Anagram Writing Prompt
Discover something new
Our writing group alternates between workshops and generative nights where we share prompts. Since we take turns hosting, I’ve had the opportunity to write several of these and since I always get a lot out of exercises and prompts I thought I’d share some of them with you.
What is an anagram?
If you’ve ever played scrabble, unscramble, or a host of other word games, you’re probably familiar with the concept of an anagram.
Simply put, an anagram takes a given group of letters (usually from another word or phrase) and rearranges them into a different word or phrase.
Anagrams can use all or only some of the letters of the original phrase.
Why use anagrams in poetry?
I’m always in favor of play in exercises and prompts. I want to be pushed outside my comfort zone to make new discoveries. This is the joy of art.
But more specifically, this prompt was inspired by the poet Chen Chen and his poem “Chen [No Middle Name] Chen.” This poem uses anagrams to discuss names—what we’re called and what we call ourselves. By using anagrams, Chen gives his work additional interest: everything he’s been called is made out of his own substance. If every word in the poem is from his own name (including his lack of name), then each of these names is a part of him and his story, even the disparaging and cruel ones.
Anagrams allow us to draw new connections out of the same material. If you feel like you’re writing about one topic, try an anagram. If you’re trying to get out of your head, try an anagram.
Anagram Prompt
Write a title of your choice and use the title to find anagrams, then use the anagrams to form a poem. You can construct an entire poem out of anagrams or use anagrams thorughout the poem as anchor words. You can be very strict about it, or let the anagrams guide you.
If no particular phrase comes to mind, you can use your full name as Chen Chen does and discover new possiblities.
These sites generate anagrams so you don’t have to do that part on your own.
https://www.wordplays.com/anagrammer
What possibilities can you discover from the material you normally work with—or the material you have inside yourself?
Feel free to share anagrams of your name that you discovered (you don’t need to share your full name)!