An American sentence:
Being dismissed from the hospital, for some, is like a death sentence.
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 
[…] to David [ben Alexander] at The Skeptic’s Kaddish for highlighting the American Sentence and Allen Ginsberg’s approach. As crisply defined in his […]
๐
Happy belated birthday, David – best wishes!
This American Sentence hit a little too close to home for me.
๐๐๐ป Dolly ๐๐ป๐
Thatโs a sad fact. ๐ฆ
๐๐๐ป Colleen ๐๐ป๐
Happy belated birthday David! ๐ฅณ๐ฅณ๐ฅณ It was yesterday, wasn’t it?
Yes, thanksโฃ๏ธ
Oh gosh! Happy birthday!
๐๐๐ป Brandon ๐๐ป๐
Happy Birthday to you David.
I had no idea that you are also born in December.
Hope you enjoyed.
Wishing you many more๐๐ฅ๐ฅณ๐
๐๐๐ป Abi ๐๐ป๐
You are welcome
I am so surprised
After knowing you all this while
To learn that you had a birthday ๐
December is a magical month!
๐ง
ditto – happy birthday, David ๐๐ฅฐ๐๐ฅณ
๐ค๐๐ป Barbara ๐๐ป๐ค
Oh David…this one really struck me. ๐ When the hospital sends you home it’s to allow you to leave this world peacefully.
๐๐๐ป Filipa ๐๐ป๐
Both โค
๐๐๐ป Abi ๐๐ป๐
Yes this is sadly true… especially if the person is all alone.
๐๐๐ป Muri ๐๐ป๐
Terrible reality.
โน๏ธ๐๐ป Brandon ๐๐ปโน๏ธ