflection and scientific curiosity adorn vivid illustrations in this gently introspective collection. Repetitive wordplay and clever alliterations paired with sometimes rhyming stanzas and occasional blank verse add variety to the assemblage’s entries, making each selection a delight to read aloud. Recurrent themes involve school day travails and the potential of imagination, while contemplations of nature channel Mary Oliver: “In the not-quite dark/ first night of summer/ one light blinks/ on/ then another./ Tiny lanterns/ glow and rise/ a festival of fireflies.” The fluid illustrations and equally viscous verse culminates in a poetry-filled graphic novel that is powerful in its simplicity.

You can pre-order POETRY COMICS here or find it at your favorite local bookshop.