Poetry Prompts for July 2025

“I drifted into a summer nap under the hot shade of July, serenaded by a cicada lullaby, to drowsy-warm dreams of distant thunder.” —Terri Guillemets

Please tag me @jenmillerpoetry on Instagram and/or BlueSky if you use these prompts.

1. Write a poem using all of the following words from the 1920s: cocktail bars hitch-hike goose-steppers robots spacesuit commentary roundabout T-shirts
   

2. The American cinquain form, developed and popularized by Adelaide Crapsey, is a five-line poetic form consisting of 2 syllables in the first line, 4 in the second, 6 in the third, 8 in the fourth, and 2 in the fifth. You can add or subtract one syllable from each line. Write a cinquain about freedom.
   

3. Write an ekphrastic poem using Georgia O'Keeffe's Cow's Skull: Red, White, and Blue for inspiration.