The Poetry Marathon

Text Prompt

Write a “self portrait”. It can be accurate, abstract, or absurd. You can read a sample “self portrait” here.

Image Prompt

Text Prompt

Use this image and/ or the line it contains “…just be still, and listen” as a jumping off piece. Full credit goes to Shlokla Shankar.

(second) Image prompt

Text Prompt

Use one of these quotes as a jumping off point.

“I am begging: Let me be lonely but not invisible.” – Natalie Diaz

“I stopped thinking about extreme grief as the sole vehicle for great art when the grief started to take people with it.” – Hanif Abdurraqib

“Books were safer than other people anyway.”  – Neil Gaiman

Image Prompt

Text Prompt

Write a poem focusing on an experience through a sense other than vision – or a sense you don’t often use or ignore.

Contributed by Janette Rosebrook.

Image Prompt

Text Prompt

Write about a time when you wish you had said “yes”

Contributed by Christina Halas.

Image Prompt

Text Prompt

Even if you have children, write poems about imaginary ones. They can be your own imaginary  children, or the imaginary children of people you love.

Image Prompt

Text Prompt

Write a poem where death is personified in some way.

Or

Watch this clip from Swan Lake, then write a poem. It can be a direct or indirect response.

Image Prompt

Congratulations Half Marathoners! I am so happy that you have completed 12 poems in 12 hours! That is wonderful. Thank you for joining us in this madness.

In the past I have personally verified that everyone who applied for a certificate was eligible and then I would make a certificate. That is not possible this year and so we will be operating on the honor system.

If you completed the Poetry Half Marathon please consider the following certificate yours, to update with your name, to print if you choose to do so. If you need any help altering the certificate please email me at poets@thepoetrymarathon.com

Click on the link below and save the PP (the powerpoint file) to your computer, add a text box. Type in your name, save as a JPEG.

Here is a direct link to the Powerpoint for editing.

The visual example of what the certificate will look like is right below this text.

Also this year we will be putting together a 2021 Poetry Marathon Anthology.

Submissions will open July 6th and stay open till the 25th.

Full anthology submissions details will be available on the 6th. All submissions must be written during the 2021 Poetry Marathon.

Digital copies will be made available for free to any contributor. Print copies will be available for a reasonable price and any money that is made from them will go towards covering the cost of the marathon.

Want to know what the 2020 Poetry Marathon Anthology was like? Pick up your copy here.

Text Prompt

For this year’s first formal prompt the challenge is to write a nonet. This poetic form requires that you write a 9-line poem. In the first line there are 9 syllables, in the second 8 syllables and so on down to final one syllable (ninth) line. You can learn more and read an example here, but it’s origin is unknown.

If a nonet does not appeal to you, you can always write a Shakespearean sonnet or my favourite form of late a zuihitsu.

Image Prompt

Text prompt

Write a poem using at least 5 of the following 10 words/phrases.

Forest Ranger

Skyscaper

Periwinkle

sourdough

Cloud

needle

gumboots

beat

spread

storefront

Image prompt