Poets & Writers
Published on Poets & Writers (https://www.pw.org)

Home > What’s That Smell?

What’s That Smell? [1]

Poetry [2]
5.21.19

Scientists have discovered new evidence that perception of odors can have extremely significant variations from person to person. According to a recent study published in the science journal PNAS, depending on different genetic codes, one person might find the scent of a compound in men’s sweat intensely disgusting, while someone else might find it similar to the scent of vanilla, or might not be able to smell it at all. Write a poem that begins with a scent that you find intense. Then consider the idiosyncrasies of sensory perceptions: Can these experiences be both personal and universal? 


Source URL:https://www.pw.org/content/whats_that_smell

Links
[1] https://www.pw.org/content/whats_that_smell [2] https://www.pw.org/genre/poetry