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It’s Tuesday, and the dVerse Poets Pub is open with snacks and beverages from our well-stocked bar, as well as a selection of delicious poetry.  I’m Kim from writinginnorthnorfolk.com, your host for this week’s Poetics.

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But first an announcement about the dVerse Anthology. You can be a part of it!

Call for Poetry Submissions: Krisis: Poetry at the Crossroads (Working Title)

In celebration of our 15th anniversary in 2026, dVerse Poets Pub invites poets from around the globe to contribute to our upcoming anthology, Krisis: Poetry at the Crossroads. Rooted in the Greek word krisis, meaning a pivotal decision point, we seek poems that explore moments of transformation, choice, and change.

Submission Period: April 1, 2025 – June 30, 2025

Full details here. https://dversepoets.com/coming-soon-2026-anthology/

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I’ve recently been rereading some of Philip Larkin’s poems, which I had forgotten are so addictive, and thinking about how he often begins with surprising lines that hook the reader.

Portrait by Fay Godwin, from Wikipedia

In ‘This Be The Verse’, the direct language is, at first, shocking (I’ve asterisked out the swear word in case it offends):

“They f*** you up, your mum and dad. 
They may not mean to, but they do.”

Martin Jennings’ statue of Philip Larkin (2007),
Hull Paragon Interchange station, from Wikipedia

In ‘The Mower’ the image is a surprise:

“The mower stalled, twice; kneeling, I found
A hedgehog jammed up against the blades,  
Killed. It had been in the long grass.”

In ‘Aubade’ it’s the honesty that grabs you: “I work all day, and get half-drunk at night.”

And it was while reading ‘The Trees’, a poem that really speaks to me and describes spring beautifully, that I noticed how a gentle surprise can be just as successful a hook:

“The trees are coming into leaf
Like something almost being said”.

You can read the poem in its entirety here.

Your challenge is to write a poem that starts with a surprising hook, which can be one to three lines, but must develop into a fully-fledged poem.

It can be on any of the topics in the Larkin poems I have given as examples: parents, a mower, a day in your life, trees; or a topic of your choice. The style and form of your poem are up to you. I would just like you to hook us on your opening lines (pun intended).

If you are new to dVerse and/or Poetics, here’s how to join in:

  • Write a poem in response to the challenge;
  • Enter a link directly to your poem and your name by clicking Mr Linky below;
  • There you will find links to other poets, and more will join, so check back for their poems;
  • Read and comment on other poets’ work – we all come here to have our poems appreciated;
  • Please link back to dVerse from your site/blog;
  • Comment and participate in our discussion below, if you like. We are a friendly bunch of poets.
  • Have fun.