WHAT IS A PREFIX?
Prefixes are words that are added onto the beginning of words to change their meaning. Words like Fore (foresee, foreshadow, etc.), or Mis (misfortune, mistake) are prefixes. Click here for a full list of prefixes for inspiration when you’re writing your prefix poem.
WHAT IS A PREFIX POEM?
The rules are simple.
- Start with a prefix for the title.
- Begin the first verse of the poem with that same prefix.
- Add more verses that begin with a different prefix.
- Each verse is related to the theme of the poem and builds upon the poems meaning.
- The poem can be about any subject and any length.
You can learn more about the form and poet, Idra Novey, as she tells readers in an interview how she went about creating her prefix poem. It is an interesting story. The creation of Trans was quite a process! As a poet and word lover, I’m grateful for the gift and the challenge of the form.
Can’t get enough? Read a prefix poem by Danna Smith here where she uses the prefix DIS to write about dandelion wishes and superstition.
