Prompt #121 – Weathering the Weather

We don’t have to be meteorologists to have an interest in the weather, and we all talk about the weather often enough (for some, it may be the easiest topic of conversation). Weather certainly happens to all of us, making it something that all people have in common. Weather may not be the only determinant for our emotions and moods, but it does seem to play a role, and it really can affect our thoughts and productivity. People who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) experience moods very strongly associated with the weather. Think about it: how do you feel on a rainy day, on a sunny day, on a snowy day, and when severe weather is in the forecast?

This year there has been an abundance of rain in my corner of the world. A hot, humid summer, and days of rain again this week with unseasonably warm temps, and high humidity (just as I was ready for some crisp, clear autumn air). With global warming, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods so often in the news, I thought it might be interesting to write about weather conditions and how they make us feel. Extending that thought, I wondered how we might use “weather” to write poems that go beyond the obvious. That’s this week’s challenge!

Suggestions:

Write a poem about a specific event that you associate with a particular weather condition (something that happened during a rainstorm, a snowstorm, a sunny day, or any other weather). 

Create symbolic and metaphorical meanings. Write a poem in which you use “weather” as an extended metaphor.

We’ve all heard the old phrase “weathering a storm.” Think of “weather” as a verb rather than as a noun. What experiences or “storms” have you “weathered?” Write a poem not about an actual weather condition but, rather, about an experience that had a considerable effect on your life (emotional, spiritual, a trying time, a test of faith, etc.). How did you “weather" that storm?

Write a poem in which you use weather imagery to set tone and mood.

Write a poem about a “wind” that blew into your life to challenge or inspire you.

Write a poem in which you describe the “weather” of your love life.

Compare yourself (or someone else) to a particular weather (sunshine, rain, snow, tornado, hurricane, typhoon).

Write a “weather forecast” poem for something in your life (relationship, job, friendship, etc.).

For an added challenge, write a poem entitled “Whether or Weather.”

Remember to give your poem room to “breathe,” to go where it needs to go; and leave some spaces for readers to fill in.

Examples:

"My Weather" by Jane Hirshfield

"Weather" by Hettie Jones

"Weather" by Clarence Major

"The Weather Shifts" by Arthur Sze

"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Sara Teasdale

"Photo of My Father in a Snowbound Train" by David Wojahn (Audio)

"The Rain" by Robert Creeley

"April Rain Song" by Langston Hughes

"Why It Often Rains in the Movies" by Lawrence Raab

"Snow" by Naomi Shihab Nye

"Spellbound" by Emily Bronte

"Love in the Weather's Bells" by Jay Wright