24 Poems ~ 24 Hours
(Not exactly a) Text Prompt
Every year I include a song prompt. The idea is that you start the song and write a poem while listening to it, starting the song over as needed (or not). There have been protests in the past when I include one with lyrics, so this year I’ve included one with lyrics that you can listen to here and one without, which you can listen to here. No titles or artists given to increase the element of surprise.
Image Prompt
Text Prompt:
Every year I made sure to include at least one formal poem. The viator is a poetic form invented by Robin Skelton. I first encountered it as part of Robert Lee Brewer’s Writer’s Digest Poetic Forms Friday series.
It’s a pretty simple form where the first line is used again as refrain in the second line of the second stanza, and the third line of the third stanza, and so on and so forth depending on how many stanzas you include.
The last line of the final stanza must be the refrain, so you start and end on it.
To learn more about this form, and read a sample poem, go here.
Image Prompt:
Photo by Martin Torrez
Text Prompt
The earth is actually flat, you look over the edge and what do you see? Describe it.
Disclaimer: I am in no way, shape, or form a flat-earther.
Image Prompt
photo by Y S
Text Prompt:
Write a mystery poem. The crime could be real or imagined. The poem could be clue based or narrative. The details are up to you.
Image Prompt:
By Martin Torrez
Text prompt:
Nancy Anne Smith suggested this subject for a prompt we do every year. Your challenge is to write a poem about the topic of marriage, without ever using the word marriage, and while also ideally avoiding the words spouse, husband, and wife.
Image prompt:
Text Prompt:
This prompt called Twenty Little Poetry Projects and was suggested by Lexanne Leonard, but was created by Jim Simmerman and is called Twenty Little Poetry Projects and was originally published in The Practice of Poetry. If you don’t think you can complete it in the hour feel free to stop at the half way point.
Image Prompt:
By Frank Ching
Text Prompt:
Write a poem from the point of view of yourself, ten years ago.
Image Prompt:
For the third year in a row we are offering word and image prompts. 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:
Lately I’ve been finding a lot of inspiration in the work of others.
Often when I read a poem, there will be a line (or 5) that sounds spectacular and presents a really interesting idea, but then doesn’t explore it.
One of these lines is from the poems Selkie Weaning Young (Redux) by Diana Khoi Nguyen. The line that particularly stands out to me as containing multitudes is: “This is how she found us/ the past draped about us like a cloak”
You can read the whole poem (it’s short!) to see if there is another jumping off point for you, but if you do end up using the line in your poem, make sure to say “after Diana Khoi Nguyen” in a right alligned line after the title. That way the original poet still receives credit for their idea.
Image prompt:
Photo credit, Birk Enwald
This is the last day to sign up for the 2023 Poetry Marathon! You can sign up here. We will be sending out the final round of acceptances tomorrow. If you do not here from us tomorrow, please send us an email at poets@thepoetrymarathon.com
The goal of The Poetry Marathon is to write and post one poem an hour for 24 hours. Half marathoners post a poem per hour for a 12 hour period. You can catch up if you miss an hour, but you cannot get ahead.
This is an international event with participants from all around the globe. Generally 500 people attempt the marathon. You do not have to be a poet to participate. To find out how to convert your timezone go here.
To learn more go here. To sign up go here.
We will get back to applicants on a rolling basis. Most people who apply will be accepted. If you have not heard from us three days after applying please send us an email at poets@poetrymarathon.com. Please do not try and contact us through the FB page.
Sign up is now open for the 2023 Poetry Marathon! You can sign up here.
The 2023 Poetry Marathon starts at 9 AM ET on Saturday September 2nd and will go till 9 AM ET on Sunday the 3rd of September.
Those who are interested in doing a half marathon start at 9 AM ET on September 2nd and go till 9 PM on that same day. Or they can start at 9 PM ET on the 2nd and continue to 9 AM on the 3rd, which works better for some time zones.
The goal of The Poetry Marathon is to write and post one poem an hour for 24 hours. Half marathoners post a poem per hour for a 12 hour period. You can catch up if you miss an hour, but you cannot get ahead.
This is an international event with participants from all around the globe. Generally 500 people attempt the marathon. You do not have to be a poet to participate. To find out how to convert your timezone go here.
There is a new prompt offered every hour. Some find this Helpful, some ignore it completely.
To learn more go here.
To sign up go here.
If you are interested in participating please sign up by the 28th of August. We will get reach out to applicants on the 11th, the 18th, and the 29th of August depending on when they apply. Most people who apply will be accepted. If you have not heard from us by the 30th of August. Please do not try and contact us through the FB page. We will try our best to make sure everyone who contacts us, gets an opportunity to participate.