Writing Prompts with Percy Bysshe Shelley

 

STARS
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For today's writing prompts, I'm happy to bring you an old, but sparkly poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley.  I hope you enjoy, "To Jane:  The Keen Stars Were Twinkling."  Read the poem and then you can you try the prompts based on the poem below. 

To Jane: The Keen Stars Were Twinkling by Percy Bysshe Shelley

     The keen stars were twinkling,
And the fair moon was rising among them,
        Dear Jane!
     The guitar was tinkling,
But the notes were not sweet till you sung them
        Again.

     As the moon's soft splendour
O'er the faint cold starlight of Heaven
        Is thrown,
     So your voice most tender
To the strings without soul had then given
        Its own.

     The stars will awaken,
Though the moon sleep a full hour later,
        Tonight;
     No leaf will be shaken
Whilst the dews of your melody scatter
        Delight.

     Though the sound overpowers,
Sing again, with your dear voice revealing
        A tone
     Of some world far from ours,
Where music and moonlight and feeling
        Are one.

"To Jane: The Keen Stars Were Twinkling" by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Public domain.

1.  Poetry Prompt:  Start a poem with this line, "Over the faint starlight of heaven comes. . . "

2.  Fiction Writing Prompt:  Write an opening scene from a story that starts in a scene, "Where the music and moonlight and feeling are one." 

3.  Creative nonfiction Prompt:  Write about a memory you shared with someone looking at the stars or the moon.   

A Hilltop in Italy

On this day back in 1886, the first batch of Coca-Cola was brewed in Gerogia in John Pemberton's backyard.  This commercial is from 1971 when young people assembled together on a hilltop in Italy to sing out for the Coca-Cola company.  Does anybody out there remember? 

Okay, so I will admit, this made me a bit teary. 

In honor of this being Coca-Cola's birthday, your prompts are based on beverages today.

Poetry Prompt:  Write an ode to your favorite beverage.

Fiction Prompt:  What is your character's favorite beverage?  What out a scene about a character's memory  that is associated with the beverage. 

Creative Nonfiction Prompt:  Believe it or not, my first publication was not poetry.  It was a piece of creative nonfiction I wrote in college called "Coke Girls."  It was based on memories of drinking Coca-Cola with my best friend at our neighbors' house.  Our neighbors were an elderly couple who served us Cokes and had wonderful conversations with us on their back porch.  Do you have memories of sharing visits while drinking something?  Write about one.