Sunday Scribblings #210: What the Tin Can Do CanSo Surprise You!

So here is one trivia for you today – Tin Can Day! And before you ask me what tin can do, I am referring to the tin cans used to preserve and store various food items for the long term. For it is National Tin Can Day on January 19th here in the US! With that in mind, I bring you the canso poetic form (simply because of the name). But before I get to the form, just a little more on the tin can and its day!

While the exact start or the founder of this day is unclear, the reason for this date is clear enough, as it commemorates the issuance of the U.S. patent for the tin can to Ezra Daggett and Thomas Kensett on January 19, 1825. The origins of the tin can trace back even earlier to 1810, when British merchant Peter Durand received the original patent for preserving food using tin cans.

The Tin Can Do What?: Fun Tin Can Facts and More

The first dedicated can opener wasn’t invented until 1858. Before that, the instructions were to use a hammer and chisel to open tin cans! And when my can opener suddenly broke on me, I resorted to this age-old method to open a can I needed for my recipe one day.

I loved learning that tin cans are 100% recyclable and can be turned into new products indefinitely without losing quality. In fact, recycling tin saves about 75% of the energy required to produce new tin.

Tin cans have multiple uses! I am sure you have used a can or two as a drum at least once. They have been transformed into musical instruments, art, and even furniture. They’re a favorite for upcycling enthusiasts.

And one amazing example I have seen of this is at Tio’s Tacos, a Mexican restaurant in Riverside, California. It is a must-visit place, almost like an outdoor museum with great food. See photo below that I took at this totally unique restaurant. This sculpture (and well, everything here) is made of recycled materials. You can see the tin cans used here for this stunning lady!

Tin cans were a big asset during the wars and helped the military with food rations, providing soldiers with long-lasting, portable meals.

One very cool thing about tin is “tin pest.” At around -20 degrees F, tin will transform itself from a shiny, flexible metal to a dull, brittle powder. This is called “tin pest” and can cause things made of tin to crumble to dust when the weather gets very cold.

The tin can’s sounds are used to great effect, literally, in movies and music. And it cries, or rather whines too! When a piece of tin is bent, it whines, . This “tin cry” happens because the metal is made up of very tiny crystals, and bending the metal causes the crystals to scrape against each other.

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Notepad and a pen over it with a cup of coffee next to it. words read Sunday Scribblings, and this is for Sunday Scribblings #210: What the Tin Can Do CanSo Surprise You!

Poetic Sunday: The Canso (Not a Tin Can, but..)

As mentioned above, I bring you the canso poetic form, simply inspired by the quirky celebration of the day – National Tin Can Day (in the US).

What is the Canso Poetic Form?

The canso (also spelled chanso) is a medieval poetic form originating from French troubadours of the 12th and 13th centuries. It was traditionally used for lyrical, often romantic poetry, accompanied by music. A canso is characterized by its flexibility in structure, rhyme, and tone, making it a versatile form for both classic and modern applications.

It typically has multiple similar stanzas, followed by a half-stanza. The rhyme scheme across the stanzas is similar, except for the half-stanza which follows the rhyme scheme of the second half of previous stanzas. Also, the lines across the poem should be of similar length (same number of syllables). Length of lines, number of lines per full-stanza, and rhyme scheme are all up to the poet.

A Canso Poem’s Characteristics

So a canso poem’s elements are that at its most basic, it is:

stanzaic: Composed of 4-5 (can be more or less too) similar stanzas and ending with one half-stanza, where the first stanza normally introduces the topic and the half-stanza sums up the poem or is a dedication to someone.
syllabic: Each line of the poem should contain the same number or syllables, the number itself is the poet’s choice.
rhymed: All stanzas have the same rhyme pattern, except the envoi which has the rhyme pattern of the second half of the previous stanzas. Rhyme scheme itself is the poet’s choice.
themed: while this is also poet’s choice, traditionally, it is a romantic or love song.

How to Write a Canso

Choose a Theme:
- Traditionally romantic or philosophical, but modern twists can include humor, objects (like your tin can), or storytelling.
Decide on Structure:
- Select the number of stanzas (typically 4-5 but can be less or more – poet’s choice). Maybe I will pick just two stanzas!
- Decide the number of lines per stanza and the rhyme scheme.
  - eg: quatrains (ABBA) ending with a couplet (BA)
  - Determine the syllable count per line – maybe 6 syllables.
Craft your words!
- Each stanza follows the established rhyme and meter.
- Build imagery, emotion, or a narrative around your theme.
- Write the ending half-stanza either by summarizing the poem or dedicating to someone.

So based on my choices (in #2), my poem will be 10 lines long, with 2 quatrains and one couplet, each line with 6 syllables, and this is how it will look:

xxxxxA
xxxxxB
xxxxxB
xxxxxA

xxxxxB
xxxxxA

h/t: wikipedia, Writer’s Digest

My Canso Attempt for the Tin Can

What a Tin Can Can Do
Humble though it may seem to be
That can is filled with boundless might
It has a long, rich history
A simple tool, a source of light.

The tin can waits so patiently
For when I get it off the shelf
To create meals for family
And a day of ease for myself.

When emptied of all it has inside,
It sings as drums in children’s play,
Shines as art with hues that glide
Or cradles seeds for bright bouquets.

So just know: when you think you can’t
Remember what the tin can can do
From plain starts to art that enchants,
Let the quiet strength inspire you too.

O friends, take heart, like tin can shine—
Even small things can hold grand dreams.
~ Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites

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Here are the posts this week

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This Week’s Celebrations

Literary Celebrations (close-to-it also)

Literary birthdays this week include: Tami Hoag, Vanessa Diffenbaugh on January 20th; Davíð Stefánsson on the 21st; Francis Bacon and Lord Byron on the 22nd; Karen Abbott on the 23rd of January; Edith Wharton on the 24th; Robert Burns, Stephen Chbosky, Virginia Woolf, and W. Somerset Maugham on Jan 25th; Shannon Hale and Susan Griffin on the 26th of Jan; Lewis Carroll on Jan 27th
It is National Handwriting Day on the 23rd of January
January 24th observes International Day of Education.
The 25th of January is Burns Supper (UK) in honor of Robert Burns’ birthday

Foodie Celebrations

It is National Buttercrunch Day, National Cheese Lover’s Day, and National Coffee Break Day on the 20th of January.
The 21st observes National Granola Bar Day.
The 22nd is National Blonde Brownie Day (love this!) and National Hot Sauce Day.
Followed by International Sticky Toffee Pudding Day and National Pie Day on the 23rd
Then it is National Peanut Butter Day on the 24th of January
The 25th is National Irish Coffee Day
While January 26th is National Green Juice Day and National Peanut Brittle Day
And then National Chocolate Cake Day on the 27th!!

Other Celebrations

National Disc Jockey Day is on the 20th of January
Followed by National Hugging Day on Jan 21st
The 22nd of January is National Polka Dot Day and Celebration of Life Day
It is Speak Up and Succeed Day on the 23rd of January
Followed by National Compliment Day, Global Belly Laugh Day, and “Just Do It” Day on January 24th
National Opposite Day is on the 25th
While the 26th is National Spouses Day, and the day India celebrates its Republic Day
The 27th of January is International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Wrapping up my Sunday Scribblings

So dear reader, you have reached the end of this Sunday Scribblings! As always, I welcome your thoughts, comments, and suggestions about this post. Will you be writing the canso? And do let me know if you plan to celebrate any of these mentioned celebrations this coming week/month?

Linking this to the Sunday Post over at the Caffeinated Reviewer and the Sunday Salon

tin can holding flowers and the pin title says poetic sunday: the canso(not a tin can, but..)

Lady In Read Writes

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