Poetic Perfumers – Some of the delights my students submit

 Originally published July 18, 2013

Lucky me!  I received two assignments from students in my Natural Perfumery Institute perfumery course recently, and I just loved the poetry they wrote to describe their experiences with the module’s topic.  Both poems are very different, as different as the authors, one from Ghana, the other from Canada.  I post the second one in a few weeks, and maybe they’ll inspire you to write some poems about perfume.  I am not a poet, so I really admire these talented students!

Aba Williams

Module 2

29 June, 2013

 

Illustration of Aromatic Groups from Natural Perfumery Institute textbook Basic Natural Perfumery Course

Poem describing some Observations on Aromatic Groups

and Differences between Aromatic Groups and Fragrance Families

How do I describe an aromatic group in one word,

When there is so much going on in there,

I thought it would be easy,

But then I was kind of wrong.

 

I thought all WOODS would smell woody,

That all FLORALS would smell sweet,

That all GREENS would smell like fresh green leaves,

And GOURMANDS smell good enough to eat.

 

But not all WOODS smelled woody,

Not all FLORALS smelled really sweet,

And GREENS could smell sweet, earthy, spicy,

And GOURMAND Butter CO2 smelled too smelly to eat!

 

I found that aromatics in the same group,

Could be like siblings in a family,

Similar in some organoleptic respects,

But with traits imparting a unique identity.

 

Take the CITRUS group for instance,

Citrus smells like citrus, case closed?

But wait, petitgrain was dry and bitter,

And yellow mandarin are floral and sweet.

 

Now check out the ROSE family,

I thought a rose is a rose is a rose,

Then I found geranium smells nothing like rose de Mai,

Or was it just my nose?

 

Next came the almighty FLORALS,

Should have known you divas would differ so,

Yes you all smell quite sweet, some of you heavy, narcotic and strong,

But you all scream hey look what else I’ve got!

Tuberose says “I’m spicy”!

Jasmine “I’m green and sultry”!

Champaca says “I’m savory you see”!

Orris boasts earthy, dry notes,

Orange blossom, a beer note,

And Cassie whispers “clean shower fresh smell is me”!

 

Voila! the heavyweight EARTH group,

All base notes, heavy, musty and damp,

They also displayed, their unique wares in an array,

Of smoky, herbal, animalic and oil.

 

So back to my attempt to describe,

An aromatic group in one word,

I have learnt that I need more than one word you see,

And honestly that is fine with me.

 

Oh, just one more thing I’d like to share,

The distinction ‘tween aromatic groups and fragrance families,

An aromatic group is one of many building blocks,

Used to create members of a fragrance family.

 

 So while aromatic group FLORAL contains only florals,

And aromatic group WOODY only woods,

A member of fragrance group FLORAL could consist of

A mélange of woods, florals and citruses.

 

These are just a few observations I made,

In my study of aromatic groups,

I have so much to say, not enough space to write,

So I’ll just end here and say goodnight!

Aba Williams, a Poetic Perfumer

Aba’s Bio:

Aba Williams is a Ghanaian from Saltpond, a town in the Central Region of Ghana. She has a background in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Food Science, Agribusiness and Rural Development. She discovered natural perfumery in 2007 while researching on aromatherapy. She has since developed a keen interest in and love for natural aromatics and the art of perfumery.  She is a member of the Natural Perfumers Guild and is currently enrolled in the Basic Perfumery Course of the Natural Perfumery Institute. Her vision is to establish a fragrance studio in Ghana providing natural fragrances for use in perfumes, food, environmental scenting and more.

Besides being fun to read, there are some real educational points Aba makes. Are you inspired by this lighthearted poem?  Did you learn a lot?

1. Claire Lautier on July 18, 2013 at 3:20 pm

   Pure delight!

   Reply
2. Rae Lynn Reffruschinni on July 18, 2013 at 3:38 pm

   Love the poem and each group’s descriptions!

   Reply
3. Suzy on July 18, 2013 at 5:00 pm

   Wow, Aba, you’ve really captured the mind set of exploring the aromatics. Great job–I thoroughly enjoyed.
   Suzy Larsen

   Reply
   • Aba on July 19, 2013 at 10:15 am

     Thanks Suzy! Glad you liked it!

     Reply
4. Linda Peacerider on July 18, 2013 at 5:08 pm

   Wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing tbis beautiful poem. I found it fun, informative, and inspiring. It warms my heartl to feel that kindred souls across the planet can experience the joys of these exquisite gifts.

   Bright Blessings!
   Linda
   San Antonio, Texad
   USA

   Reply
5. Aba on July 19, 2013 at 10:18 am

   Thanks everyone for your kind words!

   Reply
6. Patricia on July 19, 2013 at 4:27 pm

   wonderful words ,beautiful description

   Reply
7. David K (Atlanta) on October 3, 2015 at 7:32 pm

   Awesome Perfumer!!!