Even before we were sheltering in our homes, I enjoyed making connections over cyberspace. Teacher-poet-writer Fran Haley is one of those connections. We read each other. Yesterday she wrote a beautiful blog post “Ode to the Wind.” In that post she wrote about a tweet from Robert MacFarlane with the word of the day: susurrate.
Word of the day: “susurrate”—to whisper, murmur, esp. of noise produced by numerous individual sources of sound (bees humming, leaves rustling, etc.) Compare to “psithurism,” its similarly sibilant sense-sibling, meaning the whispering of wind in trees (from Ancient Greek).
Susurrate was a new word to me when I read MacFarlane’s most amazing, beautiful book the lost words: A Spell Book. A friend who knows I love words and poetry loaned it to me. I presented the first few poems to my students. The last stanza of the second poem “adder” reads:
Rustle of grass, sudden susurrus, what
Robert MacFarlane, the lost words
the eye misses:
For adder is as adder hisses.
Reading Fran’s post, I remembered that I had written a definito to the word. The definito is a form created by my friend, teacher-poet Heidi Mordhorst. “The definito is a free verse poem of 8-12 lines that highlights wordplay as it demonstrates the meaning of a less common, often abstract word, which always ends the poem.“
I love this form for working with the meaning of a new word in a way that helps someone else understand the word.
As murmur is to whisper
a mutter to a babble
When grumbles turn to mumbles
and a purr softens sound
As whisper is to wind
a sigh of the weather
As a hum is to a hummingbird
flying quickly to a flower
You may hear something
close to silence…susurration.
The Progressive Poem is coming to the end. Today Donna Smith is hosting Jessica Bigi’s contribution.
Reflections on the Teche 
Susurration is a fantastic word, and there’s just so much that I appreciate about your post here. Macfarlane’s word tweets, which always delight me, and his book, The Lost Words, with its astounding images and poems. And your friend Heidi’s created form (copying the rules in my notebook for possible later use!). And of course your poem.
I love learning a new word, thank you! Your poem illustrated the meaning of “susurrate” and its forms so well. “Something close to silence” – beautiful!
Your post includes so many of my favorite things today! I literally just was looking at “the lost words” two minutes ago and earlier today was thinking that “tantalize” would be a great word for a definito poem. I love your definito for susurration. It’s a wonderful word and you capture it’s meaning so well.
its…ugh
I remember being so excited on learning that you have and love The Lost Words, Margaret. I love everything Macfarlane writes and he’s the one who led me to Richard Powers’ stunning novel about trees, The Overstory. How fascinating that susurration should surround us simultaneously … thank you for your words and for sharing. Your definito is magnificent … “you may hear something close to silence” – that’s it. As usual, I draw much inspiration from you and now I must try a definito. You always stretch my wings. Ever grateful. And – this is the first time I’ve seen myself referenced as “teacher-poet-writer.” Teacher-writer, yes; I have never really thought of myself as a poet. Just a poem-dabbler, maybe. Seeing it made my eyes tear up. Honest. Thank you for your many amazing gifts. I am the richer for them!
You are a poet. And too kind. Thanks!
Thank you for a new word and a new kind of poem! Your poem definitely helps one to understand susurration. Ooh, I like the way it sounds when you say, susurration out loud. In your poem I especially like your lines, “a purr softens sound, as hum is to hummingbird/flying quickly to a flower.” I also will be writing this poem in my journal to work on a later time, along with other poems you and other poets for children have written and shared in March and April. I thank you and the other poets for this blog community that have uplifted me during this pandemic, helped me to cope, given me insight into their writing and lives, and encouraged me to write more poetry.
I loved The Lost Words when it came out, Margaret, maybe I should dig it out again? Your poem is lovely, taking us on a journey that helps us understand this beautiful word. The repetition of “As. . .” is wonderful.