How to Write Surrealist Poetry

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Do a substitution poem.

   You can try a popular surrealist poetry prompt called “substitution” to get create your poem.
   
   This prompt requires you to use a source text, such as a poem that has already been published, your own poem, or another text that is at least one page long.
   
   You may use a source text like a medical text or an advertisement page as long as there is enough text on the page.Start by taking the source text and putting blanks in place of three to four words in each line.
   
   Note the part of speech of each word under each blank, such as “present tense verb” or “present tense adjective.” Then, fill in the blanks without trying to recall the original content.
   
   You can also use a dictionary to randomly flip to words for the blanks or a random parts of speech generator online.
   
   Another way you can do a substitution is to do a “7 up or 7 down”.
   
   You would count 7 up or 7 down from the first word of the sentence and substitute that word.
   
   You may follow the same 7 up or 7 down pattern in the poem to create a system of substitution or do both options at the same time in the source text.
   
   You can also approach a substitution prompt by replacing words in the source text with words that exist in the text already.
   
   You may increase the number of words you replace in each line as you go through the text or decrease the number of words you replace.
2. 2

   Step 2: Create a collage poem.

   A collage poem, also called a cento poem, is made of phrases that have been lifted or sourced from other texts.
   
   You may use one source text or multiple source texts, such as magazines, advertisements, manuals, dictionaries, blogs, or newspapers.
   
   You could then pull one line from each source to create a collage poem.Another way you can make a collage poem is to actually cut out the words in the source texts and paste them on to another page.
   
   You may choose a specific order for the cut out words or position them on the page at random., This prompt is ideal if you are looking for ways to pull source material from things you hear.
   
   The idea is to write down things you mishear throughout the day, such as song lyrics, conversations, news headlines, menu items, and public service announcements.You may sit in a public place, such as a busy park or a shopping plaza, and write down things you hear around you.
   
   Don’t worry about getting the details right, as you want to try to include things you mishear or words you hear incorrectly around you.
   
   You may then compile a list of misheard words and phrases from the day and position them in the form of a poem.
   
   You may repeat certain misheard words throughout the poem to create a pattern or organize them by the misheard words from the beginning of the day to misheard words at the end of the day. , Another popular surrealist poetry prompt is doing playful “translations” of an existing text.
   
   You may take a published poem or a poem by a friend and translate it.
   
   You could also use a poem of your own, though you may find it challenging to distance yourself enough from the material to translate it.Start by translating the poem from “English to English” by substituting a word for a word, a phrase for a phrase, and a line for a line.
   
   Create your own substitutions or use a dictionary to find synonyms for the existing words.
   
   You can also try translating the poem into another literary form, such as translating a sonnet into a free verse poem or a rhyming poem into a shape poem.
   
   You could also translate the poem into a different language, introducing slang or vernacular into the poem. , You can try using the English alphabet as a prompt for a surrealist poem.
   
   This is a fun prompt that seems simple but can lead to some interesting results, especially if you want to write a long form poem.You can start by writing down all 26 letters of the alphabet.
   
   Then, write a poem where each words begins with the letters of the alphabet, in sequence.
   
   For example, “A Baby Cow Died Every Friday…” You can also try starting each line of the poem with the letters of the alphabet, in sequence.
   
   Once you have written the alphabet poem following the alphabet in sequence, you can try going backwards or scrambling the letter order and writing a new poem with the new order. , You can find inspiration for your surrealist poetry by reading well known examples of the genre.
   
   Some of these surrealist poets use poetry prompts and some use word games.
   
   Several examples include: “Three Centos” by Kate Fagan.Jack Sweeney’s translation of Donne’s “Love's Deity.”Soliloquy by Kenneth Goldsmith.“Alphabet Poem” by Edward Lear.
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   Step 3: Make a “misheard” poem.

4. 4

   Step 4: Do a “translation” of someone else’s poem.

5. 5

   Step 5: Make an alphabet poem.

6. 6

   Step 6: Read examples of surrealist poetry.

Detailed Guide

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