This week’s poetry prompt asks you to become unique and unusual Boxes & Baskets. Whether a square container or one woven with a handle, adventure awaits. Join us, animate yourself, and create poetry.
Bears & Beasts Poetry Prompt: Fairytale Beasts
Fairytales and fables invite us to an imaginary world with clever animals and princes bewitched and transformed into ghastly beasts. Create a beast of your own imagination, one whose story deserves to be told— with poetry.
Form It: A Bear Poetry Prompt
“Form It” is a poetry prompt that focuses on exploring our topic through form poetry. The prompt includes recommendations for each form’s best use! This time, we’re going to “form” a bear.
Bears & Beasts Prompt: The Bestiary
Medieval bestiaries were the National Geographic of their day. Except, some of the bears & beasts were imaginary. Learn about some of the most unique creatures and create your own magnificent beast with poetry.
Bears & Beasts: Animate Poetry Prompt
This week’s poetry prompt asks you to join the wild rumpus and become Bears & Beasts. Imagine the adventures! Join us, animate yourself into a wild animal or a mythical creature, and create poetry. Rawr.
Poetry Prompt: The Reverse Cinquain
We’ve added a little challenge this week as we’re learning to write the reverse cinquain. Hop in and take a ride with us—in reverse gear. It’s going to be fun.
Cinquain Poetry Prompt: The Superposition
From careful study of Japanese poetry like haiku, Adelaide Crapsey crafted the cinquain. Learn about the similarities between the two poetry forms, the “superposition” of poetic elements, and create a cinquain of your own.
The Early Cinquain: Poetry Prompt
The inspiration for the modern cinquain form was the simple style and flow of the early English five-line stanza. Check out a poem from one of the foundational poets who influenced the modern cinquain and write some lines of poetry with us.
Poetry Prompt: The Crapsey Cinquain
Adelaide Crapsey offered her unique stamp on American poetry with the cinquain. Learn more about this easy-to-practice poetry form and apply what you’ve learned with some cinquain poetry of your own. Join us!
Flying Machines Poetry Prompt: Wing Envy
Never mind the naysayers, this is your chance. It’s your turn to fly. Read about the humorous poem, “Darius Green and His Flying Machine” and learn a bit about those who thought flight was for the birds. Preen your feathers and write some high-flying poetry with us!
Animate: Flying Machine Poetry Prompt
Humanity earned its wings with a 12-second airplane flight. Imagine yourself as one of our greatest engineering achievements. This week’s poetry prompt asks you to become a flying machine. Join us, animate yourself into a soaring object of flight, and create poetry.
Flying Machines Poetry Prompt: An Ode to SkyMall
SkyMall enabled air travelers to leaf through the pages of a retail fantasy. From curious kitchen tools to ghastly lawn ornaments, it offered everything we could ever imagine or not need. Fly our friendly skies as we remember the legendary in-flight publication and write poetry.
Flying Machines Poetry Prompt: The Great Kite
Leonardo Da Vinci’s interests ranged from the arts to math, science, and everything in between. This week we learn about Leonardo’s notes on flying machines, including The Great Kite. We’ll travel back in time and give him a few pointers as we write poetry.
The Vale of Soul-Making: Poetry Prompt
Despite his brief life, John Keats wrote words packed with the wisdom and intelligence of many lifetimes. The essence of this is perhaps, found in his letters. Join us as we consider the meaning of Keats’ vale and write some soul-making poetry.
Form It: A Mountain Poetry Prompt
“Form It” is a poetry prompt that focuses on exploring our topic through form poetry. The prompt includes recommendations for each form’s best use! This time, we’re going to “form” a mountain.
Mountains and Valleys in Nature: Poetry Prompt
The picturesque structure and symbolic passages of mountains and valleys in poetry goes back to antiquity. In part, the poet lives by a code of paying attention. Think of the simple beauty that others sometimes miss in nature. Let it inspire you and write some poetry with us.
Animate: River Valley Poetry Prompt
Some of the very first complex human societies began here. This week’s poetry prompt asks you to imagine yourself as a natural trough in the earth— a valley. Join us, animate yourself into the hollow of a sloping river valley, and create poetry.
Mountain Pilgrimage: Poetry Prompt
Take a mountain pilgrimage with us and see how a few beat poets spent time at a beloved mountain. Grab your hiking boots and a pencil, and write some poetry in the serenity of mountain air.
The Family Table: Poetry Prompt
Pick your chair, have a seat and write some poetry with us about life around the family table. There are plenty of stories to share.
Motherhood: Family Ties Poetry Prompt
There are no deeper family ties than that between a mother and child. This week’s poetry prompt invites you to read poems from the perspective of an adult child yearning to be rocked to sleep once again; and the perspective of a mother with grown children, enchanted by memory. Let these poems inspire you to write your own poetry about the family ties of motherhood.