Prompts Inspired by Carl Phillips with Thanks to Richie Hofmann
[Note: this prompt was scheduled for last week but did not publish.]
Today’s prompts are inspired by the beautiful poem “And If I Fall” from Carl Phillips, shared on Twitter by Richie Hofmann. While I mostly doomscroll on Twitter, I still come across gifts.
For the first prompt, write a sonnet in which the last two lines are repeated. Don’t forget that the last lines are the lens through which the rest of the poem is viewed. Make lens stained glass and shining.
For the next prompt, turn a noun into a verb as the poet did with “cathedral” and build the poem around it.
For the third prompt, use the first part of the line “Light enters a cathedral the way” as ghostline and finish the line with your own comparison. Remember to erase the line and give credit to the poet.
For the last prompt, write a poem about “what is everything” to you. What place would you bring back if you could. What would you people it with?