ENG 308 Prompt Book Vol. II

ENG 308 Prompt Book

Volume II

Ball State University Fall 2014

ii ENG 308 Prompt Book

Acknowledgements

Students in ENG 308: Poetry Writing created this book of prompts at Ball State University during the fall term of 2014. 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 187 prompts, which students (collectively) used to write over 480 poems during the term in their poetry journals. For more information, please contact Liz Whiteacre at [email protected].

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

Cover art by Hattie Whiteacre.

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Table of Contents

BOBBY AULTMAN 1

Battery Low Prompt Famous Voice Forgetful Someone Else’s Shoes Animals

JENNA BERTSCH 2

War God Dark Humor Silly Animals

REBECCA BRILL 3

Murder Mystery Prompt Midnight Run Pumpkin Prompt Kitchen Utensil Haiku Symbolism Challenge

TAYLOR BOOKS 4

Speak Now Prompt Quote Poem Background Poem Recipe Poem TV Show Character Prompt

BENJAMIN CEPICAN 5

Smoking Prompt “The End” Prompt Tale from the Bar Dragon Prompt Sonnet

ZACH COOLEY 6

Don’t Blame the Buttler Tell Me about this Weather Don’t Use A, An, or The Terrible Situation Prose Poem Prompt They Can’t Be All that Bad

ASHLEY RAY COX 7

Published Pen Prompt Paradise Lost Prompt Foreigner Prompt

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Twisted Fairytale Prompt Into Your Mind Prompt

TREY GARDNER 8

Time Travel Magic Place Flash On Planet All Smiles

MELODIE GRIFFIN 9

POV Random Dictionary Word as Poem Dialouge Opposite Sex Character Gender

A.J. HECHT 10

Be a Punk Language Fridge

SARAH HUMMEL 11

Everyday Object Holiday Surgery Blanket Light

BRYCE LONGENBERGER 12

Text Message Prompt What’s the Meaning of Life Shadow Puppet Prompt The Paradox of Hate

TYRECE LOVE 13

Adrenaline Poem Technology Poem Childhood Ball or Toy Poem Facebook Poem Weather/Season Poem

CARIE MCMICHAEL 14

Television Mythology Wikipedia Time Period Culture Shock Ceiling

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EMILY MIRACLE 15

Bare Your Fangs Illuminaughty Hail Mother Nature Ahoy, there, Matey! Old Lover

JAKE OMSTEAD 16

The “Super” Prompt Favorite Song Prompt Dinosaur Prompt Drunk Prompt The Dog Prompt

KENDRA ROBERTS 17

One Breath Prompt Fingernail Prompt Corset Prompt Videogame Prompt Water Prompt

KRISTA SANFORD 18

Pet POV Parents’ Influence Color View Holiday Upside Down

BRITTANY ULMAN 19

Unusual Situation Song Lyrics The Letter E Child’s POV First Ticket

SHANNON WALTER 20

Emoji Prompt Song Title Prompt Dream Prompt Coffee Prompt Fear Prompt

LIZ WHITEACRE 21

Sandwich Prompt Object Prompt Re-visioned Poem Promp

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Bobby Aultman

Battery Low Prompt Write a poem like your battery on your laptop was running low. Write it as quickly as possible.

*

Famous Voice

Write a poem as if you were a famous poet. Choose one Poet and steal their voice. Use their style for the entire poem.

*

Forgetful Write a poem about forgetting something or something you forgot.

*

Someone Else's Shoes Write a prompt about yourself from the point of view of someone you know (family or friend) or from the point of view of a stranger.

*

Animals

Walk outside and write a poem about the first animal you see.

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Jenna Bertsch

War

Write a poem about any current or previous war.

*

God Write a poem either for or against the idea of God.

*

Dark Humor Write a poem using dark humor. Write about a topic that is hurtful, dark or shocking, but lace the poem with humor as well.

*

Silly

Write an ode to something silly.

*

Animals

Write a poem about animals.

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Rebecca Brill

Murder Mystery Prompt Write a set of poems (however many you want) each from the perspective of a person involved in a murder mystery. They can (and should) contradict each other, each with its own persona and viewpoints on what happened.

*

Midnight Run Write about a midnight run to the store or to go get ice cream—we've all had those late night needs, so write a poem about them.

*

Pumpkin Prompt ‘Tis the season of pumpkins, spice lattes and cable-knit sweaters. Write about fall, the changing of seasons, or that latte you just downed.

*

Kitchen Utensil Haiku Using the form of haiku (5-7-5 syllables), write about your three favorite kitchen utensils.

*

Symbolism Challenge

Test your ability on the ancient and noble art of symbolism. Include three things that aren't what they seem in one poem


Taylor Brooks

Speak Now Prompt Think of a person that you never said everything that you wanted to. Maybe it's an ex or former friend or even someone that passed away. Write a poem addressed to them saying the things that you either never got a chance to say or were too afraid to say. Don't use technical language. Write like you were saying it to them now.

*

Quote Poem Write a poem using one of your favorite quotes for inspiration. Maybe the poem is what the quote means to you or a story or something that reflects what the quote is saying.

*

Background Poem Write a poem about the picture on your lock screen or your computer background. Maybe you want to write about that specific day, the people in the picture, or how they are locked in your phone/computer.

*

Recipe Poem Write a poem in the form of a recipe. Maybe it's the perfect recipe for love, a relationship, family, etc.

*

TV Show Character Prompt Write a poem about living in your favorite TV show. Maybe you are your favorite character of the show and you write about their life or maybe you traveled to their town and are now a part of the show.

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Benjamin Cepican

Smoking Prompt

Write an ode to smoking! (And [I suppose] if you are the more Puritanical sort of fellow, feel free to condemn smoking to the very pits of hell.)

*

“The End” Prompt Write a poem about how you might conduct yourself in your last moments. You may take some license with what is considered last moments. Is it the destruction of your home? Is it the death of a planet? Is it your own death? Is it a Second Coming? You decide!

*

Tale from the Bar Just like in those adventure movies and romance books of old, write a poem-story about a tale from a bar. The point of view can take on many variations. Is the storyteller the well-traveled, war-veteran bartender (remember his youthful past)? Is he a comrade at table? Is he someone far off, and you are overhearing the tale? Is he a bard? Etc.

*

Dragon Prompt Write a poem about your encounter with a dragon (and, truly, the dragon can be a metaphorical beast, too).

*

Sonnet I like sonnets; try your hand at one. It can be Petrarchan, Shakespearian, or even some other more modern variation.


Zach Cooley

Don’t Blame It on the Butler

Write a murder mystery poem!

*

Tell Me about this Weather Write a poem about a certain type of weather to someone who has never experienced that kind of weather.

*

Don’t Use A, An, or The Write a poem without using the words a, an, or the.

*

Terrible Situation Prose Poem Prompt Write a prose poem about a person you love in a terrible situation.

*

They Can’t Be All that Bad Write about a villain, a celebrity who gets a lot of bad press, or an unkind person you know personally in a sympathetic tone.

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Ashley Ray Cox

Published Pen Prompt Write a poem from the perspective of a specific published writer's writing utensil (pen, computer, typewriter, etc.). Again, you MUST choose a specific writer. They can be a poet, a screenwriter, a novelist: whomever you prefer!

*

Paradise Lost Prompt Write a poem about what you can't return to (place, thing, person, feeling, etc.).

*

Foreigner Prompt Write a poem about something you know nothing about. A term you've heard in passing, a medical procedure, the proper name of an animal. Write about it as though you are an expert - the sillier the better!

*

Twisted Fairytale Prompt

Write a poem about the dragon who saves the princess from the prince.

*

Into Your Mind Prompt Write a poem about your mind. What is it like in there? You can be abstract, you can personify, you can do it however that crazy, wonderful mind of yours wants to.


Trey Gardner

Time Travel Write a poem about a point in time where you would go back and fix something that would help you today.

*

Magic Place Write a poem about a place where everything goes right just for you but not your enemies.

*

Flash Write a poem about how fast time is moving and you can't do everything you want.

*

On Planet Write a poem about a different planet and it can be about anything be descriptive.

*

All Smiles Write a poem on a day you were the happiest.

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Melodie Griffin

POV Write a poem that describes your life as an inanimate object.

*

Random Dictionary Word as Poem Grab a dictionary and skim through the pages randomly. Without looking, point to a word on the page. That word should be the theme of your poem!

*

Dialogue Create a poem using a conversation last had as the theme of your poem.

*

Opposite Sex Write about living a day as the opposite sex.

*

Character Gender Pick a character from your favorite movie and switch their gender. Write about what might change in the movie due to their gender role. Make it comical!


A.J. Hecht

Be a Punk Write an anti-establishment poem.

*

Language Use a second language in your poem.

*

Fridge Write a poem about your refrigerator.

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Sarah Hummel

Everyday Object Write a poem about an everyday object.

*

Holiday Write a poem about a holiday.

*

Surgery Write a poem about surgery.

*

Blanket Write a poem about a blanket.

*

Light Write a poem about light.


Bryce Longenberger

Text Message Prompt Pull up a recent text message that you've either received or sent and write a poem about the words in that text message.

*

What Is the Meaning of Life? Write a poem about the meaning of life. It can be whatever you want it to be!

*

Shadow Puppet Prompt Take a flashlight or some source of light and make shadow puppets. Then write a poem about anything you see: the shape that is created, the way the light looks on your hand, or the way the light beams bend around your hand. Have fun with it!

*

The Paradox of Hate Find something that you hate (a person, an activity, a thing), describe your feelings toward that thing, and then write about why you can't live without it. You might think that you can live without that thing, but there's got to be something that you need in the object of your hatred.

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Tyrece Love

Adrenaline Poem Write a poem about adrenaline during a sport event like a football or basketball game and how you felt at a particular moment or how you were tired and dehydrated and drank some water or Gatorade and felt replenished. Describe the event and feeling in a poem.

*

Technology Poem Write a poem describing the effect technology has on us as humans.

*

Childhood Ball or Toy Poem Write a poem about a childhood ball or toy that you used to play with all the time, preferably something that you vividly remember that meant a lot to you at a young age. Describe the object in the poem from the perspective of the object.

*

Facebook Poem Write a poem about Facebook.

*

Weather/Season Poem Write a poem using a certain type of weather or season to describe your life.


Carie McMichael

Television Mythology Write a poem that incorporates an aspect of a television show, whether it be a character, a trope, a setting, whatever you choose. Just make it vivid and clear to the reader.

*

Wikipedia

Go to the Wikipedia home page and hit the random article button. Write a poem about the article it sends you to. You might have to read the article in order to write the poem, but at least you'll learn something!

*

Time Period Write a poem about your life if you lived in a different time period. You would still be you, just born in a different decade, or maybe even a different century.

*

Culture Shock Write a poem about your least favorite part of American culture.

*

Ceiling Write a poem about shapes you see in a stippled ceiling.

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Emily Miracle

Bare Your Fangs

Write a gruesome poem. Must include an animal (fantasy or real). Don’t hold yourself back.

*

Illuminaughty

Write about a celebrity doing something bad (crime, drugs, etc.) *

Hail Mother Nature Write a poem with the theme being nature or a part of nature.

*

Ahoy, there, Matey! Write about finding treasure. (Treasure is what you please- materials, the meaning of life, etc.)

*

Old Lover Write about being old and losing your lover.


Jake Omstead

The “Super” Prompt

You are a super hero. The only one of your kind. Write a poem in three stanzas describing what that is like.

*

Favorite Song Prompt

Write about the first time you heard your favorite song. Describe the emotions and actions when you heard it.

*

Dinosaur Prompt

Write a poem describing yourself as a dinosaur in the modern era walking around a populated area. Have fun, get destructive, be creative!

*

Drunk Prompt

Write a poem from the perspective of a drunken man who has lost his way. *

The Dog Prompt Write a poem in 4 stanzas with only three lines each about a dog going in front of a car intentionally because he hates his owner. This dark, and demented, but try it.

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Kendra Roberts

One Breath Prompt Write a poem that should be said in only one breath.

*

Fingernail Prompt Write a poem describing your fingernails and what you do with them (bite, paint, etc.).

*

Corset Prompt Write a poem about you wearing a corset.

*

Video Game Prompt Imagine you are a character in your favorite video game. Write a 5-line poem describing your experience.

*

Water Prompt Write a poem describing water.


Krista Sanford

Pet POV Write a poem from the view of your pet.

*

Parents’ Influence Write a poem about something your parents used to make you do that still follows you today, even if you don’t have to do it anymore.

*

Color View Write a poem about what it would be like to only see one color.

*

Holiday Take a person from a holiday (Santa, Easter Bunny, etc.) and write a poem about them reacting to a holiday that’s not their own.

* Upside Down

Write a poem about being upside down. Actually being upside down when you write the poem is optional.

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Brittany Ulman

Unusual Situation Write a poem about a well-known person in an unusual situation.

*

Song Lyrics Write a poem using only lyrics from your favorite songs.

*

The Letter E Write a poem without using the letter ‘e’.

*

Child’s POV Write a poem about the world through a child’s perspective (about three-five years old).

*

First Ticket Write a poem about the first time you were pulled over and given a ticket.


Shannon Walter

Emoji Prompt Write a poem about your favorite emoji. Give it a backstory, and make it creative.

*

Song Title Prompt Write a poem with the same title as your favorite song.

*

Dream Prompt Write a poem about a dream you've had without specifically saying that the poem is about a dream.

*

Coffee Prompt Write about coffee: how it makes you feel, how it tastes, how it smells, etc.

*

Fear Prompt Write a poem about having to live out your biggest fear.

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Liz Whiteacre

Sandwich Prompt

1. Select a poem you've already written. 2. Write the poem that comes right before this poem. 3. Write the poem that comes right after this poem.

Do all 3 exist on their own, or no? Have you created a sectioned poem? Consider how you'd present these 3 poems as a sequence.

Object Prompt Look through your possessions and find an object that's meaningful to you. (It might be a ring, poster, blanket, shoe, toothbrush, concert stub, etc.—anything that has strong meaning and memory to you.) Write a poem that includes/is about this object. It could be narrative, descriptive/emotional, a persona, etc. (Any style that helps readers understand its importance to you.)

Re-visioned Poem Prompt For this prompt, pick a poem you have already written. Re-vision this poem so that the new version contrasts the old in some way. How you'd like to approach this will influence what you choose to manipulate in the poem. Examples:

• take a poem with a happy mood and make the mood somber or angry (you might consider word choice, syntax, line breaks, etc.)

• take the poem and rewrite it from another person's point of view (while talking about the same issue(s), i.e. boss/worker, parent/child, lover who left/ex, person with hindsight/person without)

• take the poem and rewrite it as if it were being delivered by a speaker a century ago or a century into the future

• noticeably change the gender or age of the speaker In creating this contrasting poem, you may find that you come up with a companion poem, one that you like better, or it may show you what's working really well in your first version...taking time to practice manipulation of language, point of view, syntax, line breaks, etc. will help strengthen skills and prepare you for future poems.

Documents

ENG 308 Prompt Book Vol. II