Winter Literature
Writing Prompts

701. A proverbial saying related to winter states that a rich man gets his ice in the summer and a poor man gets his in the winter. What do you think that means and why? What other things might a poor person not be entitled to that a rich person could have all year long?

702. In the 16th century, winter was used in literature as a symbol of old age. In what ways does winter make you think about aging? If you were writing a poem about winter, would you use winter to symbolize something different? Why or why not?

703. Shakespeare's play A Winter's Tale sets half of the play in the winter during the reign of the cold-hearted King Leontes. Do you think that some people act differently during the winter? Why or why not? Might these same people literally become warm emotionally during the warmer months? Why or why not?

704. The phrase lion in winter, used as the title of James Goldman's play The Lion in Winter, refers to a strong and important person who has become old and less important because of age and hardship. Do you think that you will get better with age? Why or why not? Why might it be tough to be strong when you reach a certain age?

705. Richard III, another Shakespearian play, refers to a time of unhappiness as "the winter of our discontent." Have you ever had a winter of discontent? If so, what made your winter so unhappy and why? If not, imagine and write about what you would have to do to get yourself out of a winter funk.

706. George Herbert, a poet famous for his pattern poems, once wrote that "every mile is two in winter." What might he mean literally and figuratively by that? What are some of the aspects of winter that seem long and why?

707. British poet Edith Sitwell wrote that winter is a time for home. Why do you think home is especially important during the winter? Imagine that you had to spend winter far away from home. How would it be different?

708. Anne Bradstreet, who wrote the first book by a woman that was published in the United States, wrote that "if we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant." Would you agree with that statement? Do we need to have the unhappy side of something in order to fully experience its happier side? Why or why not?

709. Writer and fiction editor for The New Yorker Katherine S. White, once wrote that one of the three gardens of winter was "the garden of the mind's eye." What might she mean by that? What are some of the things you might use your imagination for during the winter and why?