Children play word games to improve vocabulary, video games to learn problem-solving and hand-eye coordination, and sports to learn teamwork. Not that they think of it quite this way. Games are growth tools, disguised as fun.
Games can help us grow and improve our poetry, too.
The video game, Elegy for a Dead World was created to encourage players to write prose and poetry while they explore three worlds inspired by the British Romantic era poets: Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats, and Lord Byron.
- Shelley’s World is based on the poem, Ozymandias.
- Byron’s World, based on the poem, Darkness.
- Keats’ World, based on When I Have Fears That I May Cease to Be.
The game creators say:
Each world offers multiple sets of prompts, each intended to inspire you to write a different story about it. Elegy might ask you to write a short story about an individual’s final days, a song about resignation, or a poem about war.”
Once you’ve completed your story, song, or poem, you can either share it with other players or copy it in digital or print media to keep for yourself. Game available for purchase here.
Try It
Magnetic Poetry is a popular novelty kit which has helped make poetry accessible by inspiring people to create brief poems from a collection of word magnets. Every visit to the refrigerator has poetic possibility. There’s also an online version. For this prompt visit the magnetic poetry website, click the poetry set of your choice and have fun creating a poem from the words provided. Take a screen shot or copy the words to your poem and post your masterpiece in the comment section below.
Featured Poem
Thanks to everyone who participated in last week’s poetry prompt. Here is a haiku from Laura we enjoyed:
Once we played Yahtzee
on the porch during a storm.
Thunder rolled like dice.
Photo by martinak15. Creative Commons via Flickr.
Browse more Games Poetry
Browse more writing prompts
Browse poetry teaching resources
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How to Write a Poem uses images like the buzz, the switch, the wave—from the Billy Collins poem “Introduction to Poetry”—to guide writers into new ways of writing poems. Excellent teaching tool. Anthology and prompts included.
“How to Write a Poem is a classroom must-have.”
—Callie Feyen, English Teacher, Maryland
Heather Eure
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Andrew H says
http://i.imgur.com/H3VJpE7.png?1
Heather Eure says
“through frantic language” — love that! Hope it was a fun exercise for you, Andrew!
Jen says
Magnetic poetry online? This could be life changing… or at least writing method changing. 🙂 Sorry, not sure where to share the screenshot and my brain is too sleepy to figure it out right now… but I made this.
My symphony swims
the delirious blue wind
in a peach and honey smeared sky
like a sea whispering dreams
of sweet rose forest springs
we will sing the shadows away
Andrew H says
“We will sing the shadows away”
Not quite sure, but I really like this line. It is very…. emotive, I suppose? Anyway, really like it!
Jen says
Thanks! I have no idea what this means… I was just stringing words together that sound nice. haha. 🙂
L. L. Barkat says
I agree with Andrew about the shadows line. It strikes me as a very good line to lift and use in a villanelle. Try it?
Jen says
Hmmm… I’ve never tried a villanelle. I’ll have to consider this! 🙂
Heather Eure says
Glad we could direct you to the online version, Jen! I also agree with Andrew and L.L. It is a good line worth exploring further. Magnetic Poetry is a helpful tool, isn’t it?
Jen says
It is. I’ve never had much luck with it before, but I think I had a breakthrough playing with the online version. I found myself just picking up words I liked and trying to make them fit into something. So fun! I think I’ll try the geek edition next. 🙂
Sandra Heska King says
She’d walk lonely on the sun
above this dark rain
make some secret verdant sanctuary
and leave him long
soon
or never breathe again.
Heather Eure says
“…or never breathe again.” Love that, Sandra!
Rick Maxson says
Here’s mine:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/323274079481401506/
Heather Eure says
“Be as you are bright bough” is a dreamy line. Did you find it easier to write a poem with the words chosen for you or more difficult?
Rick Maxson says
This was harder. I kept needing a word that was not there. I cheated (if it’s cheating and asked for more words. I found it interesting that the game had pronouns for which there were no appropriate verbs.
Joy Lenton says
I’ve never tried this before but I had a go with a ‘nature poet’ set:
Resting on dark rock
where wet stain lingers
like blueberry oozing juice
quiet brown bird flies soft
toward pure light of sun
She follows her intuition
knowing she’ll soon thrive again
but she’s not sure when