This poem is part of the NaPoWriMo 2024 challenge to write a poem a day in April. This is the prompt for April 12.
Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a poem that plays with the idea of a “tall tale.” American tall tales feature larger-than-life characters like Paul Bunyan (who is literally larger than life), Bulltop Stormalong (also gigantic), and Pecos Bill (apparently normal-sized, but he doesn’t let it slow him down). If you’d like to see a modern poetic take on the tall tale, try Jennifer L. Knox’s hilarious poem, “Burt Reynolds FAQ.” Your poem can revolve around a mythical character, one you make up entirely, or add fantastical elements into a real person’s biography.
Ogden Nash, the wordsmith playful and sly, Lived a life as strange as his verses. With mischief in his eyes, he roamed with delight, An insatiable hunger for laughter. Legend whispers of a gnome, so jolly and kind, Bestowing a quill of enchantment. With a stroke of his pen, ordin…