ENG 308 Prompt Book Vol. 4

ENG 308 Prompt Book VOL. 4 Â

Ball State University Fall 2015

Acknowledgements Students in ENG 308: Poetry Writing created this book of prompts at Ball State University during the fall term of 2015. Students pulled their ideas from personal experience, course readings, others’ prompts, Internet resources, each other’s interests and poems. Each was written in the spirit of the “double-dog dare”—we challenged each other to stretch our imaginations, our talents, and our expectations of what we thought possible. In total, the class produced 186 prompts, which students (collectively) used to write over 432 poems during the term in their poetry journals. For more information, please contact Liz Whiteacre at lizwhiteacre@bsu.edu.

It is our hope this prompt book will continue to inspire poems.

Cover art by Hattie Whiteacre.

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Table of Contents Shelby Bisher Perspective Prompt POV Prompt What Do You See? Prompt Movie Prompt Abnormal Rhyming Prompt

Katie Blackthorn Animal POV Prompt Ode to Food Prompt Meditation Prompt 3 Haikus Prompt Song Line Prompt

Shaya Crabtree Article Prompt Preposition Prompt Imaginary Creature Prompt Repeating Letter Prompt New Word Prompt

Kate Fletcher Room Prompt Restaurant Prompt First Meeting Prompt Mental Illness Prompt Animal POV Prompt

Rose Franklin Mythology Prompt Letter to Self Prompt Childhood Place Prompt Words from Books Prompt Old Journals Prompt

Micah Jackson Star Wars Bounty Hunter Prompt Star Wars Jedi Prompt Planet Prompt Dream Prompt Alien POV Prompt

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Gabriel Jennings Illustrate Prompt Love Prompt Yearning Prompt Solitude Prompt First Draft Prompt

Sarah Keck Weather Prompt High School Class Prompt Past Prompt Autumn Prompt Laughing Prompt

Seth Madden Unfamiliar Prompt Literary Character Prompt Synesthesia Prompt Minutiae Prompt Threshold Prompt

Lawrence Matusiak Get It Out of Your Head Prompt Nostalgia Prompt Television Show/Movie Title Prompt Personification Poem Prompt Flipped Poem Prompt

Amory Orchard Myers-Briggs Prompt Meme Prompt Celebrity Prompt Movie Quote Prompt Least Favorite Prompt

Julia Parobek Instructions Prompt Writing on Writing Prompt Start with Same Letter Prompt Negative Memory Prompt Idol Prompt

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Paige Price Photograph Prompt BFF Prompt Childhood Place Prompt Conversation Prompt Color & Feelings Prompt

Brittany Pugh Cancer Prompt Funeral Prompt Parent POV Prompt Pet Peeve Prompt Someone from the Past Prompt

Kadiesha Ricks Writing the Past Prompt The First Time I…Prompt Made from Where? Prompt Monologue Work Prompt Flyer Poem Prompt

K.J. Ross-Wilcox Angry Letter Prompt Walk Outside Prompt Body Part POV Prompt Viewing You Prompt Happy Place Prompt

Caitlyn Walter Happiest Moments Prompt Sunset Prompt New Food Prompt Old Writing Prompt Indefinable Words Prompt

Liz Whiteacre Voice/Diction Prompt Classified Prompt What’s Missing? Prompt Sandwich (or Series) Prompt

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Shelby Bisher Perspective Prompt Think of a memory that you remember very well. Now write about this memory from a perspective that is not your own. For example, if you have a memory of your grandmother, then write from her perspective or an outside observer.

POV Prompt Write a poem. It can be about anything. After you finish. Change the point of view.

What Do You See? Prompt Look in a random direction. What is the first thing you see? Write a poem about it

Movie Prompt Write a poem based on your favorite movie or movie character but don't tell which movie or the name.

Abnormal Rhyming Prompt Write a poem with an abnormal rhyming pattern. Be creative and do something unexpected.

Example: ABCD DEAG GHDJ etc.

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Katie Blackthorn Animal POV Prompt Write a poem from the point of view of an animal of your choosing. It could be a pet of yours, an elephant in a zoo, a whale in the ocean, a fly on the wall, etc. Get creative with your animal and tell their story.

Ode to Food Prompt Write an ode to a food of any kind. It could be a yam, lasagna, tacos, blueberries, coffee, or any other kind of food that you love. This is going to be a light-hearted, possibly comical poem.

Meditation Prompt Write a meditation poem. Simply pick something you're drawn to and write a poem about it. Bring up your observations and feelings. There doesn't need to be a deep story or grand hidden meaning to this. Instead, simply meditate on something in the form of a poem (it's very calming!).

3 Haikus Prompt Write 3 haikus all about the same subject. Try to approach your subject differently in each haiku. When finished, look at them. Is there a larger poem here? If so, write it.

Song Line Prompt Pick a line from a song that you find striking or meaningful. Use that line as a title and write a poem to go with it.

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Shaya Crabtree Article Prompt Write an entire poem without using English articles (a, an, & the).

Preposition Prompt Write an entire poem without using a single preposition.

Imaginary Creature Prompt Write a poem about a creature (monster, animal, alien, etc.) that doesn’t exist. It can be a creature from mythology or one you made up.

Repeating Letter Prompt Write a poem where the last letter of each line is the first letter of the next line.

Additionally, the very last letter of the poem should be the same as the very first letter of the poem.

New Word Prompt Come up with a word that doesn’t exist. Use that word as the title of your poem and try to explain what the word means through figurative language and imagery as opposed to just giving an outright definition.

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Kate Fletcher Room Prompt Write a poem about what information someone would gather about you from looking around your room/apartment/house.

Restaurant Prompt Write a poem about an experience you've had (preferably negative because it's more fun) in a restaurant. It can be as a worker or as a customer.

First Meeting Prompt Write a poem about when you initially met someone you are now close with. (Preferably someone you didn't like at first.)

Mental Illness Prompt Write a poem about mental illness. It could be your own, a friend's, or just in general.

Animal POV Prompt Write a poem from the point of view of your favorite animal. Could be a pet, but it doesn't have to be.

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Rose Franklin Mythology Prompt Write a poem that features a well-known figure from mythology. You can approach this in a number of ways. The poem can be addressed to the mythological figure, or it can be told from his or her perspective. It can take place in today's society (and perhaps focus on the idea of an ancient being attempting to navigate the contemporary world), or it can have a more traditional (or even timeless) setting and tone.

Letter to Self Prompt Write a poem that serves as a letter to yourself at another age. Be careful that it reads as a poem rather than an ordinary letter (most likely by making use of imagery, figurative language, and/or other poetic devices), but also make it clear to your audience that you're addressing it to someone as you would a letter.

Childhood Place Prompt Write a poem about a place that was important to you when you were younger. It can be a location that you enjoyed visiting or one where something happened that affected you in some way. Explore how the emotions associated with the experiences you had in this place shape how you feel about it and what you remember when you look back on it.

Words from Books Prompt Choose three books from a shelf at random. Open each to page 5, and choose a word from the first paragraph on that page from each book. (Ignore articles, prepositions, etc.

Try to choose nouns, adjectives, and/or verbs—the more vivid and concrete, the better.

Also try to avoid intentionally choosing words that all revolve around the same idea or theme in an obvious way.) Write a poem that somehow incorporates all three of the words that you chose.

Old Journals Prompt Find two old journals, preferably ones that you kept at different points in your life. Open each journal to a random page and read the first full paragraph on that page. Even though these two entries were written when you were at different ages, do you see any of the same thoughts, concerns, and interests showing up in both? Or do they sound like they were composed by two entirely different people? Write a poem based on your findings.

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Micah Jackson Star Wars Bounty Hunter Prompt What if you were a bounty hunter tasked by Darth Vader to capture Han Solo? Write a poem detailing how you would capture him, unlike his capture in Cloud City.

Star Wars Jedi Prompt Imagine you are a Jedi wavering between the light and dark. Write a poem that helps you to decide your fate.

Planet Prompt Reach out past our own atmosphere and explore different planets. Write a poem about what life would be like upon the planet chosen.

Dream Prompt Write a poem about a dream you can remember and how you sleep to dream about it.

Alien POV Prompt

Write a poem from the POV of an alien observing the social behavior of humans as they seek perfect understanding.

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Gabriel Jennings Illustrate Prompt For this prompt, write a poem that has an illustration in mind first, then the words come second.

Love Prompt Describe being in love without using the word.

Yearning Prompt Think about a moment you want but don't have, describe it in poem fashion.

Solitude Prompt ...you decide to live alone and never get married. You move to a place you've always dreamed of living in. You have a garden and a dog. Write a poem about your day/your life/your feelings. Go!

First Draft Prompt Pick your favorite song of your favorite artist and write a poem about what maybe inspired that song or what the first draft maybe looked like.

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Sarah Keck Weather Prompt Write a poem about the weather. It wouldn't have to be today's weather, but about what type of weather that speaks to you. How does it make you feel? Does it relate to something, remind you of something? Why do you think it's sunny, cloudy, windy, etc.?

Play around with this.

High School Class Prompt Write a poem about a class you had in high school. It can be about how you liked it or hated it and why. Describe what it was like in that class, the teacher, your classmates, the homework, etc. (No names of the people allowed.)

Past Prompt Write a poem about what you'd like to change in the past, whether it's your past or a certain moment not involving you but wish it played out differently.

Autumn Prompt Write a poem about something that has to do with autumn. For example: leaves changing color, leaves covering everything, cooler temperatures, shorter days. What do you think when you experience them? Do they remind you of anything?

Laughing Prompt Write a poem about the one thing that makes you laugh, like what comes to mind that makes you crack a smile followed by future laughs.

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Seth Madden Unfamiliar Prompt My research shows that there at least 100 trillion types of poems. Go ahead, look it up.

Crazy huh? So for this prompt write a poem in a form/structure/style that you are entirely unfamiliar with. Maybe a dirge? Maybe an eclogue? Why not a panegyric or a chapeau frais? Aren't those crazy? One of those isn't even a type of poem, I just made something up. That's how crazy they are. So come on, man. Live a little. Write some goofy, long dead form of poetry just to see if you can.

Literary Character Prompt Write a poem from the perspective of an existing literary character-- could be anybody-Captain Nemo, Anne Frank, Huck Finn, that weird guy in Madame Bovary, it doesn't matter. Pretend you are them, in all ways, and then react to something mundane, i.e Odysseus goes to the movies, Boo Radley buys a cool shirt, Dr. Jekyll restructures his mortgage etc.

Synesthesia Prompt Write a poem as though you have synesthesia, or from the perspective of someone who does. (Synesthesia is the disorder that mixes up peoples senses.) Go nuts, smell some sounds, hear some sensations. Maybe sit at the window and taste a thunderstorm— whatever works for you man. You're the one with synesthesia.

Minutiae Prompt Write a poem that details the tiny, minute elements of a process. A butterfly taking flight, light slowly filling a room, the thawing of snow, paint drying etc. Get small with it; break it down into itty bitty bits of information. Not just a butterfly taking flight but the synapses of a miniature brain, sending signals to the tiny muscles straining against the wind, the dust of the patterned wings, tiny granules of colored chalk—super tiny details showing the complexity of apparently simple actions.

Threshold Prompt Write a poem about being at a threshold, turning-point, precipice or fork in the ol' road: the end of high school, turning 21, a traumatic event, a not traumatic event, the beginning or end of a relationship. Pretty much any time or place where you find yourself exiting one phase and entering another—one of life's many transitional periods.

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Lawrence Matusiak Get It Out Of Your Head Prompt Do you ever have those days where you just cannot stop thinking? Next time you find this happening to yourself, sit down and just write it all out. Write out everything you are thinking, even if it changes subjects or goes off track. When you write this poem just keep writing. Make the poem feel like a constant stream of thought being put down on paper. Don't worry about typos or grammar or style, just write. Whatever you write down for this poem should be truly what is on your mind regardless of any errors, misspellings, random indentations, anything. Maybe it's a rant or even why you are so happy that day. Anything that comes to mind. Just write and have fun with it.

Nostalgia Prompt Write a poem that deals with nostalgia. Try and get across what it feels like to you. Is it sad? Is it happy? Use specific events in your life to help describe this feeling of nostalgia. These can even be leaps as we discussed in class to help us understand how you understand this feeling.

Television Show/Movie Title Prompt Find a list of television shows or movies using Netflix or other means on the Internet.

Shut your eyes and scroll through the titles. Whatever the title of the television show or movie you land on you have to write a poem about using that title, even if you know nothing about that movie or show.

Personification Poem Prompt Personify any object, animal, food, hobby, etc. as someone who you know or have known in your life before. This can be someone you know very well, not very well, or someone you just see around a lot. Try and describe why they were either important or unimportant in your life.

Flipped Poem Prompt Write a poem that tells a story only the story is backwards. So the first few stanzas will be the ending of the story and so on until the poem ends with the beginning of the story.

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Amory Orchard Myers-Briggs Prompt Do you know your Myers-Briggs Personality type? (If not, here's a link to Ball State's Career Center page, which features three different tests and descriptions.)

Sometimes, reading descriptions about our personalities in psychological terms like "introvert" or "extrovert" can get us thinking more deeply about our daily habits and the kinds of people we are. Try to write a poem that reflects your Myers-Briggs personality type by exploring the quirks that make you you.

Meme Prompt Try to write a poem where every line begins with some of your favorite meme lead-ins.

Example: “One does not simply” [fill in the blank].

Celebrity Prompt Option #1: Write a poem about a celebrity either you like OR dislike—and without writing their name. (Hint: don't make this poem a rant but a thoughtful musing about this famous person).

Option #2: In class, we've talked about writing poems for our ideal reader. This time, try to write a poem you wouldn't be ashamed to show your favorite celebrity.

Movie Quote Prompt Poets like Mark Irwin in "Poem Beginning with a Line by Milosz" sometimes choose to use a quote from another source as a jumping-off point for a piece. Write a poem in which the first line is a quote from a movie.

Least Favorite Place Prompt Write a poem in which you have to find one good thing about your least favorite place in the world.

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Julia Parobek Instructions Prompt Create instructions on something that normally doesn't have/need instructions.

Writing on Writing Prompt Create a poem about writing itself, like maybe its effects, its power, feeling, etc.

Start with Same Letter Prompt Create a poem where every word in a line starts with the same letter. This can exclude things such as: and, as, the, it, etc.

Negative Memory Prompt Write a poem where you put either every negative memory of your exes together, or

every positive memory of your exes together. Or do a half and half and split the poem in

half with both.

Idol Prompt

Write a poem where you describe your idol, but never tell us a name.

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Paige Price Photograph Prompt Write a poem about a photograph that’s important to you. You can describe the photo, the people in it, the time it was taken, whatever you want. Just focus on the one image.

BFF Prompt Write something about your best friend. Why are they your best friend? What’s some crazy shenanigan the two of you have gotten into together? What’s one distinct memory you always think of? Go pretty much anywhere you want with this.

Childhood Place Prompt Write a poem about a place where you spent a significant amount of time when you were younger (childhood, high school, etc.).

Conversation Prompt Recount your last conversation in the form of a poem. It doesn’t matter if it was a conversation with your best friend about life or with your roommate about groceries. Just take it and try to make it poetic. If you can’t remember your last conversation, just use something recent that sticks out to you.

Color & Feelings Prompt Write a poem focusing on one specific color. Think about the feeling of that color (or the feelings you associate with it), use things that are that color, anything you wish. Just be sure to stay centralized on that one color and make sure all images make the reader focus on it too.

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Brittany Pugh Cancer Prompt Create a poem from the POV of someone who has just found out that they have cancer.

How do they view the world differently? What do they focus on now?

Funeral Prompt Write a poem about a funeral from the point of view of the deceased.

Parent POV Prompt Write a poem from the point of view from a parent about their kids growing up and how they feel, what emotions they experience.

Pet Peeve Prompt Write a prompt about one of your pet peeves. Include what frustrates you/makes you angry about them and possibly include what situations they are most used in. Why do people do them/why might they might make sense to others?

Someone From the Past Prompt Imagine you are someone from the past and write a poem examining today's world from an older POV.

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Kadiesha Ricks Writing the Past Prompt Write a poem to your "high school self" about what you wish you understood then.

The First Time I Prompt Write a poem about an everyday occurrence as if you have done it for the very first time.

Made from Where? Prompt Find an article of clothing in your closet. Where is it made from? Give that article of clothing a story in a poetic from.

Monologue Work Prompt a) Find a comfy spot in the library or wherever there's people. b) Find a person who grabs your attention. Give that person an name and identity. c) Write a poem about them. Feel free to guess what they are thinking/doing and how their day has gone thus far.

Flyer Poem Prompt Find a flyer around campus. Write s poem using only those words.

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K.J. Ross-Wilcox Angry Letter Prompt Write a poem in the form of an angry letter whether it be a person, company, etc.

Walk Outside Prompt Walk outside, find a spot in the grass and just look around. Look at the trees. Look at the clouds and the sky. DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN! I REPEAT DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN. Look at the insects flying and crawling by. Now write about what you see or what you find the most interesting.

Body Part POV Prompt Write a poem from the POV of a body part that is related to one of the 5 senses: Eyes/Sight, Ears/Sound, Tongue/Taste, Nose/Smell and touch (pretty much anything on your body can touch or can be touched).

Viewing You Prompt Think of one the person who means the most to you in this entire world, whether it is a parent, significant other, a pet or even yourself. Now write a poem from their perspective of how you think they see you.

Happy Place Prompt Think of your happy place. Think of what and where it is. Think of what it means to you.

Think of the feeling it gives you and its importance. Now think what would happen if someone disturbed or disrupted your happy place. How would it feel if you were trapped in your happy place? Write a poem about that/along these lines.

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Caitlyn Walter Happiest Moments Prompt Write a list of five of the happiest moments of your life. Try to think of moments that you wouldn't have previously considered—maybe throw out the first few that come into your head. Then write a poem about one of these under-appreciated moments of joy.

Sunset Prompt Take a moment out of your day to watch the sunset, then write a poem about it. Try extra hard to avoid clichés. If you can, leave out any color words.

New Food Prompt Try a food you have never tasted before - go to a restaurant from a culture you are unaccustomed to, or just go for a different flavor of chips in the dining halls. Write a poem about the experience. Use as much figurative language as you can.

Old Writing Prompt Dig through your hard drive or journals for something you wrote pre-college, or as far back as you can find - it can be a poem, a story, diary entries, even an old essay for school. Take topics or images from this old piece and involve them in a new poem.

Indefinable Words Prompt Pick one of the indefinable emotion-words (please refer to the list on the next page) and attempt to define it in poetry.

Learn more about list at http://www.dictionaryofobscuresorrows.com/

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Liz Whiteacre Voice/Diction Prompt Using the name you pulled out of the bag in class (or getting a name from someone else), write a poem in that person/character's voice. You can talk about whatever you'd like from that person's point of view--it should sound like that person/character (use that character/person’s diction, syntax, tone, etc.).

Here are some examples by Tim Seibles: "What Bugs Bunny Said to Red Riding Hood" "Road Runner, Uneasy" "Midnight, the Coyote, Down in the Mouth"

Classified Prompt Create a want ad for the perfect reader of your poems.

What’s Missing? Prompt Take a look at the poems you've written in your journal.

Pull out the poems you like best, ones you think you'd like to include in your book.

Think about the story they tell collectively or the emotional roller coaster ride they provide readers.

What's missing? (You might consider if it's part of a greater narrative, a voice, an emotion, etc.)

Write a poem that "fills in a blank" within your current collection.

Sandwich (or Series) Prompt Take a look at your journals and select a poem that has a narrative (or story behind it).

1. Write the poem that comes before this poem.

2. Write the poem that comes after this poem.

So, essentially, sandwich your poem with two other poems.

When you are done, you should have a sequence of 3 poems that all work together (and independently) to tell a greater narrative.

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