An American sentence:
If a cat spoke, it would say things like, ‘Hey, I don’t see the problem here.’
–Roy Blount Jr. (b. 1941)
Some further American sentences:
- Unknowingly, Blount constructed a funny ‘American Sentence’.
- Need ‘American Sentences’ not be composed deliberately?
- A monkey could also produce an ‘American Sentence’ by chance.
- I’m not comparing Blount to a monkey. It’s a thought experiment.
- Writing an ‘American Sentence’ does not require overthinking.
- Meow, meow, mrow, mrrr, prr, prrt, mrrrrrrrrrrawr, mew, rrrr, awr, hiiiiiiiiiss, meow, mrrr, mEEEwr!
What’s an ‘American Sentence’?
Allen Ginsberg, inventor of the American Sentence, felt that the haiku didnโt work as well in English. Ginsberg decided to remove the line structure of the haiku, maintaining the requirement of 17 syllables total. He felt that removing the line count freed the American Sentence up for the idiosyncrasies of English phonemes.
The requirements:
- Composed in one line;
- Syllabic, 17 syllables;
- Condensed, written with no unnecessary words or articles;
- Complete sentence or sentences;
- Includes a turn or enlightenment.
Let’s write poetry together!
When it comes to partnership, some humans can make their lives alone – it’s possible. But creatively, it’s more like painting: you can’t just use the same colours in every painting. It’s just not an option. You can’t take the same photograph every time and live with art forms with no differences.
–Ben Harper (b. 1969)
Would you like to create poetry with me and have a completed poem of yours featured here at the Skeptic’s Kaddish? I am very excited to have launched the ‘Poetry Partners’ initiative and am looking forward to meeting and creating with you… Check it out!
The Skeptic's Kaddish ๐ฎ๐ฑ 
I could believe that a cat would say that. Haha! ๐
๐ค Terveen ๐ค
Could this be a new addiction. Searching for other people’s sentences which have exactly 17 syllables?๐
LOL.
I stumbled upon this purely by chance, I promise! I’m not that crazy! ๐คช
๐
Ah! You are the clever one!! And you did make me smile, then chuckle and finally laugh – as the American sentences mounted!!
๐ Muri ๐ – I’m glad!
Another great American sentence. It scares me to think of what a cat might say if he could.
The funny thing is that he wasn’t writing an American Sentence ๐
It’s just a quote from him that happens to have 17 syllables ๐
โค
David
Ah!! That’s it.
Lol
๐
Lol, i forgot all about it
Of course i read the 17 syllables story before.
๐๐คญ
that’s what made me wonder about the essence of an ‘American Sentence’ in the first place – what if such a sentence is composed entirely unintentionally?
I don’t know. I would presume
It would be considered the American Way๐
well played!
I love it David! ๐๐ปโค๐
๐ Filipa ๐
Nice American sentences ๐ at last, I read a post which really made me laugh ๐
๐คก Veera ๐คก
Ah,so you finally got it! ๐
๐๐๐โ YEAHHH
๐ Mic ๐