I learned the word “quiddity” in the New York Times game Spelling Bee. It means “whatness” or “the essence of an object”.
I thought it was a pretty cool word, so I wanted to use it in a haiku. Listening to Lorde’s “The Louvre” reminded me of the Mona Lisa, and that painting surely is known for its quiddity.
I saw the Mona Lisa at the Louvre when I was a kid. It was much smaller than I’d imagined.
