Mini-Essays on Form and Device
One of the things that distinguishes us from other litmags is that we’re a continually growing resource for writers and editors, and we’re always looking for ways to reach out to all members of our community to be a part of that growth. Stet, the Magazine is primarily a literary magazine for writers and editors of creative writing, but we also have opportunities for analytical writers.
In our Poetry and Prose Resources section, you’ll find dozens of poetic and literary devices and poetry forms that are not yet defined, explained, or illustrated with examples. Instead of just handing our writers and editors textbook definitions, we’re asking high school writers, editors, and analytical minds to write accessible, creative, and informative mini-essays (300-500 words). Pick a single literary/poetic device or form, show us how it works, and explain why it matters.
To get some sense of what we’re thinking, if you click on alliteration on the poetic and literary devices page, you’ll find a mini essay on alliteration that explores the device at play in a paragraph from James Joyce’s long short story, “The Dead.”
Guidelines for mini-essays on Poetic/Literary Devices
- Select a poetic/literary device (e.g., enjambment, assonance, juxtaposition, chiasmus, etc.).
- Define the device in your own words.
- Find a Public Domain Example (classic poems or works that are published before 1931). If you use a modern or contemporary poem include only a minimal excerpt (typically under 3 lines). Limiting your selection to a small snippet keeps our magazine safely covered under educational Fair Use guidelines.
- Write your mini-essay. In 300–500 words*, explain the function/value of the device in your own words. Don’t just tell us where the device is and how to find it—tell us how the sound, pace, or focus affects your example.
- Submit your mini-essay through Submission Manager (under submission genre select: poetic/literary devices essays?
* (word count does not include the words in your example)
Guidelines for mini-essays on mini-essays on Poetry Forms
- Select a poetry form (villanelle, golden shovel, pantoum, sestina, etc.)
- Define the form in your own words.
- Find a Public Domain Example (classic poems or works that are published before 1931). If you use a modern or contemporary poem include only a minimal excerpt (typically under 3 lines). Limiting your selection to a small snippet keeps our magazine safely covered under educational Fair Use guidelines.
- Write your mini essay. In 300-500 words*, define the poetry form in your own words using your example as a guide.
- Submit your mini-essay through Submission Manager (under submission genre select: poetic/literary devices essays).
* (word count does not include the words in your example)