Prompt #151 – Personal Ad Poem

In journalism, the personals section is comprised of brief, private notices in newspapers or magazines. Typically printed in a special part of the classified advertising section, “personals” are sometimes addressed to a particular person and are sometimes “coded” to provide confidentiality. In most media, the personals section is a place for people to connect. People  list their positive attributes, best qualities, and/or interests, along with contact information in the hope of meeting a significant other or just making friends with a similar-minded someone. Online dating sites have eclipsed the old personal columns to some extent, but they’re still found in many newspapers. For this prompt, write a poem for the personals sections of a newspaper. Have fun with this! 

Tips:

Begin with a persona (either your actual persona or a fictional one).

Try beginning with the word “You” in the title (headline) to engage the reader. 

Include something like this: Unknown poet seeks appreciative and nonjudgmental reader who can read between the lines.

Ask a question, again engaging the reader.

Note your gender and age. Tell what's important to you.

If you're writing about yourself, be honest, but step out of your box a little.

List your attributes (be sure to exaggerate). Show the personality in the ad, don't tell about it.

Address the reader with a challenge to think about something that requires use of his or her imagination. i.e., Imagine ______________. 

Describe the person you'd like to meet.

Example:

"Personals" by C. D. Wright