Persona Poem

Form:
A dramatic monologue or epistolary persona poem (i.e., a poem in the form of a letter):
– written in free-verse (unmetered) lines of 10-12 syllables each, or as a prose poem
– between 15 and 25 lines in length
Theme:
Write a persona poem, in the voice of one of the following:
– an historical figure, a figure from art or mythology, or a character you invent
– an animal, plant, stone, tree, or other natural being
– an inanimate (mechanical/digital/artificial) object
Note that the implied addressee of the poem doesn’t need to be the reader! The persona might also be addressing another person, character, or thing. If the addressee is not the reader, specifying the actual addressee in the poem’s title is a good framing device.
Challenge:
Try to make your line and stanza lengths consistent. In other words:
– All your lines should be roughly the same number of syllables, even if they don’t follow a metrical stress pattern.
– If you use stanzas, all your stanzas should be the same length (couplets, tercets, quatrains, and so on).
– If you are writing this as a prose poem, make sure that your individual sentences have line integrity; this should not read like a “normal” piece of prose.
Suggestions:
– Try to choose a character whose voice has not been represented extensively in writing before now. That way, it will be up to you to invent the way this character speaks (rather than to copy the voice of this character as they appear in earlier texts).
– Make the character’s voice both believable and distinct from your own. This is likely to involve experimentation with diction, imagery, and pacing.
– Brainstorm about this character’s personality, views, and concerns before you start writing your poem. What is the size/scope of this character’s world? How much knowledge do they have, and what kind of knowledge is it? What do they desire? What do they loathe/fear/regret? What kind of response do they seek from their addressee?
– Remember that your persona’s speech should come out of an occasion—whether that be a specific event or a moment of insight, emotion, or change. Make sure that the poem suggests answers to the question, “Why is this persona speaking to us now?”

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