POETRY PROMTS

Maria Gray

I find the cento very fruitful when it comes to kickstarting the poetic impulse. My poetry is heavily influenced by contemporary music, so I love writing centos with lyrics from my favorite songs or whatever I have on repeat at the time. The golden shovel can also be good for this, because there is a preset subtext and technical “arrival.” So — write a cento or golden shovel from a favorite song lyric.

(See Maria’s poem Road to Joy for an example of this prompt in action!)

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