hotpromptThe framework

Fixed-form poetry

5 decisions a prompt of this kind should make on purpose, and 5 things worth leaving out.

Asks that land here

haiku, sonnet, limerick, villanelle, tanka, sestina, acrostic, iambic, rhyme scheme, five seven five, 5-7-5, fixed form

The moves
  1. +Form & its rulesHonor the named form exactly: haiku 5-7-5 across 3 lines; sonnet 14 lines with a rhyme scheme and meter; limerick AABBA anapestic; etc.
  2. +Subject & concrete imageAnchor on one specific image or moment, not an abstract theme.
  3. +Meter & rhyme fidelityKeep meter and rhyme strict for the form; don't pad lines with filler to hit the count.
  4. +The turn / landingPlace the volta for a sonnet; land the final line as the pivot for a haiku; put the punch in line 5 of a limerick.
  5. +DictionPlain, precise words over poetic filler; earn any archaism.

Left out for this type: the generic 'poem, ~12-20 lines' default; free-verse structure when a strict form was named; padding lines to hit a syllable or rhyme count; role prompting ('as a poet laureate'); explaining the poem after it

Try it on one of these