The Poetry Marathon

Text Prompt

Take a common saying like “To get lost is to learn the way” or “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch” or “This too shall pass,” as the basis of writing a poem. 

Contributed by KV Adams.

Image Prompt

Text Prompt

Try and condense the plot of a book, any book, into a poem. It can be very direct and recognizable, or abstract and obscured.

Prompt contributed by Evelyn K. Parrish.

Image Prompt

Text Prompt

Write a poem exploring the word normal. It could be in the context of pre-pandemic life and the present, how normal needs to be better,or about how normal has always been different within your family. Any interpretation or interaction with the word normal, works as a response to this prompt.

Idea contributed by Shirley Durr.

Image Prompt

Text Prompt

Write a poem about walking without ever using the world walking in it.

Or

Listen to the song at the link and write with it playing, or after it has played.

Second prompt contributed by Bhasha Dwivedi.

Image Prompt

Text Prompt

You find a time capsule buried in the backyard of your new home (or anywhere else, depends on you). What’s in it? How old is it or its probable story is up to the poet.

Contributed by Bhasha Dwivedi.

Image Prompt

Text Prompt

Grab a book from your shelf. Read the last line in it. You have to use that line as the first or last line of your poem (with credit). If you don’t have any books near you load this page, and scan down till you find the right one.

Image Prompt

Text Prompt

Write a poem that repeats the same line three times, and then end on a variation of the repeated line. It could be a little different, or vary different, depending on what serves the poem best.

Image Prompt

Text Prompt:

Use one of the following titles as a jumping off point:

The Joy of Unseen Things

The Dog

Island

Long Run at Dawn

Coffee & Change

Image Prompt:

For the first time ever we’re trying something a little different this year. The first prompt every hour will be text based (with occasional variations), and the second, if you scroll down, will be image based. You can choose either prompt or not use prompts at all (or only sporadically). All images are either taken from unsplash, or contributed by a poetry marathoner with credit.

Text Prompt

Write a poem about something ending. It could be a relationship, a stage in life, or the apocalypse. The details are up to you.

Image Prompt

Dear Poets,

For those participating in the Poetry Marathon, now is the time to make sure that you are ready. This means being comfortable using the technology, as well as having a plan for the day of the marathon, so that you have the best chance of succeeding without any major hiccups.

Here’s a quick checklist of things you should do to prepare:

1. Make sure you know how to post a poem in the Marathon. Once you’ve created your account, you will be able to log in to the dashboard here. Once you’ve reached the dashboard, click the button that says “Add New Post.” That will take you to the page where you can publish your poem to the site. Be sure to select “Private” if you don’t want the poem to be publicly visible. The poems will still be visible to other Marathoners.
2. Make sure you know when The Marathon is starting in your specific time zone. The full Marathon starts at exactly 9AM ET on June 26th. That works out to 6am PT and 1pm GMT. You’ll be expected to write and post one poem per hour, so make sure you know when to start, so that you can participate with everyone.
3. Make sure you have a plan in terms of the logistics, so that you can dedicate your time to writing. Make sure you have a plan for food, as well as potential interruptions.
4. If you haven’t yet done so, join the Facebook Group.  This is particularly valuable during the late-night hours of the marathon, when you may need an extra boost of camaraderie.

Also — keep in mind that we don’t expect anyone to comment on your poems during the Marathon. Comments on poems are encouraged a couple of days after the Marathon, once everyone has had a chance to rest and recover. When it is time to write the comments, please keep in mind that comments should be focused on positive feedback, and not on critiquing a piece.

If you’re in need of technical assistance, please ask on the Facebook Group and tag Jacob Jans, or by sending an email to poets@thepoetrymarathon.com. Keep in mind that we won’t be able to help once the Marathon starts. Ideally, you’ll have everything sorted out the day before.

— Jacob