full transcript

From the Ted Talk by C.K. Williams: Poetry of youth and age

Unscramble the Blue Letters


claws scrabbling, then her — her voice hoarse, harsh, hollow, almost only a tone,

ieorcnhnet, a note, a squawk, bone on metal, metal gone molten,

calling them back, "Come back darlings, come back dear ones. My sweet alegns, come back."

mdeea she was, next time I saw her.

Sorceress, tranced, esctitac, stock-still on the sidewalk

ragged coat hanging agape, passersby flowing around her,

her mouth torn seludndy open as though in a saecrm,

silently though, as though only in her brain or breast had it erupted.

A cry so pure, practiced, deethacd, it had no need of a voice, or could no longer bear one.

Open Cloze


claws scrabbling, then her — her voice hoarse, harsh, hollow, almost only a tone,

__________, a note, a squawk, bone on metal, metal gone molten,

calling them back, "Come back darlings, come back dear ones. My sweet ______, come back."

_____ she was, next time I saw her.

Sorceress, tranced, ________, stock-still on the sidewalk

ragged coat hanging agape, passersby flowing around her,

her mouth torn ________ open as though in a ______,

silently though, as though only in her brain or breast had it erupted.

A cry so pure, practiced, ________, it had no need of a voice, or could no longer bear one.

Solution


  1. angels
  2. detached
  3. scream
  4. incoherent
  5. ecstatic
  6. medea
  7. suddenly

Original Text


claws scrabbling, then her — her voice hoarse, harsh, hollow, almost only a tone,

incoherent, a note, a squawk, bone on metal, metal gone molten,

calling them back, "Come back darlings, come back dear ones. My sweet angels, come back."

Medea she was, next time I saw her.

Sorceress, tranced, ecstatic, stock-still on the sidewalk

ragged coat hanging agape, passersby flowing around her,

her mouth torn suddenly open as though in a scream,

silently though, as though only in her brain or breast had it erupted.

A cry so pure, practiced, detached, it had no need of a voice, or could no longer bear one.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
girl means 2


Important Words


  1. agape
  2. angels
  3. bear
  4. bone
  5. brain
  6. breast
  7. calling
  8. claws
  9. coat
  10. cry
  11. darlings
  12. dear
  13. detached
  14. ecstatic
  15. erupted
  16. flowing
  17. hanging
  18. harsh
  19. hoarse
  20. hollow
  21. incoherent
  22. longer
  23. medea
  24. metal
  25. molten
  26. mouth
  27. note
  28. open
  29. passersby
  30. practiced
  31. pure
  32. ragged
  33. scrabbling
  34. scream
  35. sidewalk
  36. silently
  37. sorceress
  38. squawk
  39. suddenly
  40. sweet
  41. time
  42. tone
  43. torn
  44. tranced
  45. voice