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poetry prompt

A different word or phrase will appear here each time you visit the site or refresh the page. Your current prompt is — dollop

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collaborating tip

Put together a group of words you like, and send it to a collaborator with instructions to use those words in a poem.

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writing tip

Draw a Tarot card from the deck, and write down all the things you notice in the picture. Don’t get caught up in the symbolic meaning of the card. What do these images mean to you? Can you relate the images to your life in some way? Write a poem about your associations with the card.

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reading tip

The first time we read a poem, we're not really reading it, we're deciding whether to read it. If you can understand a poem on first reading, "either you didn't really read it or it isn't really a poem."

Learning to read poetry — much less write it — takes a huge amount of practice. "You don't have an education unless you have an education in the history of literature. Read the great poets, read everything, just read, read, read." -- Kay Ryan

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poetry quote

Poetry exists as a body attempting communication. — Sam Hamill