"The poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling,
Doth glance from heaven to Earth, from Earth to heaven,
And as imagination bodies forth
The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen
Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing
A local habitation and a name."
(Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, 5.1)

Greetings, writers all!

Hungry for a little literary inspiration? Need a boost for the ol' muse? Feel like "fanfic writer" works just as well as "poet" in the Shakespeare quote above?

I've collected twenty-five poems by various Anglophone poets* of various eras and backgrounds. Some are shorter and some longer (but none overly long), some are straightforward and some more convoluted, some are famous and some less so. Choose a number, and I'll PM you a poem. Then you write a fanfic (SW or non) that is in some way inspired by the poem—by its overall theme, by a certain turn of phrase, whatever you like.

When you're done, post a link here in the thread, and I'll add your story to the index. There's no competition, no deadline, no voting, no colors. It's all just for fun. (And I'd love it if someone could choose a number for me, too!)

*I hope no one is offended by this choice; it was made purely for practical reasons, to enable maximum participation. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least partly influenced by recent forum discussions about translated poetry.

Index
NOTE as of October 10, 2016: Several poems are now available again, because I've pruned this list based on responses on continued interest (see this post; some folks responded via PM too). For purposes of record keeping, I've placed the names of those who originally received those poems in the spoiler below.

1. Alexis_Wingstar
2. brodiew
3. Ewok Poet: She's Gone
4. Chyntuck
5. aleja2: Beauty Enough
6. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: Nagina/Lor San Tekka entry in Mellow, Meaningful, & Tender Remembrances
7. earlybird-obi-wan: Lost and Found
8.
9. NobodyIX: A Light in the Dark
10. TheRynJedi
11. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: Chance Encounter
12. Ewok Poet: Night, Day and the Hues In-Between
13. Raissa Baiard
14. Admiral Volshe: Home
15.
16. Findswoman: Hoses, Masks, and Canisters
17. Mira_Jade: With a Second Hand (NSWFF: Hamilton)
18. Annia Piet: Like Stone
19.
20. Kahara
21. leiamoody: Epiphany
22. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: A Heart Full of Gratitude
23. Shira A'dola: I Rise
24.
25. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: A New Perspective

Spoiler: Names of previous holders of numbers

Note: If you are on this list, not to worry! Should at some point in the future still decide to write a story based on the poem you received, it can still be listed in the index. If you feel you are on this list in error, please let me know.
1. Jade_Pilot
2. SeparatistSympathizer
8. Lazy K
9. K'Tai qel Letta-Tanku
12. Viridian-Maiden
13. Ceillean
15. SabyneAmberle
19. Pandora
20. JadeLotus
24. Lady_Skywalker87

 

What a great idea!

I'll have number 20 please.

 

Number 13 please

 

I'll give this a try, especially since I'm in a lull in my RPG storyline and I want to keep the creative juices flowing.

Lucky number 8, please.

Code:

Python 2.7.6 (default, Nov 10 2013, 19:24:18) [MSC v.1500 32 bit (Intel)] on win32
Type "copyright", "credits" or "license()" for more information.
>>> import random
>>> random.randint(1, 25)
16

16 it is for you!

 

Number 11?

 

Ceillean took my number.

I'll take number 15 instead.

 

3, please!

Not offended by Anglophone poets, plus you can always run a second round with non-anglophone poets in 2016.

 

4 please!

 

All right, index updated and poems sent!

By the way, PM and post formatting has been acting a little oddly on my laptop recently. If you see an "Enjoy! " or similar at the end of your poem PM and it's attached to the bottom of the poem, please note that it is NOT part of the poem. I don't know why my carriage returns aren't being seen.

jcgoble3, thanks for choosing for me. Wow, that's going to be a really intense one.

Ewok Poet, not a bad idea... though they might end up being in English translation.

 

That's what I meant, as otherwise people would not be able to know what they're writing about.

I have an idea. I think Chyntuck will be particularly fond of what I came up with. CAN'T BELIEVE I WILL BE WRITING ROMANCE OTHER THAN L/T. O_O

EDIT: I'm done.

http://boards.theforce.net/threads/...uv-february-15th-2015.50026496/#post-52214300

 

23 if you please?

 

I'll have no. 19.

 

OK, poems sent and list updated, including the addition of Ewok Poet 's story—wow, that was fast!

Glad to see this is taking off!

 

12 please.

 

Hi The Sith Camp and welcome to the JC forums and to fanfic!

We're happy for you to share your fanfic with us, but this is a challenge thread where you request a number and get a prompt, you then post in the story board threads. If you would like to post your story/poem, please do so in the story board section of the fourms, you can find the link at the top.
If you have any questions, please feel free to send me (mavjade) or Briannakin a message!

 

Findswoman - do you know how blessed we are to have you and Chyntuck around? Just. Sheer. Blessed. #25, please.

 

Poems sent and index updated—thank you all!

And Nyota's Heart, the feeling is mutual.

 

I can haz 21, yes?

 

Yes, u most certainly can haz 21! Sent and updated.

By the way, if anyone out there doesn't like the poem they got and would prefer to try a different one, just let me know, and we can do a swap.

 

I'd like number 9, please and thank you!

 

I like number 7 please

 

My response is up in Beyond, L/M-- natch, because they are really toppers, and Mara fit this poem superbly!

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/threads/a-new-perspective-poetry-challenge-response-l-m.50028632/] A New Perspective [/link]

 

If it's not too late, and if the number isn't taken, may I have 5? What a cool idea!

 

Fantastic idea, can I have 18 please?