Interior ornamented wall with fireplace and doors, by Pergolesi

Unleashing the Magic of Nouns: 5 Writing Prompts for Poets

Dive into the enchanting realm of poetry and explore the magic of nouns—people, places, things, and what we call them. This post serves as a guide, offering insights and prompts designed to elevate your understanding of the magic of naming and the practical application of nouns in your poetic endeavors.

Embarking on the Noun Journey:

In a recent conversation with poet Jenny Johnson, I mentioned I've got moss growing behind my ears now that I'm living in the Pacific Northwest. Inspired by her recommendation, I delved into Robin Wall Kimmerer's Gathering Moss, finding myself immersed in contemplation about the significance of naming—a theme that resonates deeply with poets and lovers of language.

I was in the middle of a crosswalk when I had to snap the book shut. In a good way! Sometimes, when I am reading something that truly captivates me, I feel as if I should not be in public for it. I had made it to page two of Gathering Moss. I needed to be near my notebook to continue. My synapses were firing.

"We carefully catalog the positions of all the moss species, calling out their names. Dicranum scoparium. Plagiothecium denticulatum. The student struggling to record all this begs for shorter names. But mosses don't usually have common names, for no one has bothered with them. They have only scientific names, conferred with legalistic formality..." (Kimmerer 2)

Naming is endlessly fascinating, speaking as a trans poet who renamed myself in my twenties. I find it immensely potent and full of beautiful confusion, this human impulse of naming things.

The Naming Game: Creative Prompts

Names hold immense power, reminiscent of the folklore trope where revealing someone's secret name renders them vulnerable. In the world of poetry, names transform into entities, shaping the force of the written word. Inspired by this, let's embark on some practice in the magic of naming.

1. Rumpelstiltskin:

Craft a poem about a noun that is not your name but resonates with you on a profound level. Draw inspiration from the timeless theme that a name is more than a mere descriptor—it is the essence itself.

"The name is the thing, and the true name is the true thing. To speak the name is to control the thing."
—Ursula K. LeGuin, "The Rule of Names"

Familiar in fantasy and folklore is the idea that someone who knows your secret name can undo you. Defeat you. Dispel your power.

"Today I'll bake; tomorrow I'll brew, Then I'll fetch the queen's new child, It is good that no one knows, Rumpelstiltskin is my name."

2. "Jackie-ing":

Transform a person, place, idea, or thing that has impacted you into a present-participial verb ("-ing"). Immerse yourself in the continuous action, allowing the essence of the noun to unfold in your poem. Your poem is not responsible for explaining what it's doing; you're free to immerse, drift, and experiment.

In his 1992 article "Other: From Noun to Verb," Nathaniel Mackey explores practices of cultural innovation by people who are excluded by those more powerful.

Mackey begins with the notion that "other is something people do, more importantly than a verb than an adjective or a noun."

He writes that "[Thelonius] Monk's tune 'Jackie-ing' tells us even a so-called proper noun is a verb in disguise—present-participial, provisional, subject to change".

Listen: Thelonius Monk, "Jackie-ing" Read: Langston Hughes, "If-ing"

3. the slowest Night:

Experiment with capitalization in your poem, challenging conventional norms. Explore the impact of rendering all nouns in lowercase or capitalizing most, altering the very magical essence summoned by your words.

You cannot put a Fire out—
A Thing that can ignite
Can go, itself, without a Fan—
Upon the slowest Night—
—Emily Dickinson #530

4. Going on a Picnic:

Create a list of interconnected nouns, allowing each new entry to lead you to the next. Embrace the magic of accumulation, pondering the significance of each noun as it contributes to the evolving network.

Ant-sized objects, in the order received:

Ant, microchip, staple, pine needle, dimple, pebble, the ant’s twin, a one-to-one scale model of the ant, another ant of the same size, dust, crumb, fingernail, crumb, staple, mustard seed, the letter ‘I’ typed in 12-pt. font…. —Sawako Nakayasu, from "7.9.2003" in Texture Notes

[...] Are we, perhaps just here for saying: House, Bridge, Fountain, Gate, Jug, Fruit tree, Window,— possibly: Pillar, Tower? ... But for saying, remember, oh, for such saying as never the things themselves hoped so intensely to be... —Rainer Maria Rilke, "Ninth Diuno Elegy"

5. Mosses, Moss, and Me:

Explore a noun that has recently captivated your attention. Through a series of prompts, envision interactions with this noun, exploring its nuances and unveiling the potential.

Exploration of the Noun:

Nouns Approach: Envision three nouns approaching you during your daily routine. What activity are you engaged in? What words do these nouns speak or convey in their silent presence? Consider their desires or intentions.
One Noun Stays: Choose one noun that remains with you while the others depart. Delve into why this particular noun captivates you. What unique quality or connection does it hold that makes it linger?
Transport with the Noun: Imagine you and this chosen noun embarking on a journey using some form of transport. Where are you headed, and what unfolds along the way? Pose at least one intriguing question that adds depth to your imaginative exploration.
Arrival and Greeting: Upon reaching your destination, be greeted by more instances of the chosen noun. Describe the atmosphere—what does the air smell like? What newfound understanding, or perhaps confusion, does this encounter bring regarding the person, place, idea, or thing?

Post-Draft Reflections:

Research and Integration: Reflect on something intriguing or puzzling about your chosen noun. Conduct research to uncover a factual piece of information and weave it into your poem.
Seek External Perspectives: Reach out to someone in your life and inquire about their relationship or thoughts on the chosen noun. Include their name in your poem, incorporating external perspectives to enrich the layers of your writing.
Visual Representation of Movement: Recall the sensations and movements experienced during your imagined journey with the nouns. Explore ways to translate this experience visually onto the page, using formatting or spacing to evoke the same emotions.
Language Refinement: Identify three distinct places in your poem where you can enhance language specificity, surprise, or strangeness. Strive for a feeling akin to "a flashback that never existed," embracing the artistic challenge presented by Louise Bourgeois.

This act of assigning nouns is a wonderfully complex and playful process that can shift an entire poem.

Back at home, privately ensconced, I picked up where I'd left off in Gathering Moss:

A good number of the rocks around here have names, and people use them for reference points around the lake: Chair Rock, Gull Rock, Burnt Rock, Elephant Rock, Sliding Rock. Each name calls up a story, and connects us to the past and present of this place every time we say it. My daughters, being raised in a place where they simply assume that all rocks have names, christen their own: Bread Rock, Cheese Rock, Whale Rock, Reading Rock, Diving Rock. (2-3)

Later, having coffee on Zoom with Jenny, she told me one of the most salient takeaways for her from the book. "All this time I've been using the word moss," she said, "I was talking about mosses." This, too, has been blowing my mind. Now, seeing the glowing green fuzzy stuff, I think: mosses. So many of you. But enough about mosses for now...

Poems for Further Reading

In your poetic journey, let nouns guide your pen, summoning worlds and emotions onto the page. Embrace the magic they bring, and don't forget to share your creations with fellow word nerds and poetry enthusiasts.

Inspired by these prompts? Share your poems with us! Subscribe for more writing insights, and let's continue this magical journey through the captivating realm of nouns.

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