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Write a poem from the point of view of another person or object. It can be a friend, a family member, a celebrity—whoever, or whatever you like, fictional or nonfictional.

Writing persona poems allows the poet to wear a mask and speak from another’s shoes, with another’s tongue. In that way, the genre is wide open for experimenting with different voices in poetry. With a persona poem, the poet steps into the mind, or identity of another person, or thing, and speaks from that “persona.” It’s a fabulous genre of poetry to explore, especially as an early poet.

Persona poems can be incredibly powerful, but they can sometimes be offensive, too. It’s best to do some research to make sure the historical, social, and cultural contexts of one’s chosen persona are understood before one begins writing.

Please keep the following criteria in mind for the Persona Poem:

· The poem must be 16 lines or longer.

· Poem must be broken up into at least two stanzas. (See pages 23-29 in Starkey's Creative Writing.)

· Poem must include enjambment of at least two lines.

· Poem should be written in first-person (“I”).

· Title of poem should be persona’s name.

· Poem is single-spaced, uses Times New Roman, 12-point font, and has one-inch margins all around.