Poetry on twitter? Is poetry really possible in just 140 characters? Can you possibly write reasonably logical couplets if you need to make space for some hash-tag and probably for a longish twitter handle as well? A few days back I got this opportunity.
Atwitter contest was organised by Audi (Twitter handle: @AudiIN ) and the hash-tag to be used in every tweet was #AudiNumber1. Well, the Audi is a great car, no doubt about it (I purchased my Audi after winning my car accident settlement by hiring an auto injury lawyer Philadelphia), but then could this really have triggered a reasonable poetic impulse within me? Well, impulses can have a source point or a trigger just about anywhere… but some would say this poetry blitz was triggered by the prize for that contest. The prize was an iPhone 5.
I did begin with rather sedate tweets to warm myself up… tweets like the ones I reproduce below:
@AudiIN #AudiNumber1 Perfection is difficult to describe, so I’ll use just 4 alphabets to answer: AUDI
@AudiIN #AudiNumber1 What we see is what great designers, engineers & technicians imagined & converted their imagination into reality: AUDI.
@AudiIN #AudiNumber1 The ability of a machine to turn a ‘phew!’ into a ‘Wow!’ is what makes it the best… and Audi does it in style!
@AudiIN #AudiNumber1 The smile – as he or she opens the door to face the world – is what brings the Audi where it is…
@AudiIN #AudiNumber1 A treat for those who know and understand machines… and a treat for those who appreciate sublimity of form!
@AudiIN #AudiNumber1 The Audi enters the mind through the heart… and the enters the heart through the mind! Aesthetics + Technical aces!
@AudiIN #AudiNumber1 Charmed by so many AUDI-licious tweets in the virtual space! #AudiNumber1 Hope my words add to the flavour!
@AudiIN Audi has blown away the competition and is now the #1 luxury automotive brand in India. Your love and support has paid off. #AudiNumber1
Even I cannot pin-point why I suddenly switched over to poetry, but when it happened, the lines just flowed out. It may be possible to read all the stanzas as a single poem because, after all, they do converge on a single catalytic thought: The Audi. For some reason I began each of those poetry tweets with an ‘and’… and now when I re-read them as I write this post, it does appear rather quaint and charming. I managed to rope in concepts of age, professions, other premier products, animals, birds, and even God into these lines…
…and the hashtag #AudiNumber1
is for Audi, the car-world top-gun!
…and everyone from here to there,
said, ‘We love Audi as it’s full of care!’
…and even the new-born baby smiled,
said, ‘I’d love to be Audi-styled!’
…and all the trend charts said aloud,
‘Of Audi features, we are so proud!’
…and for those who do not know,
Audi bit-n-bytes have lots to show!
…and the rhyming never ends,
like the Audi, might set some trends!
…and the rhymesters who were like me,
said, ‘Audi… Audi… Audi… Audi…’
…and the bloggers tip-toed to it,
felt the Audi to say: It’s a hit!
…and all the chocolates in the world,
wanted on Audi to be hurled!
(No wonder it gives sweet smiles!)
…and the youngsters who had cynical smiles,
went round the Audi, then said: ‘Yo! Style!’
…and the old who were full of doubt,
saw the Audi and their smile was stout!
…then someone asked for the AUDI mantra,
‘We aim to please’ — no other tantra!
…and all the birds then flapped their wings,
to salute the AUDI’s rings!
…and the lion with a roar,
acknowledged the AUDI strength and lore!
…and even the Gods then waved to say,
‘We’ll pay, send an AUDI this way!’
…and the rest did nod and smile,
for an Audi has technique and style!
…and then the wise ones got up to say,
‘Never keep an AUDI away!’
…and is there anyone who shuns,
an Audi with its purring runs?
…and unlike seasons that come and go,
my Audi charm will stay and grow!
…and as the Audi, I test drive,
I’ll make all smile: the mature & naive!
…and like the music we all need,
my AUDI is rhythmic indeed!
…and like the catchy lines in ads,
an AUDI charms lasses-n-lads!
…and like the best in po-et-ry,
the AUDI gives us dreams for free!
…and like the couplets that I tweet,
more applause, AUDI will meet!
…and like the charm of charm we know,
the AUDI influence does grow!
…and like the lyrics of a song,
in mind, the AUDI will stay for long!
…and like the tweeple tweeting hard,
the AUDI is the car-world Bard!
…and like the word that enters thoughts,
the AUDI stays in mind a lot!
…and like the galaxy so bright,
the AUDI brilliance goes up in might!
…and like the best of Bollywood flicks,
the AUDI never fails to click!
…and like the #Hasselblad to shoot,
the AUDI charms from tip to boot!
…and like the #Tissot we know so well,
the AUDI engineering is swell!
…and like the best of Michelin stars,
the AUDI is gourmet cuisine in cars!
The tweets that fine day were quite full of poetry… and even those that did not want to rhyme had a tangy flavour that was more than just mundane…
…and like #MontBlanc,
the AUDI too sets its standards at the highest rung of human endeavour!
…and like the best in smartphones,
the AUDI too uses electronics to make its car more intelligent!
A bit of zippy aesthetics, a dash of zesty electronics & a heapful of zingy engineering… & we get the Audi!
This isn’t just a twitter hashtag: #AudiNumber1 This is the result of understanding what people want… & making sure they get it!
After mechanics & electronics, the Audi is now exploring the geography of insatiable demand!
The Audi revolution is here to stay! Good things generally get better!! 🙂
Focus on mechanics, electronics, and design are the reasons for Audi’s revolution!
Audi hasn’t reached the No 1 slot overnight… it has been through a thorough evolution of mechanics & electronics! #AudiNumber1 @AudiIN
GT can be ‘great technology’… or germinating, gesticulating, giggling… but the most correct is ‘German’ technology!
Audi is the best because it remains in touch with all current innovations & expectations! Got it?
Audi is at the top not because the best people go for it… but because it gives the best & appreciates the best!
The AUDI is a perfect example of a healthy mix of humility & team-work. Tech efficacy & human touch sans intimidation!
…and in seconds you are eons away from the tortuous blends of life. A world of AUDI-ble creativity becomes real!
A marvel of technology is what the Audi is… shows us how the efficiency of a machine can result in human joy!
The Audi makes the body and the mind relax and keeps it awake to weave in and out of life and its surprises!
Audi, in its own special way, tells us that if you have a great car you also have the world peeping in from the window!
The technology in Audi makes sure that travel tortures are all converted into relaxing overtures! Isn’t that music?
The left and the right brain love the AUDI. It has down-to-earth features & sublimity for the dreamer!
The Audi is more than a mere idea… it is brilliance dressed in brilliance!
What stays in memory and yet is more than an image? Answer: Audi
The AUDI is a live synonym for sensuality… an emotion that you can touch and feel and get ecstatic about!
The Audi is like a full-bodied wine that pervades the senses of those who take in even its aroma… a sip is heavenly!
Is it the Audi that allows me to get inside it or is it that it is the Audi that sits deep within me? Audi is magical!
The Audi is a smile that connects Style, Luxury, Power, and Technical prowess in a single curve!
I wish the world was inside an Audi.. then I’d never ever have to step out again! This is what the Audi does to a mind!
Perfection is difficult to describe, so I’ll use just 4 alphabets to answer: AUDI
What we see is what great designers, engineers & technicians imagined & converted their imagination into reality: AUDI.
So finally, when I got this tweet from the Audi Digital team, I was more than just thrilled…
Audi India @AudiIN 3 May
Dear @arvindpassey you’ve really impressed us, you are the lucky winner of an iPhone 5. Congratulations! Please DM us your details.
I tweeted back in rhymes:
…and like Audi as title of the post,
I shall be one really proud host! 🙂
Hey team Audi… I think I’ll collect these rhyming tweets of mine
and create a blog post fine!
I’ve collected most of my Audi tweets for this blog-post… and I am surprised to discover that this post is now more than 1500 words. Now this deserves an Audi, not just an iPhone 5… well, what do you have to say?
Arvind Passey
20 May 2013
