Day 4: _____________ and other strange animals

Just type "strange animals" into Google Images. Go on, I dare you.

The above image is just one of the "what the hecky decky is that?!" moments you will have while scrolling through the results (possibly more expletive-ridden, as in my case).

You may, however, be less inspired by things you might find on a trip to a very unusual zoo. Perhaps the first thing that this prompt called to mind for you was even Gerald Durrell's (rightly) famous (and hilarious) "My Family and Other Animals" (if you haven't read it and/or seen the TV series, you're in for a treat!). (We all love our families really, but let's face it - they're not always the easiest to look after!)

(Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Durrell deploys personification and anthropomorphism heavily in his depiction of his family as being as animalistic as the curiosities that he finds while on their travels. You may want to try similar techniques in your poem today.

You may also want to compare other things to animals - people often talk of depression as a "black dog", for example.

Suggested forms

If writing about entertaining zoo creatures or pets, then you may wish to keep your choice of form just as light-hearted - so a limerick, riddle or acrostic could work well here. Kennings - which rely on compound adjectives - are also fun.

If you want to write more seriously, reflectively, or in a detailed manner about a creature or feeling, as DH Lawrence does in his wonderful poem 'Snake', then free verse may be for you.

Word prompts

polychromatic
fright
striped
armoured
disturbed

And to finish, a quotation that might inspire you, from the actress and dancer Yvonne Craig:

Happy writing!

-- Bianca

Remember that our prompts are only suggestions - go wherever the muse takes you.
In the meantime, read other participants' poems, share the #octpowrimo hashtag on social media, and add your link to your own poem in the comments below.

As Taylor Swift says in her song "You are In Love"

"You understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars

And why I've spent my whole life trying to put it into words"

That's a beautiful way to describe love because it's SO hard but so simple at the same time. That's the thing, love isn't simple, there are the ups and downs and so many layers of it. 

How do you capture a relationship? In photos or in words. You can look at a photo and find so many levels in it. But the poet takes that image and weaves it into the fabric of syllables and letters. 

Poetry Prompt:

Capture a relationship or a feeling. Show it. Don't just tell, show it. 

Need a jump start? Here's a few photos from over the years. What do you think those relationships are? 

All images copyright Beverly Tan 

See more at Facebook.com/beverlytanphotography or viewbug.com/member/bevtan 

Word Prompts: 
Love
Heartbreak
Tacenda- "things better left unsaid"
Basorexia - "The strong desire to kiss"

Sentence prompts: 
In a fleeting moment...
I saw in...

Wrote something? Share your poem with us by linking it in the comments and Tweet @beverlytanfilm and #octpowrimo so I see it!

How Do You Do That?

In just FOUR days, we will begin OctPoWriMo 2014! The team here will be posting daily prompts (completely optional, of course!) to help spark ideas. So what do you do once you read the daily prompt? Some of the questions I've been asked are: "How do you start a poem?" "How do you write a poem?" "Does it have to rhyme?" 

Wikihow has a simple approach that is similar to what I do when I write poetry. The article "write a free verse poem" gives four simple steps that can lead to an excellent free verse poem. Another guide that I found is "how to write a free verse poem". 

“No verse is free for the man who wants to do a good job.” T. S. Eliot

If you crave structure in your poems, we will often offer suggested forms to try. As always, you can attempt our suggestion, or you can branch out on your own. If you're not familiar with Shadow Poetry, it's an excellent resource that, when combined with Rhyme Zone, can help you generate any form of poetry you've ever heard of (and a few that perhaps you haven't!)

I'm getting excited about writing prompts and taking part in the daily poetry writing challenge right along with you! 

By the way, there's a worldwide poetry event taking place tomorrow (Saturday, September 27) sponsored by 100 Thousand Poets for Change. Check them out and take part in the event in your area! 

~Amy McGrath