Wordsmith Wednesday–Taste

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Returning to the theme of sensory description, let’s consider the importance of the sense of taste. I think about the depth and richness that food adds to our lives…I think of it twice a day when I feed my dogs their “nutritious” dry food, wondering how it would be to eat the same thing day in and day out. I think of it when I remember my dad, as he neared the end of his life and suffered from neurological changes that affected his ability to enjoy his food. And I think of it as I savor the wonderful meals my husband prepares for me.

It’s obvious that food reporters have the knack to describe tastes: rich, pungent, sweet, tangy, bitter, and so on. I love reading wine magazines that use luscious descriptions to describe the fruitiness, the oak, the earthiness of their tastings. Consider as well, how taste can be a metaphor for personality: feisty as a hot pepper, smooth as honey, bland as Pablum.

Take some time to read some of your own writing, whatever the genre, and see if you’ve incorporated taste and how it brings life to your work. On the other hand, you might want to grab a scene or a stanza that just isn’t working and spice it up by incorporating the marvelous gift of taste.

I’m adding Mr. Linky so that you can share the results with us. Just post your poem, short story or essay to your blog, access Mr. Linky and fill in your name, paste the link to your post then take a few moments to read other submissions.

This week, I will add a short story that I wrote a few years ago. My previous post, a poem titled “a taste of earth,” might fit the bill as well.

Happy writing. Enjoy the process.