NaPoWriMo Prompt 8
We’ve reached the letter “G,” and there are very few poetic terms that start with that letter. There is, however, a very interesting form, the “Ghazal.” According to the Poetry Foundation: Originally an Arabic verse form dealing with loss and romantic love, medieval Persian poets embraced the ghazal, eventually making it their own. Consisting of syntactically and grammatically complete couplets, the form also has an intricate rhyme scheme. Each couplet ends on the same word or phrase (the radif), and is preceded by the couplet’s rhyming word (the qafia, which...
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Welcome to day 7 of the NaPoWriMo challenge, where poets strive to write 30 poems in 30 days. If you’re on track, you’re finishing up your first week. Let’s move forward in the alphabet to “F” is for “Figure of Speech.” For this poem, strive to make use of at least one figure of speech: a metaphor, simile, hyperbole, irony; or anaphora, antithesis, or chiasmus. For specific definitions of each term, check out the Poetry Foundation page on figures of speech. One approach might be to use an extended metaphor, comparing the subject of the poem to...
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For day six of National Poetry Writing Month, we’ve reached “E” in the alphabet, for “Epistle.” An epistle poem is essentially a letter to someone close to the writer. The addressee may be alive or dead, a close friend or family member, or even someone the poet doesn’t actually know. The Poetry Foundation’s page on epistle poems provides several examples. Feel free to share your poem (or a link to your poem) in the...
Read MoreNaPoWriMo Prompt 5
How have you been doing so far with NaPoWriMo? Have you managed to keep up? If not, perhaps today would be a good day to write some extra poems. Today’s prompt, continuing to the next letter in the alphabet, “D” is for “Dimeter.” This form is fairly simple: to write a poem where each line consists of two poetic feet. You can read an example at the Poetry Foundation’s page on the form. Feel free to share your poem (or a link to your poem) in the comments.
Read MoreNaPoWriMo Prompt 4
Having fun yet? NaPoWriMo can be a great way to explore territory you don’t normally explore as a poet. For day four, we’ve reached the letter “C” for “Character.” Write a poem in any form, from the point of view of a distinct character. Use such elements as diction, line breaks, and figures of speech to make your character come alive. You can find several examples at the Poetry Foundation site. Feel free to share your poem (or a link to your poem) in the...
Read MoreNaPoWriMo Prompt 3
For day three of NaPoWriMo, continuing with the alphabet, our “B” prompt is “Blues.” Write a poem in the blues form, based of course, on the musical genre. For tips on using this form, check out “How to Write a Blues Poem” by Stacie Naczelnik or “Poetic Form: Blues Poem” by the Academy of Poets. That page also links to some examples of blues poems, which you can read for inspiration. Or, as the Blues Brothers say, I suggest you buy as many blues albums as you can. Feel free to share your poem (or a link to your poem) in the...
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