Dylan’s Animals Creative Writing Prompts

Dylan Thomas featured all kinds of animals and birds in his writing, including octopus, ravens, foxes, cats and slugs! Here are some prompts to help you get started on writing your own animal-inspired poems and stories.

Imagine you are an owl flying across the landscape. What do you see below you? What are you looking for? Describe yourself swooping down to catch your prey!

Dylan Thomas wrote about the herons in the estuary at Laugharne. Imagine you are a heron, and describe what you see as you look towards the shore. You can even include in your description the poet on the shore writing about you!

If you could be any animal at all, what would it be and why? What would a typical day be like in the life of this animal? What could you hear, see, smell, taste and touch? How do you move? What do you eat? Where do you live and sleep?

What would happen if you took the front half of one animal and the bottom half of another, and combined them to make an entirely new animal! Which animals would you choose? Describe the characteristics of the new animal. What would it eat? How would it move? How does it communicate?

Don’t forget to share your finished work with us!
Email dylanthomas.lit@swansea.gov.uk or share on Twitter @DTCSwansea and Facebook – facebook.com/DylanThomasCentre

This post is also available in: Welsh