PD30 Day 18: Fun with Hyponymy
September 18, 2008 by John Hewitt
I’d like to talk about hyponymy for two reasons. The first reason is that it can be a fun thing to play with in your poetry. The second reason is that it is the only word I know with three Ys in it. Hyponymy is the use of subsets of related words, most of which have a superordinate (parent) term. For example, color has many hyponyms, some of which are blue, red, yellow, green, black, and white. There isn’t always a superordinate term, however. Aunt and uncle are hyponyms, but there is no parent term in English that they roll up to. Yes, they are relatives, but unlike sister and brother (siblings) and mother and father (parents), there is no superordinate term specifically for aunt and uncle, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a set. In Spanish there is a superordinate term for aunt (tia) and uncle (tio), tios.
Hyponyms can have several levels. Blue is a hyponym of color, but turquoise and aquamarine are hyponyms of blue. They are also colors, but they belong to the smaller subset of blues. A hyponym has some of the components of a synonym, except that the words in the subset are related, but not necessarily interchangeable. Blue and red are colors, which make them hyponyms. They are two very different colors, however, so they are not synonyms. Turquoise and aquamarine, however, are similar enough to be considered synonyms as well as hyponyms.
In poetry, which often thrives on patterns, hyponyms can give structure to a poem in much the same way that rhyme does. List poems often make use of hyponyms. A list of months, for example, might be accompanied by an event or emotion related to each month.
In September you left me alone at the mall
In October you went to a party without me
In November you sent flowers but got my name wrong
Hyponyms aren’t exclusive to list poems. You can wind hyponyms throughout any piece, using them to set a mood or drive a point home. People see related items and draw their own conclusions. The use of animals to describe people sets a common standard for comparison. That standard will leave a different impression than if you use colors, ice cream flavors or tools to describe people, but each shows a fairly equal relationship.
He was a coyote, she was a rabbit
He was blue, she was red
He was vanilla, she was raspberry
He was a hammer, she was a wrench
The hyponyms show that He and She are different, but they are still related because they fall into the same category. Compare that to the following:
He was blue, she was a rabbit
It is still a comparison, but it doesn’t have the same relational dynamic because they are not items of equal comparison. Given enough thought, the two descriptions can be linked together, but you no longer think of them as being in the same category. There are times when this may be what you want, but the difference is clear.
I hope you can see the value of working hyponyms into your poetry. It not only gives structure to the poem, but it gives you a level ground for developing themes, thoughts and comparisons.
Today’s Poetry Prompt
Either use a set of hyponyms as the structure for your poem or write a poem around the phrase, “He was blue, she was a rabbit.” Either way, I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
Related links
- 30 Poems in 30 Days set for September (1.000)
- All About 30 Poems in 30 Days (1.000)
- PD30 Day 1: I Believe in Poetry (1.000)
- PD30 Day 2: Generally Be Specific (1.000)
- PD30 Day 3: A Review of Meter (1.000)
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FYI, John: SYZYGY. Alignment of three or more celestial bodies in the same gravity well. One of my favorite words!
Hypnonymism
Snap to lads look lively
Time for sternly curtness
Aye I’d not connive ye
Ready be thy alertness
Pay attention class; this gentleman
Lentil farmer’s brought your cup and seedling
And some yumyumgoodly Cream of Lentil. When
NANCY’S finished fidgeting and wheedling
Elmer Faad here, late of Kentham-Bent-Hill-Fen
Takes your questions. Ask, but please–NO Needling.
Maybe you just need relaxing
Or a mantra you can mull…
Omnibuses can be taxing;
New Age Music’s sure to lull…
Chamomile’s warm and drowsing…
On a sultry…
Monday…
Efforts pay off…Unarousing…
Thralldom…unto…Sunday…
Awakelessness…
Slumbrosity…
To
Ease one’s calm…to…keep…
Row, row…your boat…
On…Limpid…Lake…
In…deep…to…
Deeper……….sleeeeeep……..
7 Days to a Week
I met you on a Monday
You fell in love with me on a Tuesday
I asked you out on a Wednesday
You arranged for our first date on a Thursday
Our first kiss was on a Friday
Our first fight was on a Saturday
Our marriage began on a Sunday
7 days to week
30 days to a month
365 days to a year
Meaningful days
A precious lifetime
Because I met you
On Monday.
Animal Paramours
He was blue, she was a rabbit
People decreed it would never last.
She wanted to breed, but he had a habit.
They were like people of a different caste.
The rabbit was pretty, all white and brown.
The boy ranged in shades from turquoise to denim.
She never let anyone begin to put him down
When they did she gave them looks that were venom
She wanted to feel closer to him and join his blueness.
So she would eat only blueberries until her fur turned blue.
This act of love would demonstrate her ultimate trueness.
This would prove her love absolutely to the world she knew.
She missed the orange carrots, the crispy, green lettuce.
But she stayed firm to her resolve till even her whiskers were blue.
She frightened a small child and an old lady called her a menace.
But still she ate only blueberries and blue cheese but no other hew.
Then his habit got the best of him and he started seeing a duck.
His love for animals as paramours knew no bounds.
The rabbit knew this might happen but she left it up to luck.
She went back to her carrots and to him she said “Zounds!”
@ Gary
Astonomers always come up with cool names.
Love your poem.
@ Sheer
That makes for a busy week.
@ Maryellen
Zounds! I knew someone would tackle it.
Great post. Have linked to this today and will ref. for future.
ABBs last blog post..A hyponymy anyone?
The Hippobottom Line
The fellow who has signed the claim
Goat Leopard Hippopotamus
States freely that that’s not his name:
He wishes to be Hyponymous.
@ John: Ah. But I did not say that it was within the same week. For instance, it could be a Monday in 2005 and a Tuesday in 2008. Hah.
PS: pls help amend to “our first kiss was on…”. Accidentially wrote “kissed”. Thanks!
Best prompt yet! You taught me a new poetry word, and I thought I knew them all.
@John
Why?
Of late,
many pretentious politicians
attempt to argue pyrolytically,
instead of polysynaptically,
and the cacophonous noise
of words chosen polysyllabically
come into my mind polyrhythimcally.
Nothing Tastes Right
I just wanted a drink so I could go to sleep
I filled the plastic cup next to the motel sink
The water tasted like lightly salted chlorine
So I walked to the Quick Stop and got a Coke
But the Coke burned on my tonsils so I tossed it
I tried milk but it was an unwelcome guest on my tongue
Lingering long after we’d run out of conversation
It was somewhere west of midnight and I was spent
I wanted one day to become the next but it wouldn’t
Not until my throat was calm and my tongue was clear
No soda no beer would sooth the pain
No juice or dairy would leave when I wanted
Even bottled water would taste of plastic
I bought a cup of ice
Filtered
Clean
Ice
It felt good against my throat
It washed the milk off my tongue
I made my way back to my room
Sleep might now be an option
@ James
Because?
my color black
my grandma color is brown
my mom is color cuppacino
my grandpa color is cafe ale
my father is the color of cole
my niece color is cream
my brother color is yellow
my cousins colors are vindigo
my friends color is abscure
what are you