The Beaver Creek Method For Writing a Poem

 

 

Here's how you can write a poem prompt:

1. Choose your focus:

• Theme: Start with a broad theme like love, loss, nature, or a specific emotion (joy, anger, nostalgia).
• Form: Focus on a specific poetic form like haiku (three lines, 5-7-5 syllables), sonnet (14 lines, specific rhyme scheme), or free verse (no specific rhyme or meter).
• Sensory details: Prompt the writer to use specific senses – sight, sound, smell, touch, taste – to create vivid imagery.
• Object or image: Provide a single object or image as inspiration, like a cracked teacup, a child's laughter, or a city skyline at night.

2. Add restrictions (optional):

• Word limit: Challenge the writer to a specific word count (like a haiku) to focus their expression.
• Rhyme scheme: Set a simple rhyme scheme (AABB, ABCB) to add structure to the poem.
• Point of view: Specify the perspective the poem should be written from (first person, second person, observer).

3. Craft an evocative prompt:

• Use questions: Instead of just stating a theme, ask an open-ended question to spark curiosity.
  • "What does silence sound like?"
  • "If a tree could speak, what story would it tell?"
• Descriptive language: Set the mood or scene with descriptive language to inspire the writer's imagination.
  • "Capture the bittersweet feeling of watching a firefly dance in the twilight."
  • "Write a poem from the perspective of a forgotten toy in a dusty attic."

Here are some examples of prompts:

• Write a poem about the first snowfall of winter, using words that evoke a sense of coldness and wonder.
• Imagine you can talk to your younger self. Write a poem as a letter offering advice or sharing a memory.
• Compose a haiku about a single raindrop on a window pane.

Remember: The best prompts are clear, inspiring, and leave room for the writer's creativity to flourish.