Archives of Past Promots
Spring 2008
Poetry Writing Prompt for Spring: Punny Poems
A pun is a play on words. Sometimes a one word has two or more meanings:
Johnny: “That pig needs a new pen.”
Sarah: “Why, is it dirty?”
Johnny: “No, but it’s running out of ink!”
You can use a play on words to make jokes (better than mine, I hope) or to be silly. Homonyms are also good for puns – they sound alike, but have different spellings and meanings. Try working a pun into a poem, like the letter I mistaken for human eyes, in the poem “Alphabet Soup.”
Alphabet Soup
Give me a literary lunch,
A bowl of consonants to crunch.
I want alphabet soup!
Edible B’s won’t buzz at me. Slimy, gooey eyes can’t see
Because they are part of the recipe.
I want alphabet soup!
Squishy noodle S to slurp, W’s that make me burp,
Spelling silly words like “twerp,”
I want alphabet soup!
Top it off with a sip of T, then it’s time to catch some Z’s.
Nothing left but a few green P’s.
I want alphabet soup!