Writing Challenge: Using Synesthesia

Synesthesia is an intuitive connecting of the senses in which one sense is used  to describe another. This might be something not associated with a sense, for example, words used to excite the imagination  -- taste of sweet or sour described as a taste of green.

Challenge:

For each color or texture, list something not associated with color/texture:

Red wind     white memory     smooth love

1. blue                                                  2. orange

3. red                                                   4. velvet

5. satin                                                 6. turquoise

7. opaque                                             8. transparent

9. textured                                           10. rough

Use words not associated with scent

Six fragrances in the sky

11. smell                                               12. aroma

13. bouquet                                          14. fragrant

Name things not connected with sound

Hear heat

15. listen                                               16. hear

17. beckoning                                       18. calling

Use the words listed with things not seen

I looked into the sound of morning.

19. look                                               20. see

21. visualize                                        22. picture

23. gaze

Name things you can not literally touch

Embrace the shadow.

24. feel                                                 25. grab

26. embrace                                         26. caress

27. touch

example

I hear the wind

washing my hair with icy fingers

clearing away the weight of the day

and rinsing it in the moonlight.

n      Vicky Edmonds Verver

HAVE FUN WITH THIS EXERCISE!

(Note: This was an exercise originally presented to the Guyer Barn Poets in December, 2001)