Summary

The website content is an invitation for writers to participate in POMprompt #22, which challenges them to write a poem that vividly describes the view from their window, aiming to evoke the reader's sensory experience of the writer's environment and mood.

Abstract

The POMprompt #22 challenge, titled "What’s Out Your Window?" encourages poets to craft poems that capture the essence of their current view, whether it be weather, scenery, or a metaphorical reflection. The author, based in North Carolina, expresses a yearning for snow amidst unrelenting rain and uses this as a springboard for the prompt. Participants are urged to make their descriptions tangible, allowing readers to feel as if they are sharing the experience. The prompt also suggests seeking inspiration from classic literature and poetry about weather and seasons, offering links to resources and examples of window-themed poetry from renowned poets like Carl Sandburg, Edith Wharton, and Robert Frost. Writers are instructed to publish their poems with the POMprompt tag and link back to the prompt.

Opinions

The author finds the constant view from their window oppressive and isolating due to being stuck inside for an extended period.
There is an appreciation for the beauty and inspiration that can be found in the simple act of observing the view from a window.
The author expresses a desire for the nostalgia of winter weather, specifically snow, contrasting it with the dreariness of continuous rain.
The prompt emphasizes the importance of descriptive writing and sensory imagery in poetry, suggesting it as an opportunity for writers to hone these skills.
The author sees windows as both a literal and metaphorical source of inspiration for writers, suggesting a deeper contemplation of what windows represent in poetry and life.

POMprompt

POMprompt # 22 — What’s Out Your Window?

Can you make us feel it?

The view outside my front window. Author’s photo.

Hello POMpoets! How’s the weather where you are? Here in NC it has been unseasonably rainy and gray. I am longing for some of the white and wintery weather that is wreaking havoc across the US. Not the power outages, mind you, but at least a few snowflakes would be much more nostalgic than this dreary rain. Today, we are under a winter weather warning because much of this rain will ice in the trees and likely cause downed trees and massive power outages.

Which brings me to today’s POMprompt. As I’ve been stuck inside for over a week, the view outside my window has remained rather constant. It becomes oppressive and isolating. I find myself wondering what you are seeing out your window?

This POMprompt is simple: Write your own poem depicting the view outside your window in such a way that you make your reader experience it as if they were there with you. Make it real. Make us see and feel what your view is to your eyes and your mood. This is a great opportunity to work on your descriptive writing and your sensory imagery.

Take it a step further and read something classic on this topic — whether a book, a poem, or a few literature quotes. Search for poetry about weather and seasons, scenery and the like, right here on Medium or across the web to see what you find. (If you find something great and want to share — leave the link in the comments! Or share the link to your POMprompt response in the comments!)

Windows can also be quite metaphorical. Another consideration .Visit the window that poetry can often be and tell us what you see and what you find to inspire you today. What bounty of inspiration?

Directions for how to POMprompt can be found here.

The view outside my back window. Author’s photo.

Below are some things to get you inspired!

Night from a railroad car window Is a great, dark, soft thing Broken across with slashes of light.

Carl Sandburg

“Set wide the window. Let me drink the day.” ― Edith Wharton, Artemis to Actaeon and Other Verses

Tree At My Window

Tree at my window, window tree, My sash is lowered when night comes on; But let there never be curtain drawn Between you and me.

Vague dream head lifted out of the ground, And thing next most diffuse to cloud, Not all your light tongues talking aloud Could be profound.

— Excerpt, Robert Frost

“I discovered windows one afternoon and after that, nothing was ever the same.” ― Anne Spollen, The Shape of Water

One little wandering, western star Thrust out from the changing shores of shadow. Let me go to the window, Watch there the day-shapes of dusk And wait and know the coming Of a little love.

— Excerpt, At a Window

BY CARL SANDBURG

“We all live in a house on fire, no fire department to call; no way out, just the upstairs window to look out of while the fire burns the house down with us trapped, locked in it.” ― Tennessee Williams, The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore

Fresh warm breeze in the window, day’s release from pain, cars float downside the bridge trestle and uncounted building-wall windows multiplied a mile deep into ash-delicate sky beguile my empty mind. A seagull passes alone wings spread silent over roofs.

— Excerpt, Hospital Window by Allen Ginsberg

“Standing there are walls and windows, staring at me.” ― Suman Pokhrel

Now — onward window gazers!

Remember to:

Put the LINK FOR THIS POMPROMPT at the bottom of your post.
Publish wherever you like
Use POMprompt as one of your 5 tags.

We look forward to your entries :) Christina M. Ward (and co-editor Samantha Lazar)