Inspiration: What was your greatest struggle? How did you overcome it, and how has it changed you for the better? Form: Try to write your poem in couplets today. A couplet is a poem made up of two-line stanzas with the final word of each …
27, April 27th, A Sonnet of Sympathetic Joy
Inspiration (and a challenge from Jackson):Sympathetic Joy is the feeling which arises when you are able to be proud of other people’s accomplishments. We rejoice that in the good fortune of others. In this way we overcome resentment, envy, and jealousy and even find inspiration …
26, April 26th, Best Gift
Inspiration: What’s the best gift you’ve ever given or received — whether tangible (an object new or passed on to your) or intangible (advice, love, guidance, support)? Why was this the “best”? A poem that tells a story is a narrative poem. Can you tell …
25, April 25th, Quatrain Plus One (about today)
Inspiration: We’ve had a lot of free verse this month (free to rhyme or not, free to break lines as you wish or need, free to stanza or not), but how does the structure of a quatrain impact our expression, intention, and meaning? Try a …
24, April 24th, Tanka
Inspiration: You are stranded on a planet alone for 700 years (not aging). What must the planet look like and do for you to be able to sustain a life alone for so long? With Summer vacation up-and-coming, today you may write a poem about …
23, April 23rd, Gratitude
Inspiration: Write a poem of gratitude: noun, the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Re-read someone’s poem that was brave, sensitive. Remember a book or story that felt like the author wrote it for you. Recall a classmate or teacher who …
22, April 22nd, Earth Day
Inspiration: Today is Earth Day, which is the embodiment of a growth mindset with specific strategies to take better care of our environment. People across the globe come together to fight for a clean environment by changing human behavior and changing policy. Click here for …
21, April 21st, Connect the Words
Inspiration: Today you’re encouraged to play “connect the words.” What this means is that you will see a list of words, and you must string them together to create a narrative poem (tell a story). cry, grip, red, box, cord wonder, silver, border, track, glimpse, …
20, April 20th, Symbols and Extended Metaphors
Inspiration: A bridge is a powerful metaphor, and when you start looking for bridges in poems, you find them everywhere. Your poem could be about a real bridge or an imaginary or ideal bridge. It could be one you cross every day, or one that simply seems …
19, April 19th, 9 Lines (a Nonet)
Inspiration: A nonet is a nine-line poem. A nonet can be written on any subject and rhyming is optional. The poem starts with a line that has 9 syllables in it. The second line contains 8 syllables, the third line has 7 syllables, and it continues to count down …