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101 Poetry Prompts & Ideas for Writing Poems

Not sure what to write a poem about? Here’s 101 poetry prompts to get you started!

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These poetry prompts are designed to help you keep a creative writing practice. If you’re staring at a blank page and the words aren’t flowing, the creative writing prompts for poems can be a great way to get started!

New for 2023! Due to popular demand, I created a printable, ad-free version of these poetry prompts you can download to use at home or even in the classroom! Get them at our Etsy Shop .

Even if poetry isn’t your thing, you could always use these things to inspire other writing projects. Essays, journal entries, short stories, and flash fiction are just a few examples of ways this list can be used.

You may even find this list of creative poetry writing prompts helpful as an exercise to build your skills in descriptive writing and using metaphors!

Let’s get onto the list, shall we?

Here are 101 Poetry Prompts for Creative Writing

Most of these creative writing ideas are simple and open-ended. This allows you total creative freedom to write from these poetry prompts in your own unique style, tone, and voice.

If one poetry idea doesn’t appeal to you, challenge yourself to find parallels between the prompt and things that you do enjoy writing about!

1.The Untouchable : Something that will always be out of reach

2. 7 Days, 7 Lines : Write a poem where each line/sentence is about each day of last week

3. Grandma’s Kitchen : Focus on a single memory, or describe what you might imagine the typical grandmother’s kitchen to be like

4. Taste the Rainbow : What does your favorite color taste like?

5. Misfits: How it feels when you don’t belong in a group of others.

6. Stranger Conversations : Start the first line of your poem with a word or phrase from a recent passing conversation between you and someone you don’t know.

7. On the Field : Write from the perspective of a sports ball {Baseball, Soccer, Football, Basketball, Lacrosse, etc.} – think about what the sports ball might feel, see, hear, think, and experience with this poetry idea!

8. Street Signs: Take note of the words on signs and street names you pass while driving, walking, or riding the bus. Write a poem starting with one of these words you notice.

9. Cold water: What feelings do you associate with cold water? Maybe it’s a refreshing cold glass of water on a hot day, or maybe you imagine the feelings associated with being plunged into the icy river in the winter.

10. Ghostwriter: Imagine an invisible ghost picks up a pen and starts writing to you.

11. Lessons From Math Class: Write about a math concept, such as “you cannot divide by zero” or never-ending irrational numbers.

12. Instagram Wall: Open up either your own Instagram account or one of a friend/celebrity and write poetry based on the first picture you see.

13. Radio: Tune in to a radio station you don’t normally listen to, and write a poem inspired by the the first song or message you hear.

14. How To : Write a poem on how to do something mundane most people take for granted, such as how to tie your shoes, how to turn on a lamp, how to pour a cup of coffee.

15. Under 25 Words : Challenge yourself to write a poem that is no more than 25 words long.

16. Out of Order: Write about your feelings when there is an out of order sign on a vending machine.

17. Home Planet: Imagine you are from another planet, stuck on earth and longing for home.

18. Uncertainty : Think about a time in your life when you couldn’t make a decision, and write based on this.

19. Complete : Be inspired by a project or task be completed – whether it’s crossing something off the never-ending to-do list, or a project you have worked on for a long time.

20. Compare and Contrast Personality : What are some key differences and similarities between two people you know?

21. Goodbyes : Write about a time in your life you said goodbye to someone – this could be as simple as ending a mundane phone conversation, or harder goodbyes to close friends, family members, or former partners.

22. Imagine Weather Indoors : Perhaps a thunderstorm in the attic? A tornado in the kitchen?

23. Would You Rather? Write about something you don’t want to do, and what you would rather do instead.

24. Sound of Silence : Take some inspiration from the classic Simon & Garfunkel song and describe what silence sounds like.

25. Numbness : What’s it like to feel nothing at all?

26. Fabric Textures : Use different fiber textures, such as wool, silk, and cotton as a poetry writing prompt.

27. Anticipation : Write about the feelings you experience or things you notice while waiting for something.

28. Poison: Describe something toxic and its effects on a person.

29. Circus Performers: Write your poetry inspired by a circus performer – a trapeze artist, the clowns, the ringmaster, the animal trainers, etc.

30. Riding on the Bus : Write a poem based on a time you’ve traveled by bus – whether a school bus, around town, or a long distance trip to visit a certain destination.

31. Time Freeze : Imagine wherever you are right now that the clock stops and all the people in the world are frozen in place. What are they doing?

32. The Spice of Life : Choose a spice from your kitchen cabinet, and relate its flavor to an event that has happened recently in your daily life.

33. Parallel Universe : Imagine you, but in a completely different life based on making a different decision that impacted everything else.

34. Mad Scientist : Create a piece based on a science experiment going terribly, terribly wrong.

35. People You Have Known : Make each line about different people you have met but lost contact with over the years. These could be old friends, passed on family, etc.

36. Last Words : Use the last sentence from the nearest book as the inspiration for the first line of your poem.

37. Fix This : Think about something you own that is broken, and write about possible ways to fix it. Duct tape? A hammer and nails?

38. Suspicion : Pretend you are a detective and you have to narrow down the suspects.

39. Political News : Many famous poets found inspiration from the current politics in their time. Open up a newspaper or news website, and create inspired by the first news article you find.

40. The Letter D : Make a list of 5 words that start with all with the same letter, and then use these items throughout the lines of your verse. {This can be any letter, but for example sake: Daisy, Dishes, Desk, Darkness, Doubt}

41. Quite the Collection : Go to a museum, or look at museum galleries online. Draw your inspiration from collections of objects and artifacts from your favorite display. Examples: Pre-historic days, Egyptians, Art Galleries, etc.

42. Standing in Line : Think of a time you had to stand in line for something. Maybe you were waiting in a check-out line at the store, or you had to stand in line to enter a concert or event.

43. Junk Mail Prose: Take some inspiration from your latest junk mail. Maybe it’s a grocery store flyer announcing a sale on grapes, or an offer for a credit card.

44. Recipe : Write your poem in the form of a recipe. This can be for something tangible, such as a cake, or it can be a more abstract concept such as love or happiness. List ingredients and directions for mixing and tips for cooking up your concept to perfection.

45. Do you like sweaters? Some people love their coziness, others find them scratchy and too hot. Use your feelings about sweaters in a poem.

46. After Party : What is it like after all party guests go home?

47. Overgrown : Use  Little Shop of Horrors  for inspiration, or let your imagination run wild on what might happen if a plant or flower came to life or started spreading rapidly to take over the world.

48. Interference: Write a poem that is about someone or something coming in between you and your goals.

49. On Shaky Ground: Use an earthquake reference or metaphor in your poem.

50. Trust Issues : Can you trust someone you have doubted in the past?

51. Locked in a Jar: Imagine you are a tiny person, who has been captured and put into a jar for display or science.

52. Weirder Than Fiction: Think of the most unbelievable moment in your life, and write a poem about the experience.

53. Fast Food: Write a poem about fast food restaurants and experiences.

54. Unemployed: Write a poem about quitting or being fired from a job you depended on.

55. Boxes: What kinds of family secrets or stories might be hiding in that untouched box in the attic?

56. No One Understands : Write about what it feels like when no one understands or agrees with your opinion.

57. Criminal Minds : Write a poem from the perspective of a high-profile criminal who is always on the run from law enforcement.

58. Marathon Runner : Write a poem about what training you might be doing to accomplish a difficult challenge in your life.

59. Trapped : Write about an experience that made you feel trapped.

60. Passing the Church : Write a poem about noticing something interesting while passing by a church near your home.

61. Backseat Driver: Write about what it’s like to be doing something in your life and constantly being criticized while trying to move ahead.

62. Luster: Create a descriptive poem about something that has a soft glow or sheen to it.

63. Clipboard: Write a poem about someone who is all business like and set in their ways of following a system.

64. Doctor: Write a poem about receiving advice from a doctor.

65. First Car : Write an ode to your first car

66. Life Didn’t Go As a Planned : Write about a recent or memorable experience when nothing went according to plan.

67. Architect : Imagine you are hired to design a building for a humanitarian cause you are passionate about.

68. The Crazy Cat Hoarder : Write about someone who owns far too many cats.

69. Queen : Write a poem from the perspective of a queen.

70. Movie Character : Think of a recent movie you watched, and create a poem about one character specifically, or an interaction between two characters that was memorable.

71. Potential Energy : Write about an experience where you had a lot of potential for success, but failed.

72. Moonlight : Write about an experience in the moonlight.

73. Perfection : Write about trying to always keep everything perfect.

74. You Are Wrong : Write a poem where you tell someone they are wrong and why.

75. Sarcasm : Write a poem using sarcasm as a form of illustrating your point.

76. Don’t Cry : Write a poem about how not to cry when it’s hard to hold back the tears.

77. Listen Up: Write a poem telling someone they are better than they think they are.

78. Flipside : Find the good in something terrible.

79. Maybe They Had a Reason : Write a poem about someone doing something you don’t understand, and try to explain what reasons they might have had.

80. How to Drive : Write a poem that explains how to drive to a teenager.

81. Up & Down the Steps: Write a poem that includes the motion of going up or down a staircase

82. Basket Case: Has there ever been a time when you thought you might lose your mind? Jot your feelings and thoughts down in verse form.

83. Lucky Guess:  Many times in our life we have to make a good guess for what is the best decision. Use this poetry idea to write about feelings related to guessing something right – or wrong.

84. Dear Reader:  What audience enjoys reading the type of poetry you like to write? Craft a note to your potential audience that addresses their biggest fears, hopes, and dreams.

85. All or Nothing : Share your thoughts on absolutist thinking: when one’s beliefs are so set in stone there are no exceptions.

86. Ladders in the Sky : Imagine there are ladders that take you up to the clouds. What could be up there? What feelings do you have about climbing the ladders, or is their a mystery as to how they got there in the first place?

87. Always On My Mind: Compose a poem about what it’s like to always be thinking about someone or something.

88. Paranoia : What would it be like if you felt like someone was watching you but no one believed you?

89. Liar, Liar: How would you react to someone who lied to you?

90. Secret Word: What’s the magic word to unlock someone’s access to something?

91. For What It’s Worth: Use a valuable object in your home as inspiration as a poetry prompt idea.

92. Coming Home to Secrets: Imagine a person who puts on a good act to cover up a secret they deal with at home.

93. Productivity: Talk about your greatest struggles with time management and organization.

94. Defying Gravity: Use words that relate to being weightless and floating.

95. Signs of the Times : How has a place you are familiar with changed over the past 10 years?

96. Sleepless Nights : What ideas and feelings keep you up at night? What’s it like when you have to wake up in the morning on a night you can’t sleep?

97. You Can’t Fire Me, I Quit : Use one of the worst job related memories you can think of as a creative writing prompt.

98. By George : You can choose any name, but think of 3-5 notable figures or celebrities who share a common first name, and combine their personalities and physical characteristics into one piece of poetry. For example: George Washington, George Clooney, George Harrison.

99. Shelter : Write a poem about a time you were thankful for shelter from a storm.

100. Cafeteria : Create a poem inspired by the people who might be eating lunch in a cafeteria at school or at a hospital.

101. Dusty Musical Instruments : Base your poem around the plight of a musician who hasn’t picked up the guitar or touched a piano in years.

Love these prompts? The printable, ad-free version of these poetry prompts can be used offline or in the classroom! Get them at our Etsy Shop .

There are unlimited possibilities for ways you can use these poem ideas to write poetry. Using a list like this can greatly help you with getting into the habit of writing daily – even when you don’t feel inspired to write.

While not every poem you write will be an award-winning masterpiece, using these poem starters as a regular exercise can help you better your craft as a writer.

I hope you enjoy these poetry prompts – and if you write anything you’d like to share inspired by these creative poetry writing prompts, let us know in the comments below – we love to see how others use writing ideas to create their own work!

And of course, don’t forget to get the ad-free poetry prompt cards printable version if you’d like to use these prompts offline, in the classroom or with your small group!

Chelle Stein wrote her first embarrassingly bad novel at the age of 14 and hasn't stopped writing since. As the founder of ThinkWritten, she enjoys encouraging writers and creatives of all types.

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98 comments.

I had a wonderful inspiration from prompt number 49 “On Shaky Ground,” although it’s not exactly about an earthquake. I wanted to share it on here, so I hope you enjoy it!

Title: “Shaking Ground”

The ground’s shaking My heart’s aching I’m getting dizzy My mind’s crazy

On shaking ground It’s like I’m on a battleground We’re all fighting for love Dirtying our white glove

The ground’s shaking My body’s quaking Love is so cruel Making me a fool

On shaking ground We are all love-bound Stuck in a crate Nobody can avoid this fate

The ground’s shaking We are all waking Opening our eyes Everyone dies

On shaking ground Our love is profound Although we are separate Better places await

The ground’s shaking Death’s overtaking Heaven is descending The world’s ending

On shaking ground In love we are drowned

Awesome interpretation Amanda! Thanks for sharing!

heyyy, I have written something regarding prompt 27 and 96 The Night Charms.

Do you dread the dark; Or do you adore the stars? Do you really think the fire place is that warm; Or you just envy the night charms? The skyline tries to match the stars’ sparkle, The sky gets dark, the vicinity gets darker. The “sun” has set for the day being loyal; These are now the lamps burning the midnight oil. The Eve so busy, that everyone forgets to praise its beauty. The sun has set without anyone bidding him an adieu, Failed to demonstrate its scintillating view. The moon being the epitome of perfection, Has the black spots, Depicting an episode of it’s dark past.

And I sit; I sit and wonder till the dawn. What a peaceful time it is, To have a small world of your own. Away from the chaos, I found a soul that was lost. So tired, yet radiant, Trying to be someone she’s not in the end. That bewitching smile held my hand, Carried me back to shore, letting me feel my feet in the sand. The waves moved to and fro, Whispering to me as they go, “Oh girl, my girl This is the soul you have within you, Never let it vanish, For it alters you into something good and something new, Don’t let the cruel world decide, Don’t let anyone kill that merry vibe.”

Then I saw my own soul fade, Fly into my heart, For what it was made. Oh dear lord, The night’s silence became my solace, My life lessons were made by the waves. Who am I? What have I done to myself? Many questions were answered in self reproach, The answers were still unspoken with no depth. Oh dear night, What have you done to me? Or should I thank you for putting a soul that I see. The nights spent later were now spectacular, My darkness somehow added some light to my life, Making it fuller… Everyday after a day, walking through the scorching lawns, I wait for the the dusk to arrive, and then explore myself till the dawn.

This is so amazing I ran out of words. Very lit thoughts beautifully penned. Keep writing like this dude.❤🌻

That is beautiful, it inspired me to write about my fears, thank you!!

Thank you for the inspiration! 😀 This was based of 21 and 77 (I think those were the numbers lol)

Goodbye to the days when we played together in the sun Goodbye to the smile on your face and to all of the fun I look at you, so dull and blue How long before I can say hello to the real you You are worth more than you think At the very least, you are to me Though there are greater things that wait for you than the least You are worthy of the most, the greatest of things If only goodbye could be ‘see you later’ I want to see the real you again To your suffering I don’t want to be just a spectator I want it all to end Goodbye to my only friend I want to heal you but I don’t know how I wish I had this all figured out Please come back to me I just want you to be free

Thank u so much im more inspired after seeing these creative ideas. 🤗

Glad they inspired you!

Thanks for sharing Amanda!

That was beautiful! I am a writer too! I actually just finished writing one but, it wasn’t from this website, just kind of something that’s been on my head for a while you know? Anyways, again, that was awesome! I am a Christian, and I love seeing people write about that kind of stuff! 🙂

I am jim from Oregon. I am also a writer, not very good but active. I am a Christian as well as you are. Sometimes it is hard to come up with something to write about.

All of a sudden, I have started to write poetry. Do you like all forms of writing? I would enjoy reading some of you work if you would you would like to s if you would like to send me some.

i have written one about frozen time:

my brother will be drawing, his pencil wont leave the sheet, my mother hearing the radio, today’s news on repeat. my sister, in fact, is making her bed, she’ll be making it still, till the last bug is dead. me, on the other hand, i’ll be visiting you, i’ll see you in action, doing the things that you do, i’ll be happy to see you, just a last time, i’ll kiss your still lips, and hold for a while. then i’ll take a plane to saudi, where i’ll see my dad, he’ll be swimming with turtles, he will not seem sad. i have lived on this earth, for 15 whole years, time for goodbye, with not a single tear.

hey beautifully expressed…!!!

Beautifully penned 🌼

I love it I tried one out myself as well Change

She sat looking out the window. The sound of the piano’s cheerful tune ringing out throughout the room. The sweet smell of burnt pine emanating from her fireplace. The sky is blue and the sun shines bright. She closes her eyes for a second. She opens them again. The window is broken and scattered on the ground. The piano sits covered in ashes, every symphony played now just a distant memory replaced with a discordant melody. The room smells of smoke and ash. The sky is dark and rain falls on the remnants of her home. Not a living thing in sight,not even her.

Nice one Amanda. kind of tells me the chronology of love and its eventualities.

such a dilightful poem, thanks for the word that made the day for me. you are such a good poet.

Omg! What!! This is amazing! I’d love to feature this piece on my blog monasteryjm.com. I also love this blog post by thinkwritten.com, planning on putting the link in my next blog post so others can come over here to check it out! So helpful!

this is so great! I’ve been needing inspiration. this might work

Thank you so much for this article! I love the profundity and open-endedness of the prompts. Here is a poem I wrote, drawing inspiration from #56, “No One Understands.” I wrote this from the perspective of a psychic Arcturian Starseed in her teenage years and how the world perceives her spiritual connection; while at the same time hinting at the true meaning of her various baffling actions. Enjoy 🙂

Starseed – a poem on perspective

In the snow She stands alone Wrapped in shrouds of mystery Her gentle hand gloved with giving Caressing A violet stone

Math class is dismissed But there still she sits Speaking to the ceiling in tender tones A soft and healing resonance Murmuring sweetly of ascension to Another, dearer dimension

In homeroom Her classmate weeps Of missed planes and shattered dreams Quietly She strokes the hand of the suffering And whispers then of channeling Some celestial utopia called Arcturus Where she claims to have been.

Please feel free to let me know where I need to improve! I’m fourteen years old and only an amateur, so a few suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, love and light 🙂

#79 I don’t know why he was so mad Did he not get his mail Was he already mad Or did he only get bills

He swung his arm with force He caused a loud bang He hurt his own hand He left with some blood

He is the man that punched the mailbox His hand dripped blood on it He left it with a dent He left it alone after that

That’s great Michael, thank you for sharing your response to one of the prompts!

Awesome! That was simple and yet creative

Interesting tips and keywords for boosting inspiration. I’ve found some good topic for start writing. Thanks

sleepless nights (#96)

it’s never a strangled cry that drags me from my dreams, but a gentle whisper, there to nudge the socks off my feet, and settle me back into the sheets. i seem to wake before i’ve had a chance to fall to rest.

why is it that i can never sleep, but always dream?

sleepless nights rule my life and drag me by my toes, throwing me into a sky of black and blue. not a single star can break through this spillage. and i sit and wonder in a sea of sheets, rippling around me, why my mind can swim these dark, tangling waters and i never need to take a breath.

have you ever noticed how static-filled the dark is? because when i lay buried under these burdens and blankets, the world seems ready to crumble under my grasp.

i can’t sleep, but i can dream, of days when i wasn’t pulled struggling from bed but awoken into the light. i wonder how i ever survived the grainy sky’s midnight troubles, the oil spill of its thunderclouds, the sandpaper raspiness of the three a.m. earth against my throat.

oh, how i can never sleep in a world that threatens to fall apart.

this is amazing! i hope i can be this good one day

once again beautiful <3

Thank you so much for these prompts! They’re so thought-provoking.

You’re welcome! Glad you enjoy them!

Take me back to those days, When I was allowed to dream, Where no one use to scream. Take me back to those days, When I was a child, Where I never use to find reasons to smile. Take me Take back to those days, When I never used to lie, Where I never used to shy. Take me back those carefreee days, When I was far away from school days. Take me back to those days , where every one used to prase, no matter how foolish i behave. Take me back to those days, when i wasn’t stuck between fake people. Take me back to the day I was born, So that I could live those days again………….

so mine is basically a mix between 76 and 77… I made it for my literature club i recently began trying to make.

‘Listen to me’ Listen to me your words mean more than you think your opinion is worthy to be shared your songs are capable of being sung

Listen to me

your smile is bright your frown shows nothing more than you should be cared for like you care for us.

your laughter is delightful and so is everything else

dont let the past go hurt you find strength in the experience

are you listening to me?

can you here me?

because YOU matter

Nice, thank you for sharing!

Prompt #1 “Untouchable”

Grasping Reaching Searching for the untouchable The indescribable On the tip of my tongue My fingertips Close to my heart But warping my brain Yet understood in the depths of my soul Emotions undiscovered Words Unsaid Deep in the depths of my mind Hand outstretched Lingering on the edge Eyes wide open But somehow still blind Unattainable But still in the hearts of The Brave The Curious The Resilient They Seek the unseekable They pursue the unattainable Each man seeing it in a different aspect Each of their visions blurred Each distorted by Experiences Traumas Wishes Dreams Filtering what’s untouchable

Thank you, glad you enjoy it!

I had good inspiration from #51, locked in a jar. I used it more metaphorically instead of literally. So here it is: glass walls, lid screwed on tight, can’t escape, not even at night. From the inside, looking out, this is not who I’m supposed to be. I’m supposed to be bigger, I’m supposed to be free, not stuck in a jar, no room to breathe. I need to move, I need to soar, I need to be able to speak my opinions and more. So as I look down at my tiny self, in this glass jar, “let me out, I can’t take it anymore”, I say to the bigger me, the one ignoring my tiny pleas.

Just wanted to add a twist to this promt. I’m just a beginner in the art of poetry, but I tried. If anyone has any creative criticism, go ahead! #16: our of order

My brain is out of order My thoughts have filled it to the brim Of my deepest thoughts of who I am Who we are As people We are out of order Never focusing on what we want Our passions All we ever get is work on top of work Pushing us down and down Like a giant hand Squeezing us into the depths of our depressions Until We can do anything But take it Anymore

Thank you Ash for sharing your take on the prompt with us!

Thank you ASH for reminding we can do anything if we try

Was inspired by #77 listen up Listen up…….! When would you listen up! Seems! you have given up! No matter who shut you up! Stand straight and look up!

Look up don’t be discouraged Let you heart be filled with courage Listen up and be encouraged Let life be sweet as porridge

You might have been down Like you have no crown Because deep down You were shut down

There is still hope When there is life Yes! You can still cope If you can see the light Yes! Even in the night

Oh listen up! Please listen up and take charge, You are better than the best Listen up! And oh! Please listen up.

beautifully written!

I wrote a poem using prompt 21 and I’m so proud of it. Comment if you want me to post it🤓

I bet the poem you wrote about prompt 21 is really good. I would like to read it please.

Mental prison, what a way to be trapped, being hidden, being snapped,

Clear glass is all i feel, apart from people, I hope I heal, I will never be equal,

I am different I am hurt raging currents people put on high alert but no one cares

No one dreads many tears I only have so many more threads

One day I’ll be gone but no one would care I will run away from the death chair

But until then

Mental prison what a way to be trapped being hidden being snapped

One day this will all blow away someday I will be molded out of clay but until then I will be lead astray

This is so darn awesome. It’s so deep and evokes the deepest of feelings🥰

I wrote almost the same thing omg I’m turning it into a contest entry

Inspired by No. 1! I am completely new to poetry, but I love it so much already! Here it is.

Perfection is Untouchable-

Perfection waiting, out of reach

Will I never touch it?

It always remain

Untouchable

No matter how hard I try

I will never quite reach

It will always remain

Though many people have tried

And seemed to have come close

But perfection’s not the goal

‘Cause we can’t quite grasp it

Perfection will always be

For all eternity

Looks like you are off to a great start!

Of Course, Silly Billy Me

”Well shit, I guess I lost my opportunity” the youngster retort

You see, for him, it’s all about his hurt – but she’s so educated, knows more about the rules of English than the rest of us.

Thus, to me she said… You cannot use curse words in a court report… you need to paraphrase his quote.

Into her spastic face I smiled – and pled my case

If you were my English professor back in the day, I could only imagine how much further in life I would have been…

”Don’t you mean farther in life?”

Of course, silly billy me.

This poem is called Secret Keeper and was inspired by #92. I hope you like it.

Everyone has a secret, Whether it be their own, Or someone else’s, We all have one.

But what if, You met someone, Who had a secret so big, That telling anyone would lead to horrible things.

And what if, That person told someone, And what they told them, Was more horrible than anything they could have ever imagined.

What if, That person told everyone, And when the parents, Of the kid with the secret found out, They were furious.

What if, They kept doing horrible things, Even though everyone knew, Even though they knew it was wrong.

And finally, What if, No one ever helped, The little kid with the biggest secret.

On number 28 : Poision I wrote a poem for it and would like to share it. The poision of friends and love

Beaten,she lies there. For they may be mistaken. Laughter rings throughout the school halls; a pure disaster. The dissapearence of parents hast caused this yet no one stops it. “Your a disgrace!” She heard them say. While in place she cries “I don’t belong here! Perhaps im out of place..” But she is not misplaced rather.. Shes lost in space.

I miss when you called me baby And I was in your arms saftely I know we drive eachother crazy But I miss callin you my baby

Those restless nights when I couldn’t sleep You calmed me down with your technique Always reminded me I’m strong not weak If only I let you speak

My heart only beats for you My feelings for you only grew You understood what I was going through I will never regret knowing you

Your smile melted my heart I wish we could restart And I could be apart Of a man I see as a work of art!

Stary night painting poem I guess ill call it

I raised my paint brush to my canvas So I could help people understand this This feeling of emotion for this painting has spoken I see the light as opportunity As for the whole thing it symbolizes unity The swirls degnify elegance and uncertainty For this painting executes this perfectly Where as my paintings let me adress Everything I feel I need to express!

#56 WHITE NOISE Faded away In the background Unheard Not visible

Eardrums splitting from the screams Yet none seem to care Can even hear my cries for help? For I am screaming as loud as I can

Are you? For all we hear Are whispers in here

Fading away in the background Unheard, invisible Yet it’s there, not loud enough Not noticeable, but there White noise Blank and pure In the background Faded away, yet so clear.

Just need to listen So open your ears She’s screaming for help But it’s muted to your ears

So open ’em up And listen to the calls For faded away, in the background Not visible, but clear. White Noise. It’s there.

Hi guys, I’m kind of late joining in. I read the prompts and the poems posted and this community is a creative bunch. I liked #35 People You Have Known. I want to share it with you guys.

Bern, a friend from grade school was my seat mate as well Rob had always teased me so my young life was hell Neesa was pretty, she knew that she was my crush Miss Homel, our teacher was always in a rush Played ball with Buco and I got hit on my head Fell in love with Cia, dreamt of her in my bed Had a tattoo with Marcus and called it “The Day” Chub challenged me to eat two pies, I said, “No way” I had to go far away so I wrote to Charie In this new place I found a friend in Perry My Grandma Leng passed away, she was a doll My grumpy uncle, Uncle Zar was teased by all These people have touched my life for worse or better Won’t be forgotten, be remembered forever

I hope that you liked it. Thanks guys. Thanks Think Written.

#37 fix it Still new to poems, and I haven’t written one in a while. Criticism is welcome because I need some more inspiration since I haven’t been getting any.

This is the body repair shop where we fix humans that have stopped how may we help you?

the girl stumbled upon the front door and spilled her list of regrets out into the open

“we’re sorry, miss” “but i’m afraid your first kiss will just be a dear old reminisce”

“your heart is also one that cannot be mended” “for every shattered piece- their lives just simply ended” the sewing kit can’t sew the fragments of her heart back because there were way too many to backtrack

she cried her heart out and it went “plop!” her tears like a river and like a lightbulb flickering its last light she too, took her last breath and was put to death

This is the body repair shop where we fix humans that have stopped “it seems we have failed again today” “sorry we’ll just try harder again another day”

I did poetry prompt #7. I wrote about the street I grew up on. Luverne Luverne, I moved onto you at the age of three. We like to race up and down your pavement road, either biking or running. You keep safe the house that I grew up in, one that has six humans and three dogs. You shelter other houses, too, that hold family friends and best friends to last a lifetime.

Luverne, we love you.

-Margaret McMahon

I was inspired by the prompt poison. Monster Roses are beautiful and delicate, but flawed.

Every rose has thorns that cause you to bleed.

Its innocence and beauty draws you in.

Only then when you touch it, it poisons you.

Am I really such an ugly monster, that plants pain an watches it spread?

I would say no.

Wouldn’t we all?

But maybe, just maybe a rose doesn’t notice it’s thorns.

-Lilliana Pridie

You said you’re only just starting?! That was sooo good! No criticism here. 🙂

Sorry, that was meant for “Ash” but yours was amazing too! 🙂

Prompt number 8: Street signs STOP Stop look and listen Stop at the corner Stop at the red light Stop for pedestrians Stop for cyclists Stop for animals Stop doing that Stop drop and roll Stop doing something else Stop shouting Stop whispering Stop talking Stop being quiet Stop posting cute cat videos Stop forgetting your appointments Stop making plans without me Stop eating all the yummies Stop running Stop the insanity Stop shopping Stop the never-ending commentary in my head Stop stopping Stop

Thanks for making this site and all its suggestions and especially this space to post our work, available!

I wrote from prompt #72 about moonlight. Shining down like a spotlight, Illuminating everything around you. The pure white light, Paint your surroundings in a soft glow. The round ball in the sky, speckled with craters like the freckles on your face. Looking down upon the sleeping earth, A nightlight for those still awake, a nightlight for you. Guides you, pulls you, lulls you towards it. It caresses your face with the light, casting away the shadows of the night.

I liked it I just wrote a small poem dedicated to my tutor and tutor just loved it .I used 21 good bye . I liked it really.😊

I just took up writing so bear with me.

Based on #72 “Moonlight”

A full bed Just the left side filled Soft, cold, baby blue sheets wrap around bare feet

She sweetly invites herself in Dressing the dark in a blue hue through cypress filled air, like 5 A.M. drives in January on the misty Northern coast.

Damp hair dances across grey skin, Waltzing with the breeze to Radiohead’s “How to Disappear Completely”

Euphoria slow dances with Tranquility Heavy eyes give in to sleep

Ladder to the Sky I want to climb the ladder to the sky I’m sure all would be well and that I could fly The ladder would be sturdy but still give me a fright Because looking down I’ll realized I’ve climbed many heights The higher I climb the greater the fall The greater the fall, the greater the sprawl But if i ever get to the sky up high I would be sure to hug you and say “goodbye” Once I’ve climbed the ladder I’ll know Sometimes its okay to look far down below Life is full of failure but soon I’ll find Happiness is a place, and not of the mind We all have ladders to climb and lives to live We all have a little piece of us that we can give Because when we climb that ladder to the sky We should think “No, life never passed me by”

Hi Ray, I love your piece.It gives one courage to face the challenges of live and move on.

Thanks for sharing the prompts Chelle Stein. I wrote this sometimes ago before coming to this site and I believed prompts #1 and #88 inspired my writing it. kindly help me vet it and give your criticism and recommendation. It is titled “SHADOW”.

My shadow your shadow My reflection your reflection My acts your acts

No one sees me,no one sees you Programmed by the Ubiquitous, To act as our bystander in realism

Virtuous iniquitous rises on that day To vindicate to incriminate My deeds your deeds.

Thanks for the seemingly endless amounts of writing prompts. I’ve been working on a poem, but it isn’t much.

She’s got my head spinning, Around and around; She’s all I think about, I can’t help but wondering, Does she feel the same?

Of course not, I’m just a fool; I’m nothing special, Just another person; Bland and dull.

How could a girl like her, love a guy like me? But the way she looks at me, Her smile, I can’t help but to feel flustered; Is this just my imagination?

It must be.

Wow! That’s exactly how I feel! Amazing poem!

Thanks so much, I’m glad you like it. 🙂

A massive thank you to thinkwritten.com for these amazing prompts. Some of these prompts have now formed the basis of my upcoming poetry collection (Never Marry a Writer) scheduled for release on January 1 2021. I will also be leaving a “Thank you” message for this website in the acknowledgements section. You have inspired a whole poetry collection out of nowhere which is highly commendable. So booktiful that!

That is wonderful news!

So I didn’t use any of the prompts but I wanted some feedback on this; it’s not great but I’m working on improving my writing skills

I am a girl who is broken easily and loves music I wonder if things will ever be normal again I hear light screaming through the darkness I want freedom from the chains trapping me in my fear I am a girl who is broken easily and loves music

I pretend to float in the ocean, letting the waves carry me away from reality I feel a presence of hope like a flame on my bare skin I touch the eye of a storm, grasping the stillness it brings I worry about wars that a spreading like wildfires I cry when I’m not with the people I love I am a girl who is broken easily and loves music

I understand feeling hopeless when you have no control over what is happening I say our differences make us special I dream to be a nurse, to help others when they can’t help themselves I try to do my best in everything I hope that all mankind will stop fighting and live in peace I am a girl who is broken easily and loves music

HELLO EVERYONE.. THIS SITE IS JUST WOW, AS AND WHEN I WAS OUT OF TOPICS OR WAS NOT ABLE TO THINK UPON IT ..IT HELPED ME A LOT WITH HINTS TO BEGIN WITH MY ANOTHER POEM .. I M NOT A PROFESSIONAL WRITER BUT JUST A STARTER AND A STUDENT OF 12TH DIVISION.. I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ONE OF MY SPECIAL CREATION , ALTHOUGH NOT FROM THIS SITE. HOPE YOU ALL WILL LIKE IT.

AU REVOIR GOODBYE UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN, I BID U FAREWELL UNTIL WE TIE AGAIN, SEE YOU SOON , SEE YOU AGAIN, LETS SAY GOODBYE FOR A BETTER DAY.

THE FIRE THAT BURNS IN OUR HEART , THE MEMORIES THAT PRESERVES OUR PAST. ITS NOT THE GOODBYE THAT WRENCH THE HEART , BUT THE FLASHBACKS THAT HAVE PASSED.

I RECOLLECT AND RECOUNT , MOMENTS THAT ARE HALF FADED AND RENOWNED, I ALWAYS FEEL SO CHARMED, THAT I HAVE SOMETHING, WHICH MAKES ME SAYING GOODBYE SO DAMN HARD.

TAKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE, WALK ON THE STREETS WITH GOLDEN TRAILS. FOR I M NOT GONNA WAIL, BECAUSE I KNOW I WILL MEET YOU SOON ON THE FORTHCOMING DAY.

I wrote a poem based on #101.

Thank you so much for the inspiration!!

And then it was there. What I had been missing. What is it? You may ask. Well, it’s quite simple actually. It’s the joy of music. It’s the joy of sitting down and making music. It’s the joy you feel when you look up at people admiring you. The joy you see in peoples’ eyes. I don’t know why I ever stopped that. The piano sat on the stage. Dusty and untouched. It’d been decades since I’ve seen it. I haven’t come to this stage since I lost her. After the concert. The last time I ever heard her voice. And yet here I am years and years later. Knowing why I haven’t been happy in so long. Of course pain is always gonna be there, But as I played a soft note on the piano, All of it seemed to disappear. It was as if all the weight on my shoulders got lifted. The melodious notes resonated around the hall. And for a few moments, I forgot about all the pain. I forgot about the tears. I forgot about the heartache. And as the last notes echoed around the hall, I was truly happy.

Prompt #92: Coming home with secrets

My mother’s radio sits in the balcony And it greets me with electric static Coming to this sheltering home is somewhat problematic Cause the walls are too thin, and it’s back to reality. Back to the running water that conceals the noise of cracks Crumbling behind my peeling mask, holding my face with wax An unraveled thread masking the makeup smile of a wakeup call That runs down to my chin and I keep under wraps. I take invitations to the mall, yet the space around me seems so small Nevertheless, I show my teeth with a big, shiny grin And suck a trembling breath through their thin slit Happy to wear tight jeans, to stop me from an embarrassing fall. The bath hurts on my skin, but even more to protect screams from the halls My head floats in the water, but feels trapped in its walls It cracks my head open with all these secrets inside me Before a blink of an eye, to my room I’d already flee. Not to the radio playing static or streets that won’t let me be But to under the blankets, where no one can really see The struggle to be a walking, talking, breathing secret That was thrown to the ocean in a bottle, wishing to be free. However, the words untold keep coming like ever so frequent Like adrenalized filled cops in pursue of an escapee delinquent All the more, my doppelganger and I have come to an agreement To take these secrets to our grave, that we nowadays call home.

Recipe for Happiness

Start with friendship, Then add time, A dash of humor, And forgotten binds. Mix it up, Till blended well, And make sure, To remember the smell. Put that bowl, To the side, Grab a new one, Add grateful sighs. Then add family, And a smile, Then sit back, And mix awhile. To that bowl, Add a laugh, A cheerful cry, And blissful past. Whip until, There’s heavy peaks, Then pour in, What we all seek. Combine the two, Then mix it well, Spray the pan, And pour it out. Cherish the memory, The beautiful scent, Of unity, And happiness.

My mother died when I was younger so this poem is about me sitting on the lawn at night shortly after she passed away. I was imagining better times, which is why in my poem I talk about how the girl is imagining ‘walking on the moon’ and she is gripping the grass tight and trying to remember the warmth of her mothers palms.

Sitting in the blue black grass She’s walking on the moon Watching specks of silver dance To the mellow tune Her fingers gripping the grass so tight She can almost feel The warmth of her mothers palms

The winds cold fingers

The winds cold fingers Tousle with my hair Loosening the soil My sobs are carried away on the wind

I would love to share this list (credited to you) with students participating in a virtual library program on poetry. Would that be possible/acceptable? These are great!

Wow! Thank you so much for all these awesome prompts! I’ve written two poems already!

Prompt #1 AND #15, untouchable and less than 25 words. i’m lowk popping off??

Apollo Commands the sun, which squints so brightly, scorches and freckles. i want her hand on mine. searing pain fears, still i reach out, and bubble.

I looked at the word “Duct tape” And thought about it. Its not anywhere in this poem at all but it inspired it yk?

Feathers are Soft

Feathers are soft People aren’t

Plushies are soft People aren’t

Pillows are soft People aren’t

People are mean Not nice Not joyful

well my poem is only loosely based on the second prompt because I found I had too much to say about Sundays. I would love to share it with you but these comments don’t support links.

Inspired by number 55 in list of poetry suggestions. Poem to song guitar chords. —————————————————-

Carnegie Hall

D I was feeling ecstatic G when I went to the attic A and found my auld busking D guitar

D But I felt consternation G I disturbed hibernation A at first it seemed quite D bazaar

D When I blew off the dust G it smelt like old must A but t’was time to give it a D bar

D It was then I heard flapping G which sounded like clapping A my first ever round of D applause

D It stayed with the beat G while tapping my feet A I kept playing despite all my D flaws

D I took early retirement G though not a requirement A “Bad Buskers” all get D menopause

D I’m strumming the strings G and the echo it rings A but no jingling of coins as they D fall

D So I play here alone G as to what I was prone A never made it to Carnegie D Hall

D Time to call it a day G as they used to say A for no encores or no curtain D call

D There’s a butterfly G in my guitar

D There’s a butterfly G in my guitar.

Finn Mac Eoin

23rd July 2022

I love this Finn, where can we listen to your song?

Hello I wrote this in remberence of 9/11. Its now sitting in ground zero. A ordinary day to start  Same as any other Dad goes off to work again, Child goes with their mother. Vibrant busy city,  busses, cars galore Workers in the offices, from bottom to top floor. Throughout our life situations Hard times often do arise, Unfortunatly we never think of saying last goodbyes. That’s exactly what happened on September 11th 2001 A day that turned the world so cold When tragedy begun. Twin towers has exploded Co ordinate attacks, Al-Qaeda behind the planes That seemed to be hijacked. Thousands were killed instantly Some lives hang by a thread, Calls were made to loved ones Onlookers face of dread. Fears & screams while running As smoke fills up the air, News reports on live tv Helplessly they stare. On the news we hear the voices of all who are caught inside, Lying next to injured ones Or sadly ones who died. One man makes a phone call My darling wife it’s me, I’m sorry that I upset you And that we disagreed. My offices have been attacked they’re crumbling to the ground, A massive explosion hit our floor then instantly no sound. If I do not make it I’m stating from the heart, I love you darling, & in your life I’m glad to play a part. Tell the kids daddy loves them Continue well at school, Stand up for all your beliefs Don’t be taken for a fool. The wife is crying down the line Darling please don’t go, I love you darling so so much I’ve always told you so. He replied my darling im feeling really kind of weak, Breathlessly he’s coughing, he can hardly speak. If you ever need me just look up to the stars, I will hear your voices And heal up any scars. Suddenly all was quiet The wife screams down the fone, Darling can you hear me, don’t leave me here alone. The towers live on tv start to crumble to the ground, Clouds of smoke then fill the air The world in shock no sound. Crying at the images of all who has lost their lives , Mums,dad’s , Nan’s & grandads, husbands & wives. Rescue teams included and all those left behind To All who were among them,  all who did survive, All who were injured All who sadly died. Never in this lifetime that day will be the same For ground zero holds the memories Of every single name.

Those hero’s on that awful day who never thought about their life Who fought to save the innocent To keep each sole alive Those who were pulled to safety Those we lost in vein, Never be forgotten The pain will still remain We will never forget that tragedy For the days will never be the same. But may I say with all my heart In God we put our faith United we stand For eternity were safe Amen

This is a beautifully sad poem. You really wrote your way into my heart. <3

I wrote a poem inspired by number 72. Not really sticking to what it said but thought this was kinda close to what it said…

After dusk, the almost eternal night. The dark, winter sky, full of millions of tiny stars. The sky, a color of blue that seems darker than black.

Sunset, full of an array of colors. Purple, orange, pink, and yellow. Nearly all dark blue.

Right as dawn appears, practically the same sunset hours later. Light wispy clouds fill the sky. Orange, pink, and light blue diffuse in the sky as the sun awakens

Wrote one based off the recipe one (I don’t remember which number)

From the Kitchen of: any teenager ever For: Disaster Ingredients: Social anxiety Existential dread A crush Zero sense of self worth A single class together And no social cues

Steps: (Warning: Do NOT do this if your crush is not single) You’re going to try to talk to your crush. Just say hi. If that doesn’t work, don’t go forward with the rest of these steps. Once you’ve talked to your crush, overthink every single thing you said to them. Do it. Then you’re going to decide you’re stupid for overthinking it. Next, you’re going to wait until they begin speaking to you on their own accord. If they don’t, overthink some more. One day you will think your crush is waving to you in the hallway. They won’t be. They’ll be waving to their friends behind you. Play it cool and pretend you’re doing the exact same thing. Run into the bathroom and cringe at yourself. Keep talking to them and try to partner up with them for a project. If they say no, don’t continue further; you’ll only embarrass yourself. If they say yes, say you need their number for the project. Call them “about the project” and eventually segway into other topics. Continue doing this until you guys eventually call all the time for no reason. Ask them out. If they say no, do not, I repeat, do not act like it was a dare or a joke. It ruins everything. Say “oh okay. Well, can we still be friends?” and continue from that point. If they say yes, go on a date with them outside of school before asking them to be your partner. Eventually break up and either get your heartbroken or break someone else’s heart.

And that is how you make an average teenage disaster. Enjoy!

i wrote a poem from number 73: its tiled “perfect” I tried to be perfect I stared counting my calories And eating less And working out more I even spent time heaving over the toilet I tried to be perfect But every calorie i counted Every time I ate less everyday I spent working out and every moment I spent heaving over the toilet ended up turning to counting every calorie and heaving over that toilet after every meal trying to be perfect is pointless I don’t ever wish to be perfect again I don’t want to spend time heaving over that toilet again or counting those calories or eating less everyday to just try to be something that doesn’t exist anyone who try’s to be perfect will just be ruined like I was

#47 “overgrown” The roses look beautiful But they are so overgrown There’s weeds all around it Some are dying Some are living But they are so overgrown If I could pick the weeds And putting down weed killer Will it look better Will it help the ones that are dying But they are so overgrown The living ones are slowly dying Do I pick the weeds Or just leave them But they that will leave them to be so overgrown All the roses are dead now I killed them They were so overgrown that it killed them I should’ve picked the weeds So that they wouldn’t have been so overgrown

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15 Fun Poetry Activities for High School

April 8, 2019 //  by  Lindsay Ann //   3 Comments

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High School Students + Fun Poetry Activities

If you’re an English teacher, looking for fun poetry activities for high school or middle school students, I’ve got you covered. I’m opening up my poetry toolbox and sharing some of my favorite (and most successful) poetry games and activities!  Whether you’re looking for a stand-alone lesson or something more, there’s something here for everyone.

Pop Sonnets

The creation of pop sonnets is one of my favorite poetry activities to use in conjunction with the reading of a Shakespearean play, but it can be used as a stand-alone lesson. The hook is that modern-day songs have been turned into Shakespearean sonnets. You can study one of Shakespeare’s sonnets and ask students to modernize it. Then, work in reverse by re-working a modern-day song as a sonnet. Or, just use this as a “hook” to help students feel more comfortable with Shakespearean language.   Take a look and thank me later.

Songs as Poetry

Studying modern-day songs is a great way to teach about figurative language and poetic devices while studying poetry. Try reading the lyrics, but omitting or re-writing the metaphors and talking about the change in message/meaning. Look for examples of imperfect rhyme in one of Eminem’s cleaner songs. Study poems as paired texts . Analyze lines from a famous soundtrack. Ask students to bring in their favorite songs and discuss. So. Many. Options!

Here are 12 great songs to analyze if you aren’t sure where to start:

• “Across the Universe” by the Beatles
• “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan
• “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift
• “Chasing Pavements” by Adele
• “Infinity” by Mariah Carey
• “Stereo Hearts” by Gym Class Heroes
• “Counting Stars” by One Republic
• “It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons
• “Imagine” by John Lennon
• “Mad World” by Gary Jules
• “Zombie” by The Cranberries
• “Letter to Me” by Brad Paisley

Slam Poetry

Students need to know that poetry is not dead. It’s living. It’s breathing. It’s storytelling. It’s cool. In April, my classes come alive with the magic of slam poetry as students become authors and performers. They re-discover wonder and learn to let down their guard. They learn that there is intersectionality between their story and the stories of others. They are appreciated. They appreciate others. When I use this fun poetry activity for high school students , my classroom really becomes a true community.

Grab my slam poetry “mini” unit to get your students started with slam poetry!

Not sure which slam poems are school-appropriate and engaging? Here are 40 of my favorite slam poems !

Paint Chip Poetry

This poetry writing activity is FREE if you’re willing to grab some paint chips from your local hardware store, preferably ones with multiple colors in one. Or, Amazon sells an awesome paint chip poetry “game.”

• Have students use one of the color names as the title for a poem.
• Have students write poems in stanzas, using each of the color names as inspiration.
• Have students use all of the color names somewhere in a poem.
• Have students choose two contrasting colors and make a poem of contrasts.
• Have students choose two complimentary colors and make a poem.
• Have students choose a color and write an identity poem.

Blackout Poetry

This is an oldie, but goodie poetry writing exercise for high school students. Copy a page or two from a whole class novel. Or better yet, choose a completely divergent text, maybe a science textbook or page from a dictionary. Students string together words on the page to form a poem, and black-out the rest of the words. If they want to go above and beyond, they can create an original illustration to accompany their blackout poem.

Book Spine Poetry

Take your students to the library (or have them browse a site like Goodreads) and challenge them to create poems from book titles. Each title becomes a line in the poem. An optional challenge: have students choose (or randomly draw) a theme, and their poem has to relate to their chosen theme. If you’re looking for some FREE templates, I’ve got you covered: Click Here !  I created these templates as a quick fun poetry activity for high school sophomores after my librarian told me that having my classes pull so many books would be a pain to re-shelve.

Poetry Tasting

A lot of teachers are loving my reading progressive dinner stations . Poems are short and accessible texts that always rock when used with this activity.

Here are some options for poetry stations, a fun group poetry activity: 

• Choose a certain kind of poem or a certain poetic movement to explore at ALL the stations, i.e. the ghazal or Imagist poetry.
• Choose different kinds of poems or movements to explore at each station.
• Choose poems related to ONE thematic idea.
• Choose poems written by teenagers.
• Choose “famous” poems.
• Choose slam poems.

Poetry Transformations

If you’re studying word choice and tone in poetry, why not have students transform a poem, switching from one tone to another? Then, have students write a reflection analyzing why they made 4-5 important changes.

Found Poems

This poetry activity is exactly what it sounds like. Have students choose / cut-out words from magazines to form “found” poems. Or, have students listen to a TED talk or story, writing down a certain # of words they hear. Then, ask them to use these words + ones of their own to write an original poem.

Easter Egg Poems

If ’tis the season, you might as well use those plastic easter eggs you may have lying around. Put “poetry inspiration” in each egg. At the very least, I suggest a word or phrase. If you want to go “all-in,” create a combination of the items below:

• Random household objects, i.e. a piece of string, a bead
• Newspaper/magazine clippings
• Words/phrases
• Famous first lines
• A “mentor” poem, copied and folded up

Tell students that their challenge is to write a poem inspired by these objects. Or, if you prefer, have students incorporate words / ideas from each object in their poem.

Favorite Poem Project

If you’ve never seen the site “ Favorite Poem Project ,” I suggest checking it out as a poetry unit resource. The site’s goal is to interview a variety of different people about their “favorite poems.” In each short video, an individual shares a personal connection to his/her poem and reads the poem out loud.

After being a fan of this site for some time, I decided to have my students make their own “favorite poem” videos . They explored, chose a poem that they liked “best,” and created videos on Flipgrid discussing their thoughts about the poem and reading it aloud. These videos were then viewed by classmates. Everyone enjoyed this a lot!

Metaphor Dice

Poems as Mentor Texts

Using mentor texts for writing is a powerful strategy for poetry instruction, yet one that I find myself “skipping” because there isn’t time. I have to remind myself to “make” the time because it’s important. If we’re going to spend time analyzing texts, it only makes sense to have students try to use those writing moves in their own writing. After all, students should be writing frequently, and not always for an assessment grade.

Here are 12 great mentor poems if you’re not sure where to start:

• “ We Real Cool ” by Gwendolyn Brooks
• “ Montauk ” by Sarah Kay
• “ This is Just to Say ” by William Carlos Williams
• “ Mother to Son ” by Langston Hughes
• “ My Father’s Hats ” by Mark Irwin
• “ Chicago ” by Carl Sandburg
• “ Entrance ” by Dana Gioia
• “ My Father is an Oyster ” by Clint Smith
• “ If ” by Rudyard Kipling
• “ Ode to a Large Tuna in the Market ” by Pablo Neruda
• “ The Bean Eaters ” by Gwendolyn Brooks
• “ The Summer I Was Sixteen ” by Geraldine Connolly
• “ Where I’m From ” by George Ella Lyon (As a bonus, students can submit their poems to the “I am From” project. ) p.s. If you’re looking for ready-to-use templates,  here you go !

Magnetic Poetry

A fun activity to fill extra class time, or just for fun: magnetic poetry . Give each student (or pairs of students) a handful of magnetic poetry pieces. See what they come up with. Take pictures and display around the room.

Interactive Poetry Bulletin Board

Sort of like magnetic poetry, but with a twist, it’s fun to set-up an interactive bulletin board as a fun poetry activity for high school students to try before or after class. You can do this in several different ways.

• Poem of the day + a “feel-o-meter” for students to rate the poem on a scale from “mild sauce” to “hot sauce.” You can have students use push pins to vote.
• Large scale magnetic poetry + a bulletin board becomes “push pin poetry.” You choose the words. Students move them around to form poems.

Hey, if you loved this post, I want to be sure you’ve had the chance to grab a FREE copy of my guide to stream l ined grading . I know how hard it is to do all the things as an English teacher, so I’m over the moon to be able to share with you some of my best strategies for reducing the grading overwhelm. 

Click on the link above or the image below to get started!

About Lindsay Ann

Lindsay has been teaching high school English in the burbs of Chicago for 19 years. She is passionate about helping English teachers find balance in their lives and teaching practice through practical feedback strategies and student-led learning strategies. She also geeks out about literary analysis, inquiry-based learning, and classroom technology integration. When Lindsay is not teaching, she enjoys playing with her two kids, running, and getting lost in a good book.

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200 Poetry Prompts for your Next Poem

• Post author By Onyemechi Nwakonam
• Post date September 20, 2023
• No Comments on 200 Poetry Prompts for your Next Poem

Poetry presents a powerful medium for self-expression and creativity.

Exploring thoughtful poetry prompts can help unlock stanzas that add beauty, meaning, and imagination to life. 

Whether honing your skills or processing emotions, quality poetry prompts inspire impactful writing. 

Prompts stimulate the brain and provide launching points for translating observations into verse. 

From sensory details to philosophical themes, poetry prompts flex creative muscles.

 An effective prompt intrigues and challenges the writer just enough. 

In this blog post, we will delve into diverse poetry prompts to ignite your inspiration. 

Get ready to let these prompts unfold your unique inner voice.

“Prompts in poetry also called Poetry Prompts are like little ideas or words that help poets get started with their poems. They can be a single word, a picture, a feeling, or a question. Poets use prompts to spark their imagination and create poems that express their thoughts and feelings. It’s like a jumping-off point for their creativity, giving them a starting place to write their poetry. So, prompts are like friendly helpers for poets to begin their poetic journey.”

Form Specific Poetry Prompts 

1. Haiku – Write a 3 line poem with 5 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the second line, and 5 syllables in the third line. Make it about nature.

2. Limerick – Write a 5 line silly or humorous poem with an AABBA rhyme scheme. Make the first, second, and fifth lines longer than the third and fourth lines.

3. Free Verse – Write any length poem without rhyme or meter. Use imagery and emotion.

4. Sonnet – Write a 14 line poem with an ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme. Make it about love. 

5. Villanelle – Write a 19 line poem with an ABA rhyme scheme using two refrains. Make it melancholic. 

6. Sestina – Write a 39 line poem with a set of 6 repeating end words. Make it about longing.

7. Pantoum – Write a poem with repeating lines in an ABCA BCBD CDC… rhyme scheme. Make it meditative.  

8. Ghazal – Write a series of couplets with a AA BA CA rhyme scheme. End them with a common refrain. Make them mystical.

9. Tanka – Write a 5 line poem with 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second, 5 in the third, 7 in the fourth, and 7 in the fifth. Make it thoughtful. 

10. Ode – Write a poem in 3 stanzas praising something or someone. Use an ABABCC rhyme scheme. Make it joyful.

11. Ballad – Write a narrative poem with a repeating refrain. Use ABXB rhyme scheme. Make it about a legend or hero.

12. Rondeau – Write a 15 line poem with two repeating rhymes and a rhyme scheme of AABBA AABR AABBA R. Make it charming.

13. Rubaiyat – Write a quatrain poem with an AABA rhyme scheme. Make it philosophic yet romantic.  

14. Ekphrastic – Write a vivid description of a painting or photograph in verse. Use imagery and metaphor. 

15. Clerihew – Write a short 4 line biographical poem with an AABB rhyme scheme. Make it humorous.

16. Acrostic – Use a name or word to begin each line and create a poem from the letters. Make it a tribute. 

17. Nonsense – Write a playful poem that celebrates language itself. Use made up words and absurd imagery. Make it silly.

18. Found – Create a poem using words and phrases cut out of magazines, newspapers, blogs, etc. Shape them into meaning.

19. Blackout – Take a piece of text and black out words to reveal a poem beneath. Use pages from old books or print articles. 

20. Visual – Create a shape poem or concrete poem using the visual arrangement of words on the page. Make the form match meaning.

21. Surrealist – Write an absurd dreamlike poem using strange imagery, juxtaposition, and free association. Make it irrational.  

22. List – Make a list poem using catalogs, litanies, aide memoires, and inventories as poetic form. Make it enumerative.

23. Shakespearean – Write a 14 line poem mimicking the rhythm, meter, imagery and form of a Shakespeare sonnet. Make it dramatic.

24. Praise – Write a poem extolling the virtues of someone or something meaningful using hyperbole and positive language. Make it adoring. 

25. Elegy – Write a mournful poem reflecting on the death of someone important. Use imagery of nature to convey loss. Make it contemplative.

26. Autobiographical – Write a personal poem about your own life and experience. Use sensory imagery and concrete moments. Make it reflective.

27. Protest – Write a poem speaking out against injustice or corruption. Use repetition, rhetoric, and emotion. Make it persuasive. 

28. Pastoral – Write an idealized poem about rural country life. Use nature metaphors and traditional form. Make it idyllic.

29. Blank Verse – Write unrhymed lines in iambic pentameter like Shakespeare’s plays. Make it elegant and timeless.

30. Epigram – Write a very short satirical or humorous poem ending in a witty turn. Make it clever and pithy.  

31. Riddle – Write a short poem that describes something without naming it. Give clues so the reader can guess the subject. Make it mystifying. 

32. Symbolist – Use objects, images and metaphors to evoke emotion. Avoid direct statement. Make it indirect. 

33. Narrative – Write a poem that tells a story with a plot. Use techniques like pacing, dialogue, and imagery. Make it engaging.

34. Sonnet Sequence – Write a series of thematically connected sonnets with different moods and motifs. Make it varied. 

35. Romantic – Write an emotional personal poem valuing freedom, individualism, and nature. Make it passionate and idealistic.

36. Dramatic Monologue – Write a poem from the perspective of a specific character speaking. Reveal psychology through voice. Make it revelatory.  

37. Homeric – Write a grand epic poem in dactylic hexameter featuring gods, heroes, and mythic quests. Make it legendary.

38. Imagist – Write a precise visual poem focusing on images not ideas using free verse. Make it luminous. 

39. Confessional – Write an autobiographical personal poem emphasizing emotional extremes and intimate details. Make it self-revealing.  

40. Speculative – Write a fantastical poem based in science fiction, fantasy or mythology. Make it otherworldly. 

41. Verse Novel – Write a poem that reads like a novel with characters, plot, setting and action. Make it narrative.

42. Procedural – Write a poem that follows an instruction manual, recipe or process. Make the form match function.

43. Erasure – Take a text and erase most of the words to create a poem from the remaining words. Make it fresh.  

44. Light – Write a short delicate poem subtly capturing a transient moment. Use imagery and quiet language. Make it luminous.

45. Blues – Write a melancholy poem originally accompanied by guitar in an AAB verse form. Make it soulful and haunting. 

46. Omen – Write a short ominous poem of prophecy using imagery and symbolism. Make it foreboding.  

47. Invocation – Write a ritualistic poem calling upon a muse or spirit for inspiration. Use rhythm and repetition. Make it spiritual.

48. Recipe – Write a poem detailing the ingredients and steps of an actual or invented recipe. Make it abundant and enriching.

49. Children’s – Write a short playful poem using repetition, rhyme and rhythm to delight children. Make it imaginative and fun.

50. Landay – Write a two line poem or Afghan women’s folk couplet with 9 syllables in the first line and 13 in the second. Make it wise yet simple.

51. Chance – Write lines using randomness like drawing words from a hat. Let the poem form organically. Make it unexpected.

52. Voice – Write a dramatic poem in the voice of an inanimate object like a tree, cloud or bicycle. Make it vivid and unorthodox.

53. Rhyme Royal – Write a poem using 7 lines with an ABABBCC rhyme scheme. Make it stately and elegant.

54. Tercet – Write a series of 3 line stanzas with an interlocking ABA BCB rhyme scheme. Make it harmonious. 

55. Cadence – Write lines of poetry built around the natural rhythmic cadence of walking or running. Make it embodied.

56. Recipe – Write a poem that reads like the directions for making or doing something. Make the form serve the function.  

57. Color – Focus a poem on descriptions of color using inventive language and synesthesia. Make it vibrant.

58. Memory – Write about a vivid memory using nostalgic details, sensory language and association. Make it evocative.  

59. Allusion – Write a poem referencing mythology, literature, history, or art through allusion. Make it learned and layered.

60. Elfchen – Write a tiny 5 line poem with 2 syllables in line 1, 3 in line 2, 4 in line 3, 5 in line 4, and 2 in line 5. Make it precise.

61. Dada – Write an avant-garde nonsensical poem using absurd imagery, made-up words, and wild juxtaposition. Make it weird!

62. Slam – Write a performance poem to be read aloud using voice, rhythm, and drama. Make it impassioned and inciting. 

63. Song – Write lyrics with meter, rhythm, repetition, and rhyme meant to be sung. Make it melodic.

64. Rap – Write rhyming lyrics meant to be spoken rhythmically over music sampling and beats. Make it fresh and lyrical.

65. Spoken Word – Write a poem using wordplay, storytelling, and performative language meant for live recital. Make it dynamic. 

66. Cinquain – Write a short 5 line poem with a specific syllable count. Make it succinct.

67. Ablaut – Write a poem repeating vowel sounds as a form of wordplay. Make it musical and lyrical.

68. Name – Write a poem inspired by the letters and meanings of someone’s name. Make it personal and playful.

69. Cut-up – Randomly cut up words to reassemble them into a poem. Let chance determine the result. Make it unexpected.

70. Bio – Write a short biographical poem encapsulating the essence of someone’s life. Make it resonant.  

71. Kural – Write a short Tamil verse with two lines focused on a single idea, proverb, or theme. Make it wise.

72. Odin – Write a poem in three stanzas, two with four lines and one with three, using alliteration and kennings. Make it ancient and epic.  

73. Palindrome – Write a poem or poetic line that reads the same forwards and backwards. Make it clever.

74. Kennings – Write a poem using two-word metaphors compound words instead of nouns. Make it imagistic. 

75. Love – Write a love poem that captures the essence of desire, passion, heartbreak, or affection. Make it sincere.

76. Nature – Write a poem celebrating trees, storms, flowers, seasons, landscapes or animals. Make it lush.

77. Praise – Write a poem glorifying someone’s talents, deeds, character or accomplishments. Make it adoring.

78. Elegy – Write a mournful poem reflecting on someone’s death or a tragic event. Make it solemn yet beautiful. 

79. Satire – Write a humorous poem mocking a vice, shortcoming or societal issue. Use irony and wit. Make it thought-provoking.

80. Protest – Write a powerful poem speaking out against injustice and corruption. Make it political and fiery.

81. Prayer – Write a devotional poem praising a deity, invoking blessings or seeking solace in faith. Make it reverent. 

82. Epic – Write a long ambitious narrative poem like the Iliad or Odyssey featuring heroes and grand action. Make it majestic. 

83. Ode – Write an exalted lyric poem formally praising someone or something of significance. Make it lofty and dignified.

84. Lune – Write a three line poem with 5 syllables in the first line, 3 syllables in the second, and 5 syllables in the third. Make it minimalist.

85. Tanka – Write a concise unrhymed Japanese poem in five lines following a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count. Make it vivid and evocative.

86. Senryu – Write a satirical or ironic Japanese poem structurally like a haiku but mocking human folly. Make it humorous and insightful.

87. Free Verse – Write an open, unmetered, unrhymed poem exploring images, thoughts and feelings. Make it reflective and conversational.

88. Sonnet – Write a 14-line poem in iambic pentameter with a specific rhyme scheme. Make it elegant, rhythmic and thematically unified.

89. Villanelle – Write a 19-line poem using only two rhymes with repeated refrain lines. Make it intense and hypnotic. 

90. Sestina – Write an elaborate 39-line poem with a complex repeating pattern of end words. Make it complex and mathematical.

91. Pantoum – Write a meditative poem using repeating lines in an interlocking chain. Make it cyclical and hypnotic.  

92. Ballad – Write a narrative folk song with short stanzas and a repeating refrain. Make it musical and storytelling.

93. Concrete – Write visual shaped poetry using the arrangement of words on the page to enhance the meaning. Make it vivid and imaginative.

94. Acrostic – Craft a poem where the first letters of each line spell out a word when read vertically. Make it playful and clever.

95. Paradelle – Write a meditative poem repurposing lines like a double sestina. Make it recursive and kaleidoscopic.  

96. Abecedarian – Write a poem where each line or stanza begins with a successive letter of the alphabet. Make it complete and exhaustive. 

97. Rhapsody – Write an ecstatic poem praising something intensely and effusively with enthusiasm and joy. Make it euphoric and rhapsodic.

98. Recipe – Write a poem detailing the steps for making food using vivid sensory descriptions. Make it abundant, enriching and delicious.

99. Inherited Forms – Use traditional fixed forms and adapt them to fresh modern subject matter. Make it surprising and inventive.

100. Experimental – Break conventions and explore new possibilities in poetic forms, language, and subjects. Make it radically creative.

General Poetry Prompts 

1. Write a poem from the perspective of a raindrop falling from the sky. Describe what you see and feel along the journey down.

2. Pick a color and write a poem using imagery and metaphors related to that color.

3. Observe a friend or family member without their knowledge. Write a poem describing their subtle habits and quirks. 

4. Compose a poem using the items currently visible in your room as inspiration. Give each item symbolic meaning. 

5. Describe your perfect day in vivid sensory detail through poetry. Let your imagination run free.

6. Go outside and find an interesting natural object, like a flower or insect. Describe its details and connect it to a deeper meaning.

7. Recall a time you felt truly alive and free. Convey that feeling in a poem.

8. Think back to your very first memory. Describe it visually using poetic devices like alliteration, rhyme, repetition. 

9. Pick an emotion and write a poem that rouses that exact emotion in the reader.

10. Choose an historic event or person. Write a poem from their perspective. 

11. Describe your biggest dream or goal in life in a short uplifting poem.

12. Write a poem about a struggle you overcame. Convey the obstacles and your strength.  

13. Observe people in a public space. Write a poem incorporating snippets of overheard conversations.

14. Pick a song with personal meaning. Write a poem inspired by the mood, lyrics, or melody.

15. Write a poem as a letter of gratitude to someone who impacted your life.

16. Use rhythm and rhyme to turn a daily routine, like brushing your teeth, into an energetic poem. 

17. Go to a park or natural area. Write a poem personifying an aspect, like the trees swaying or water flowing.

18. Write a silly or humorous poem using puns, nonsense words, or literal meanings. 

19. Describe a delicious meal so vividly the reader can almost taste it.  

20. Use metaphor and abstract imagery to describe a state of mind like bliss, anger, grief. Allow the reader to interpret.

21. Pick an animal and describe its movements and characteristics in a poem. Think beyond physical features.

22. Write a poem describing yourself to a stranger. Convey your personality with carefully chosen details. 

23. Compose a poem using repetition of the first line at the end of each stanza. 

24. Use similes and comparisons to describe a simple object in an imaginative way.

25. Write a poem with each line containing a color that conveys the mood of that line.

26. Use personification to let an object or place tell its own story and history. 

27. Describe a picture, painting or other visual art in a poem. Move beyond the physical details.  

28. Write a poem structured as a debate between two opposing things, like love and loss.

29. Pick an issue important to you. Write a poem rallying people to action.  

30. Write a poem where the first letter of each line spells out a hidden message vertically.  

31. Compose a poem using natural imagery to describe your feelings about a relationship.

32. Use rhyming pairs of opposites throughout your poem, like dark/light, brave/afraid.

33. Choose a quote and write a poem expanding on its meaning line by line.

34. Write a poem describing a walk you took, journey you made, or trip you went on.  

35. Observe strangers and write a poem imagining their hopes, struggles, dreams.

36. Describe a sound you find comforting using literary devices like alliteration and onomatopoeia. 

37. Pick an issue in the news. Write a poem from the perspective of someone affected.  

38. Choose a monster or mythical creature. Describe its origins and purpose.

39. Use metaphor to describe a friendship or relationship in a new way.

40. Write a poem describing how you have changed over time. 

41. Use rhyme and rhythm to turn a list of items into an energetic poem.

42. Describe a moment when you felt utter joy and connection to the world. Convey this elation through poetry.  

43. Take on the point of view of an animal in nature. Describe a day in its life.

44. Write a poem sharing words of encouragement and motivation. Uplift the reader.

45. Describe a memorable experience involving one of the five senses: sight, smell, sound, taste, touch. 

46. Observe the moon. Write a poem personifying it and conveying its changing faces.  

47. Write a poem made up entirely of questions that explore an abstract theme like love, fear, hope.

48. Pick a place you visited, liked, and left. Convey your fondness for it through poetry.

49. Write a poem describing a work of art that moved you or left an impression. 

50. Use metaphor and imagery to describe an emotion without naming it. Let the reader infer based on your descriptions.

51. Write a poem describing a spiritual experience or moment of deep reflection.

52. Observe people interacting. Write a poem incorporating snippets of imaginary conversation.   

53. Use rhyme and repetition to describe a process, like making a cup of tea. 

54. Convey the feeling of experiencing something for the first time, like riding a bike. Describe the excitement and fear.

55. Personify an emotion like loneliness or heartbreak. Give it human qualities and have it narrate a poem.

56. Write a loving poem from a mother’s point of view looking at her new baby.

57. Describe someone you admire without naming them. Use metaphors to hint at who it is.

58. Pick an issue in your community. Write a rallying poem to inspire change.  

59. Observe the sky. Personify the clouds, sun, moon, and stars in your poem.

60. Write a poem around a central theme or message you want to convey to readers.  

61. Write a poem describing a work of music, like a song or symphony. Convey the sounds and feeling it evokes.

62. Pick a place that no longer exists, like a childhood home. Describe fond memories of it in a poem.  

63. Use your senses to describe a pleasant memory associated with a loved one who passed away.

64. Compose a free verse nature poem focusing on sights, sounds, and imagery.

65. Write a short philosophical poem contemplating a deep question or issue in life.  

66. Describe a failure or bad day poetically, showing what you learned from the experience. 

67. Use metaphor and imagery to describe your life’s purpose or personal philosophy.

68. Pick an object and personify it, giving it human abilities to interact with its environment and share its life story.

69. Write a poem sharing an important life lesson you learned the hard way. Offer wisdom through poetry.

70. Compose a poem made up of advice you would give your younger self.

71. Use rhythm, rhyme, and literary devices to describe the experience of being on a rollercoaster or thrill ride. 

72. Pick a job and write a poem about it from the worker’s perspective using sensory imagery.  

73. Choose a fairy tale or story. Write a poem from an alternate perspective, like the wolf’s or the giant’s.

74. Use a string of metaphors to describe someone you love in a new imaginative way.

75. Take on the voice of a supernatural or mythical being like a ghost, vampire, or mermaid. Describe your world.

76. Write a free verse poem describing yourself or your life using nature metaphors and similes.

77. Compose a poem of thanks or praise to something abstract like creativity, hope, or your childhood.

78. Write a poem sharing words of support or encouragement for someone going through a hard time.

79. Pick an issue or cause important to you. Write a poem rallying others to lend their voice or take action.  

80. Describe a beautiful landscape you visited powerfully using poetic imagery and devices. Allow the reader to envision it.

81. Use personification to let an object tell the story of its creation and history. Imagine if it could talk.  

82. Pick an emotion and write a five line poem using each line to convey it more strongly. Build intensity.

83. Describe a stranger you saw in a public place, imagining their life and personality beyond their appearance.  

84. Write a poem structured as a debate between two conflicting emotions, like joy and grief.  

85. Compose a poem sharing an important life lesson through a metaphor or symbolic story. Offer wisdom obliquely.

86. Describe a type of weather using poetic devices. Convey the sensations and experiences it evokes.

87. Take on the voice of a plant or tree in nature. Describe your limited but rich perspective on the world.

88. Write a poem celebrating a historical figure or event through praise and vivid imagery. 

89. Pick an item that symbolizes a relationship, time in your life, or experience. Describe it in detail.

90. Observe people in public. Compose a poem incorporating imagined snippets of conversation that hint at their lives. 

91. Use a central metaphor extended through a poem to describe your life’s journey or personal growth.

92. Write a poem sharing words of gratitude or praise for someone who helped you through a difficult time.  

93. Describe a memorable, fleeting moment in nature through poetry in great detail. Convey its power and beauty.

94. Pick a place you love. Use rhythm and imagery to take the reader on a poetic tour of its sights and sensations. 

95. Compose a free verse poem describing a spiritual experience, enlightening realization or moment of clarity.

96. Write a rhyming poem describing a process through a string of verbs, like chopping, mixing, folding, baking.  

97. Use similes and vivid imagery to describe a simple, everyday object in a fresh imaginative way.  

98. Take on the voice of an animal. Describe a day in your life using humor and your unique perspective.

99. Describe someone you love without naming them. Use metaphors and objects to creatively hint at who they are.

100. Free form poem: Write freely about any topic or experience important to you. Let your inner voice guide the pen.

Poetry prompts are invaluable tools for stimulating creativity and self-discovery.

 However, don’t become overly attached to any single prompt. 

Allow them to gently provoke and guide, not control. 

Keep practicing the art of channeling insights into imaginative verse. 

Appreciate that poetry’s beauty lies in capturing fleeting moments and intangible concepts. 

Your authentic experiences deserve expression. 

Revisit your poems occasionally to appreciate your evolution.

 Though rewarding, translating life into poetry requires courage and vulnerability. 

By opening up, we better know ourselves and connect with others. Keep these prompts close by whenever inspiration strikes.

By Onyemechi Nwakonam

Hi ,I write poetry and short prose. I am excited to help you organise your writing journey.

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Interactive Poetry Activities Your Students Will Love

Do you want to make poetry so fun and engaging that your students will ask for more? Here are some simple activities to get you started.

1. Blackout Poetry

There are so many reasons blackout poetry is great: kids love it, it's creative, and it forces you to clean the falling-apart books from your classroom library without the guilt of tossing them in the trash.

What is blackout poetry? It's simple. Rip out the pages of old books. Give the students some basic instructions, then watch the creativity flow!

Sample Instructions:

Blackout Poetry Examples:

2. Poet VS Poet

College basketball's March Madness is the perfect time to pit poet against poet for some exciting classroom debates, but any time of year teachers can create a similar feel by putting poets head to head and comparing their power.

Kids love competition. Creating competition with poetry naturally adds excitement and connects a sometimes intimidating genre with something familiar.

How do you implement a poet vs poet match up in your classroom? You could use an already created tool ( see Poet Vs Poet here ) or create your own match ups. For example, after a simple lesson on figurative language, ask your students to read the poetry of two different poets and rate their use of metaphors, similes, personification, and imagery. As a class, debate the poet's ratings using text based evidence.

If you are at all familiar with the basketball brackets of March Madness, poetry brackets work the same way (and you can find and download blank brackets by doing a simple Google search). I like to start with a sweet sixteen of poets, then narrow down to an elite eight, a final four, a championship, and a winner. Poets advance by having classes vote on the better poet in each match up. The reward of listening to kids debate poet's skills like the poets are athletes is worth any time it takes setting up this activity.

3. Found Poems

Found poems give language to students who may struggle to find the right words. Found poetry is easily accessible, hands on, and fun. Easy to set up, all you need to do to implement found poetry in your classroom is gather together stacks of old magazines, scissors, glue, and colorful paper.

First, instruct students to find powerful words in the pages of magazines, cut them out, and make piles on their desk. You could also assign cutting out powerful words from old magazines for homework and save yourself the time and mess in your classroom.

Next, students arrange and rearrange the words on their desk into meaningful poetry. This is a great opportunity to reinforce the power of form, shape, and line breaks in poetry and encourage students to be thoughtful in their choices. Talk to your students about choosing the best words, eliminating unnecessary words, and playing around with word choice.

Finally, instruct students to glue their poem into place on a colorful piece of paper and decorate your room with the beauty and power of poetry.

4. Poetry Escape Room

A poetry escape room is the most engaging and fun way to introduce or review poetry with your students. Escape rooms by nature are hands on and engaging. Combine the fun of an escape room with poetry and your kids will be hooked. (Check out the poetry escape room I did with my students here.)

Escape rooms, or breakout rooms, are a new trend similar to scavenger hunts. In a poetry escape room, students put together clues based on poems, poets, figurative language, poetry form, rhyme scheme, or any other poetic element. Then, students work to unlock the clues using their poetry knowledge.

Poets are experts at hiding meaning within the lines of their poetry, so use that to create clues that ask students to interpret, make inferences, and analyze. Escape rooms are a great method of turning tasks that can be intimidating to kids and making them into interactive challenges that students are motivated to engage in.

To create a poetry escape room, first choose the poetic elements or reading skills you want to target, a specific poem you want students to read and reread several times in different ways, or a theme or poet to design your escape room around.

Next, gather the materials and tasks that you would normally share with students in a traditional format, but think of creative ways to turn the tasks into clues. For example, if you want students to identify the figurative language in a poem, create task cards that students have to place in the order that those poetic elements appear in the poem. Hide small letters on the task cards so when students place the cards in order, the next clue appears. See the example below:

Get creative and hide clues within poems with bold words, put clues on task cards that students have to place in a certain order based on analysis, or choose clues based on symbolism or inferences that students can find only when they do a close read of the poem.

Although escape rooms require a lot of preparation and thought, the end result is worth the time. Students will be more engaged, thoughtful, and active in reading poetry than you could ever imagine. Escape rooms are a great way to review poetic elements or kick off a new study of poetry when you really want to catch students' attention and get them motivated.

Check out my step by step guide to creating your own escape room here .

5. Poetry Mash Up

Create a poetry mash up by writing poetry forms on slips of paper and placing them in one jar, types of figurative language and placing them in a second jar, and sound elements and placing them in a third jar. Pass the jars around the classroom and have students choose from each one, writing a poem based on what they chose.

For example, a student might choose haiku (poetry form), imagery (figurative language), and onomatopoeia (sound element). That student would then be challenged to write a haiku with imagery and an onomatopoeia. There are endless combinations and kids will have a blast writing, sharing, and seeing what poems are created in your poetry mash up.

Play over and over and model your poetry writing with students as well. Have fun laughing at the ridiculous and enjoy the surprise when students create some really amazing pieces with different combinations of poetic elements.

Making poetry fun and hands on is not only possible, but with a little creativity, it's really easy to implement at any level. Help your students to find the joy in creating magic with only a few words in different shapes and forms. Take the intimidation factor out of poetry by connecting poetry to fun challenges, familiar activities, and hand on learning.

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Where I’m From Poetry Activity

by Elizabeth Peterson | Arts Education and Integration | 6 comments

This poem, Where I’m From written by George Ella Lyon, is a touching one that gives insight to the person who wrote it through the senses and visualization.  From family sayings to the smells that bring her childhood to life, it is like a time capsule of memories: an opening to a her heart and an inside secret all in one. The Where I’m From poetry activity will sure open a door in getting to know your students and encourage creativity and expression.

Connections to SEAL: Social-Emotional Artistic Learning 

Studying this poem and then creating a sort of copy-cat poem from it is a great activity for your students (and YOU) to do. 

It encourages deep reflection as students practice self-awareness.

Through this activity, students will be able to identify important people and events in their family and connect them to emotions.

The poem study also give students a change to reflect on the supports they have around them and express gratitude for them!

Based on this poem, you can help your students create their own poetry to encapsulate this time in their lives.  In the past I have used this poem and the creation of one as an activity around this time of year as part of National Poetry Month.  And since it is a poem about the student, it is also a great project to complete as a gift for a family member. (A real tear-jerker!)

To get you started, here are three steps (plus an optional fourth) you can take to bring the poem into your classroom.

The Original Poem:

Where i’m from.

by George Ella Lyon

I am from clothespins,

from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride.

I am from the dirt under the back porch.

(Black, glistening,

it tasted like beets.)

I am from the forsythia bush

the Dutch elm

whose long-gone limbs I remember

as if they were my own.

I’m from fudge and eyeglasses,

from Imogene and Alafair.

I’m from the know-it-alls

and the pass-it-ons,

from Perk up! and Pipe down!

I’m from He restoreth my soul

with a cottonball lamb

and ten verses I can say myself.

I’m from Artemus and Billie’s Branch,

fried corn and strong coffee.

From the finger my grandfather lost

to the auger,

the eye my father shut to keep his sight.

Under my bed was a dress box

spilling old pictures,

a sift of lost faces

to drift beneath my dreams.

I am from those moments–

snapped before I budded —

leaf-fall from the family tree.

Step ONE – Read the Poem and Listen to the Audio:

Follow this link to hear George Ella Lyon,  the poet, recite her poem

Play this multiple times for your students and ask them to give their reflections on the poem.

• What parts of the poem stand out to you?
• What creates a sense of flow and rhythm in the poem?
• What images come to mind as you listen to/read the poem?
• What conclusions can you draw about the poet from the things she has described?

Step Two – Have Student Brainstorm Ideas:

Get a copy of the worksheet for students to gather ideas for the poem by entering your name and email in the form below. 

Step Three  – Study the Patterns in the Poem :

Following a brainstorm and before giving students time to write theirs, invite students to study the poem, noticing where Lyon writes “I’m from…”, “from…” and uses lines to further describe some aspect of her childhood.

Step Four (optional) – Look at Other Examples:

Here are some student examples (grade 4) of their own “i’m from” poems:.

by Kate “Where I’m From…” I am from sweet smells, New books and paper. Reusable shopping bags, And sprinkle coated ice-cream that taste so good on hot days. From Germany and England, My bed, chair, and couch. I am from my family, My mom, dad, sister, and Grandma That comfort me when I’m sad. I am from “I can hear you up there!” To, “Go for it!” From the old story of ‘Princess Kate’ I am from the sugary taste of mint chocolate chip ice-cream, And salty, orange Play Dough From chicken frying on the grill, And candy apples waiting on a napkin. I am from the beautiful pictures of my family, Coming from my mind, my pink, glistening camera, and my quilted scrap-book It is these memories I will never forget.

And here’s another student example:

by Donovan “Where I’m From…” I am from rivers, from beaches and lobster pots. I am from salty oceans which make me shiver in the cold. I am from the Mouth of the Merrimack River the roughest place on the East Coast Which I go through every summer day I know it by heart. I’m from Cranmore and skiing from Dexter and Peyton I’m from the bankers, and the doctors from “Go Fast or Go Home” I’m from stories about my brother and lullabies my dad made up for us as babies. I’m from Andrea and Brady Barbecue and chicken fingers from the hysterical songs about my brother all making me lucky. In a room, I have baseball trophies that I will cherish all my life I am from those times that whizzed by so fast that all belong to my home.

I hope you try this in your classrooms.  Please let me know how it goes by adding to the comments!  (Be sure to see the comment by the poet herSELF!)

Independent Project Series – Poetry Project

Dear Elizabeth,

I’m so glad to know you and your students have found this exercise helpful.

Please tell them Happy National Poetry Month from me!

For all our voices,

George Ella Lyon

Wow! Thank you for the your comment!

I went through this process of creating my own poem in the style and feel of yours. It was a wonderful experience! I put it together and ended up giving it to my parents. It’s very special to me.

I know when my students created their own, it made a few parents shed a few tears, or in other words, truly moved them. AH! The power and wonder of poetry!

I will be sure to send your well wishes to them all. ~Elizabeth

I did this poetry project again this year (2014) and my students wrote some of the most wonderful, sentimental poetry for some special women in their life this past Mother’s Day. This is really such a wonderful thing to do for family members (or just for your own enjoyment!)

Reinforce Alliteration, discuss poetry and create a beautiful work of art! Great cross-curricular lesson plan from Creative Curriculum.

I’m going to do this with my 6th graders this week for National Day of Writing on the 20th. Thank you! The form for the worksheet takes me to a webinar page… is that worksheet still available?

Hi Jen! I’m so glad you are going to do this with your students. Please come back and share how it goes! You were brought to a webinar sign up page, but you also should have received an email with the resource link. Please be sure to check your spam/junk just in case. Let me know!! Elizabeth

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20 Easy Poetry Writing Prompts and Exercises

Although I mostly write fiction now, I started out writing poems. My MFA is even in poetry. I’ve taught beginning poetry workshops at university and also in some fairly unusual settings.

I know a lot of people can use ideas for poems, poetry writing prompts, and inspiration. Even if you write poetry all the time, one of these idea starters might spark your muse or take your writing in a fresh direction. And if you’re a teacher—whether you teach creative writing, English, or grade school—you might be able to adapt one of these for your class!

My favorite thing about poetry is that there aren’t any real rules about how to write a poem. When you find your creative inspiration—whether it’s love, life, or something else—you can just let the words flow. (You can always shape it up later.)

Here are some idea starters, prompts, and exercises that have worked for me before as a poet. You might want to pin or bookmark them for future reference!

1. Pick a song on your iPod, phone, or a playlist at random and let it influence you as you quickly write a first draft of a poem.

2. Go to a café, library, or fast food restaurant. Sit where you can see the door. Write a poem about the next person who walks in.

3. You can also do this in a public place where there are a lot of people talking: write a poem based on an overheard conversation.

4. Write a poem about a wild animal. Mary Oliver, who passed away recently and who was such a great talent and inspiration, has written many poems like this, including “The Hermit Crab,” “ The Shark ,” and “ Wild Geese .”

5. Write a poem inspired by a piece of art. (By the way, the word for a poem or literary work inspired by visual art is ekphrasis . Pretty cool, right?)

6. Write a poem with a refrain: a line or a few lines that repeat, like the chorus of a song.

7. This isn’t the easiest poetry-writing exercise…but I’ve gotten some good poems this way!

Set your alarm for two hours earlier than you usually wake up. Put a notebook and pen next to your bed. When you wake up, free-write for about fifteen minutes. (“Free-writing” means “writing down whatever pops into your head, without thinking too hard about it.”) If you woke up in the middle of a dream, use the dream as inspiration; otherwise, just write whatever comes into your head. Go back to sleep. Later, turn your free-writing into a poem.

8. Write a poem that’s an open letter to a whole group of people.

9. Write a poem that’s a set of directions or instructions.

10. Write a poem about a food. The poet Kevin Young has many examples to inspire you, including “Ode to Gumbo”:

11. Write a poem in which every line begins with the same word. You can change that in revision…or maybe you won’t want to.

12. For this one, you’ll need to either write in a notebook or journal, or on your phone. Go to a store that would be a weird place to write a poem—like a convenience store, a department store, or a drugstore—and write a quick poem.

13. Write a poem that focuses on one color. Federico García Lorca’s poem “Somnambulist Ballad,” translated from the Spanish, or Diane Wakoski’s poem “Blue Monday” might inspire you.

14. Pretend you’re a fictional character from a book, movie, or TV show. Write a poem in their voice.

15. Write an acrostic poem. The first letter of each line spells out a word vertically down the left-hand side of the page. Even for serious poets who would never try to publish an acrostic poem, this is a great exercise to get creative juices flowing.

16. lose your eyes, flip through a book, and put your finger on a page. Whatever word you’re pointing at, use it as a poem title and write that poem.

17. Write a poem late at night, by hand, by candlelight.

18. Fill a page with free-writing using your non-dominant hand. This can help you tap into less rational, more creative thought patterns.

19. Write a poem with very long lines. Walt Whitman’s collection Leaves of Grass might inspire you.

20. Write a poem saying goodbye to someone or something. It could be a happy poem, a sad poem, or both.

I hope you enjoyed this list of creative writing exercises and poetry prompts!

Would you like some more ideas? My book 5,000 Writing Prompts  has 80 more poetry-writing exercises in addition to the ones on this list, plus hundreds of master plots by fiction genre, dialogue and character prompts, and much more.

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Do you have a method or exercise that inspires you? Let us know in the comments! I’ve said it before, but I learn so much from the comment section, and I always appreciate it. Thanks for reading, and happy writing!

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13 thoughts on “ 20 easy poetry writing prompts and exercises ”.

I took a class I thought was on creative writing but the instructor turned out to be a poet. She had us write a short story about a snow storm. She gave us specific things that had to be in it, like a snow shovel and various other objects. Over the next few meeting we condensed the story down until we had the basis for a poem. At the end of the semester, after we had moved on to other things, she asked me if she could submit my poem in a contest for submission in the school’s literary publication. I did not win butI I was thrilled to be nominated. I did however, have a haiku poem in that publication. At the time, I was disappointed the class was slanted more to poetry than creative writing, but what I learned there helped me win some poetry contests along my journey.

Bonnie, I love it that something that started out disappointing turned out to have a silver lining! We really do learn from all kinds of writing.

Thank you for sharing this wealth of information! I have many methods of exercise when it comes to writing. Being creative in other ventures helps my writing and helps me move past “blocks.” I will write poetry or listen to music, but I find the most helpful is being outside, in my garden or simply playing fetch with my dog and looking around at nature to inspire me.

Hi, Savannah! Being outside inspires me, too, and it’s really easy for me to forget about that. I’m so glad you brought that up!

What a wonderful list. While I don’t (can’t?) write poetry, I do enjoy reading it. I had to laugh at #18. When I write with my non-dominant (left) hand I tend to write backward. Others need a mirror to read it, but I don’t. I will be back to try out a couple of your prompts. Thanks for sharing.

Hi Jo! I think anyone can write poetry, but that doesn’t mean everyone enjoys it, of course! That’s funny about writing backwards with your left hand—I don’t think I could do that if I tried. Thanks for reading, and commenting!

Thanks, for sharing this, and I took a creative writinh class in college and even found a website that has all sorts of poetry styles, and forms with examples of each one and definitions as well. It definitely helped me with my poetry, and I also read two books on wriing poetry as well.

Thank you so much!

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Every Student Can Be a Poet

Five easy-to-implement strategies to make poetry writing accessible and fun for all students.

Each year, when I tell my students that we are going to write poetry, a few are excited, but the majority let out an audible sigh. They often have the misconception that poetry is about following a lot of rules and using words that they don’t understand. They’re more open and excited when the focus shifts toward sharing their ideas and feelings with others in a creative format.

With each new type of poetry I teach, I work through writing a poem with them and talk through my thinking. Showing students that their teacher’s writing is far from perfect and sometimes comes out a lot different than envisioned empowers them to create their own work. I also model the risk-taking of starting a poem and the beauty of improvement through revision.

The poetry-writing process can become more inclusive and engaging when you offer a variety of poetry-writing exercises.

Blackout Poetry

Start with a page from any text and ask students to choose words from that text to create a poem. They black out any words they don’t want in their poem with a marker. They then rewrite all the remaining words into a poem.

Ask students to plan what they want to black out by lightly underlining in pencil before they begin marking through words. The only rule is that they must use these words in the order that they appear.

Students enjoy using texts that seem uninteresting at first glance, such as pages out of discarded grammar books. They love turning something boring into a fun poem.

Blackout poetry is a good starting point for new poets because the words are already on the page and students only need to determine which words to use. This strategy can also be used as an interdisciplinary assignment in which students use text from specific content to create a poem about that content, such as using the Bill of Rights to create a poem about the Revolutionary War.

Word-Scramble Poetry

This strategy begins with a pile of words cut out on individual pieces of paper. They can be specific words chosen by the teacher or words collected from students. Students organize the words to create any poem they would like without adding new words. This strategy allows students to see that there is not a right way to write a poem, and everyone leaves class with a completed poem. When I model this for students, they love to see me moving words around, changing my mind and wishing so much for words that I don’t have.

There are several variations of the word-scamble poetry method. One involves giving all students the same group of words and discovering how many different ideas are formulated using those same words. Another involves giving students different groups of words and allowing them to trade words. A last variation involves a bit of stealing by the teacher: Periodically walk around the classroom and distribute new words or take some words away.

My Life in ___ Words

Students are given the task of writing the story of their life using only the same number of words as their age. This helps students practice word choice and takes a little of the pressure off because it is, by default, a short piece.

A variation of this method is to use a different cap on the number of words that students may use. I’ve asked students to write about a specific topic using fewer than five or 10 words.

Prose to Poetry

Students write out their ideas for a poem without worrying about format. They are encouraged to write freely about whatever emotion or topic they would like to convey in their poem. Then students follow four steps to turn the prose into poetry:

• Decide what emotion or idea is most important for you to convey in your poem, and keep that in mind as you make revisions.
• Cut the word count by at least half by eliminating unneeded words and phrases. Highlight the most important words and phrases that you want to keep and delete the rest.
• Highlight what you think is the most important phrase, and make it your title.
• Rearrange the remaining words and phrases in a way that helps you convey your idea. Consider starting and ending all lines with a noun, adjective, or verb.

My Worst Poem

Ask students to write the worst poem ever about something they feel strongly about. Then have them go through a few revisions, making edits to turn it into something they are proud to share. This takes the pressure off of getting something on paper. Once they get over the stress of what to write and just start writing, they almost always realize that their “worst poem” isn’t that bad at all.

Celebrating Successes

After working through a few of these activities, students often comment on how surprised they are about how many poems they wrote and how much fun they had. I end the unit celebrating their writing with a poetry café, where students share their poems with their classmates and enjoy a few snacks. Creating easy and accessible exercises for poetry writing can turn skeptical students into poets.

13 Poetry Lesson Plans For High School

Teach your students what a poem is as well as all the important information necessary while  teaching poetry, like: vocabulary, sound devices, types of poetry, figurative language, how to analyze a poem, and how to find rhyme scheme.

In this resource, you will receive a packet of graphic organizers/guided notes along with a Powerpoint lesson that teaches the following terminology:

poem, speaker, line, stanza, quatrain, couplet, cinquain, tercet, refrain, symbol, theme, mood

tone, imagery, juxtaposition, oxymoron, pun, paradox, allusion, proverb, foot, iamb, iambic pentameter, enjambment, anaphora, metonymy

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

simile, metaphor, personification, idiom, hyperbole, irony

SOUND DEVICES

rhyme, rhyme scheme, slant rhyme, rhythm, meter, alliteration, consonance, assonance, onomatopoeia, repetition

TYPES OF POETRY

narrative, lyrical, haiku, ballad, sonnet, limerick, free verse, acrostic, concrete, blank verse, blues poem, elegy, ode, prose, villanelle

HOW TO ANALYZE A POEM

HOW TO DETERMINE RHYME SCHEME

This resource includes a copy of the poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe and 26 close reading questions. The analysis includes an in-depth look at academic vocabulary, poetic devices, and literary elements in the poem. (An answer key is also provided.)

Poetic and Literary Devices Covered in this Activity:

alliteration

• rhyme scheme
• gothic literature

In this  poetry analysis activity,  your students will read and answer questions regarding the famous poem  “To an Athlete Dying Young” by A. E. Housman.  Next, your students will listen to the song  “If I Die Young” by The Band Perry  that carries a similar message. Then, students will take a closer look at how these two texts relate. Comparing and contrasting these paired texts will help your students better understand point of view, tone, mood, and theme! Add music to make poetry fun for students! This resource includes:

• Full text of the poem “To an Athlete Dying Young” by A. E. Housman
• Analysis questions for the poem “To an Athlete Dying Young”
• Song analysis questions based on the lyrics “If I Die Young” by The Band Perry
• Compare and contrast question about the song and poem
• EDITABLE copy of the questions so you can make modifications if needed
• ANSWER KEYS for everything

In this  Paired Texts Poetry Analysis , your students will analyze the two poems:  “An Obstacle” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman & “Do not go gentle into that good night” by Dylan Thomas.

This resource includes:

• Full text of “An Obstacle” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (Due to copyright law, I am unable to provide a full text of the poem “Do not go gentle into that good night” by Dylan Thomas)
• Graphic Organizer that closely examines both poems for: meaning, tone, figurative language, setting, imagery, and theme (PDF)
• Answer key for poem analyses
• Constructed Response task which requires students to develop an answer in paragraph form. (The first CR question asks students to compare the themes in each poem. The second CR question requires students to personally connect with the theme.)
• Editable copy (word document) of the poetry analysis graphic organizer

As your students watch the 1989 Film  Dead Poets Society  (directed by Peter Weir), have them answer these  film analysis questions  to help them better comprehend and understand the film’s meaning and purpose. Additionally, have them personally connect to the theme of the film by  writing their own free verse poem  in response to Walt Whitman’s poem “O Me! O Life!” The film is 2 hours and 8 minutes in length.

Included in this lesson:

• 22 Comprehension and Analysis questions based on the film  “ Dead Poets Society” — these questions require students to connect to the characters in the film and use inferencing skills
• Answer key to the film’s analysis questions
• Free Verse Writing Activity: prompt and rubric in response to Walt Whitman’s poem “O Me! O Life!”
• Editable copy of the lesson for teachers to make modifications if needed

Teach your students all about  Sonnets  with a unique analysis of  William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 138.

1) First, use the Powerpoint presentation to familiarize your students with:

• Sonnet definition and structure
• Shakespearean Sonnets
• Petrarchan Sonnets
• Spenserian Sonnets
• Miltonic Sonnets
• Iambic pentameter
• Two-part thematic Structure
• Rhyme Scheme

Guided notes worksheet included!

2) Then, have your students analyze Shakespeare’s Sonnet 138 by answering comprehension and literary analysis questions. Answer key included!

3) Lastly, have your students  write their own original Shakespearean Sonnet . Directions and guidelines included.

Students will read and  analyze the famous poem by John Keats, “Ode On A Grecian Urn.”  This resource is great for any poetry unit!

This lesson includes:

• Full text of the poem “Ode On A Grecian Urn”
• 14 Questions about the poem: a mix of comprehension and literary analysis questions
• Write Your Own Ode Poem Activity for Students (Directions and Requirements)
• EDITABLE Word Document so you can make modifications if you wish to

Teach your students all about  Blackout Poetry with this fun lesson and activity!

In this resource, you will receive:

• Teacher Guide
• Powerpoint lesson on Blackout Poetry with step by step directions for students to create their own blackout poems in a variety of ways
• 10 Examples of blackout poems
• 40 Pages of printable texts your students can use to make their own poetry
• Editable word document Rubric and Prompt for students

In this  High School Poetry Packet , your students will read, study, and analyze six famous poems! Perfect for any Poetry Unit!

This packet is a wonderful tool because you can have students complete the literary analysis questions in a variety of ways: whole-class, independently, or collaboratively.

The 6 poems included in this packet are:

• Sonnet V by Shakespeare
• “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost
• “I’m happiest when most away” by Emily Brontë
• “The Tyger” by William Blake
• “When I have Fears That I May Cease to Be” by John Keats
• “If” by Rudyard Kipling

In this packet, students will work on poetry skills such as: rhyme scheme, rhyme, imagery, assonance, consonance, caesura, anaphora, alliteration, theme, tone, mood, personification, enjambment, connotation, and more.

Your students are going to love this  Poetry Digital Escape Room!  Students will read and analyze the poem  “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost.

They will solve puzzles in this peaceful scene of snowy woods, glistening mountaintops, and a beautiful, serene frozen lake. In this  360°  digital escape room, students will try to escape the woods before the sun goes down! This activity is designed to work for a laptop, tablet, or smart phone.

This game requires reading comprehension strategies, knowledge of poetic devices, and critical thinking skills. Watch the preview video and see exactly what’s inside the digital escape room!

Included in this download are teacher instructions, student instructions (digital), the master lock graphic organizer, answer keys, the full text of the poem, and a reflection sheet (optional).

Assign your students  a one pager poetry analysis project  and have your students share their understanding of ANY POEM by imaginatively blending their written ideas with colorful images from the text. You can pick one poem for your whole class to use or have all your students pick their own individual poems! Students’ artwork make for unique and creative analyses of the literature and also make great bulletin boards!

Included in this purchase is:

• Student directions for the one pager project
• Rubric for the one pager project
• Example one pager (based on the poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas)
• 10 BLANK TEMPLATES (printable — optional)
• EDITABLE word document so teachers can modify instructions or rubric

Students are encouraged to include several of these literary devices, poetic devices (sound devices), and figurative language elements into their final projects: metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, imagery, pun, oxymoron, paradox, idiom, allusion, symbolism, assonance, consonance, alliteration, anaphora, rhyme, rhyme scheme, repetition, onomatopoeia, cacophony, mood, tone, and theme.

This resource includes a  Poetry Assessment for high school  students (9th-12th grade ELA). You will receive a printable PDF copy of the test as well as an  EDITABLE  word document in case you would like to make modifications. A detailed answer key is also included!

The format of this test includes:

• 10 fill-in-the-blank questions with a word bank
• 8 matching questions with poem types
• 5 matching questions with sound devices
• 7 matching questions with figurative language
• A poetry analysis of two poems:  “A Psalm of Life”  by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and the Sonnet  “Death, be not proud”  by John Donne.
• Students will answer 5 multiple choice questions regarding each poem
• 1 constructed response where students will compare the themes of each poem in a minimum of two fully developed paragraphs

(41 questions in total including the written response)

The Poetry Test covers the following literary terms:

narrative poem

lyrical poem

onomatopoeia

personification

Have your students create a collaborative poster and learn about  William Shakespeare  in a fun and engaging way!

Your students will create an author biography by researching Shakespeare and establishing his profile on a poster.

Students will learn about Shakespeare and his body of work as an influential author.

Additionally, they will learn the importance of collaboration and effective communication. This project is perfect for   National Poetry Month.

Project Steps:

1) To construct the author study poster, your students will work in groups to conduct research on Shakespeare.

2) Students will then transfer their findings to boxes on the poster.

3) Next, they will work together to color or paint the pieces of the poster.

4) Lastly, students will tape together the final product.

The poster is made up of six pieces of paper, which can be printed on regular copy paper or card stock.

Once taped together, the final product will be  28″ x 15″  and can last a lifetime if you laminate it!

This resource includes the following:

• Step by Step Student Directions (PDF & editable word document)
• Author Study Project Rubric (PDF & editable word document)
• Author Study Graphic Organizer for Students (PDF & editable word document)
• 6 Blank Coloring Pages that come together as one beautiful poster (PDFs)
• William Shakespeare Author Study Answer Key
• Example of Final Project: Completed Text & Fully Colored Body

Check out more from my LITERARY LEGENDS Collection:

• Emily Dickinson
• Langston Hughes
• George Orwell
• Robert Frost
• Walt Whitman

This resource is a  FULL POETRY UNIT for High School English, Grades 9-12!

You will get a collection of various lessons, activities, and projects, plus an awesome digital escape room, and final test! I’ve also included a schedule for teachers to follow day-by-day! This bundle is so diverse and your students will read at least 18 different poems within this unit!

Included in this  high school poetry unit bundle:

• Introduction Poetry Lesson & Guided Notes
• The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Poem Close Reading
• To an Athlete Dying Young by A. E. Housman & Song Comparison Activity
• Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night & An Obstacle Paired Texts Analysis
• Dead Poets Society Movie Guide & Free Verse Poem Writing
• Sonnet 138 William Shakespeare, Sonnet Lesson & Writing Activity
• Ode On A Grecian Urn | Poem by John Keats & Ode Writing Activity
• Blackout Poetry Lesson and Creative Art Project
• Poetry Packet: Analysis of 6 Poems
• Poetry Digital Escape Room using Robert Frost Poem
• Poetry One-Pager for ANY POEM
• Editable Poetry Test with Answer Key
• William Shakespeare Author Study: Collaborative Poster Project!
• Teacher guide with day by day schedule for 4 weeks of Poetry

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11 Fun Poetry Activities Middle School Students Will Love

Did you know April is National Poetry Month? I’m so excited for it. I love, love, love poetry, and I want your middle schoolers to love it too! Writing poetry got me through some tough times as an angsty middle schooler and teen, so I always look forward to exploring poetry with my students. I hope some of these poetry activities for middle school will help you get excited about teaching poetry to your students too!

Outdoor Poetry Activities for Middle School

Learning is always more fun in the sun! Here’s a  super simple outdoor writing activity  you can use with your class on the next sunny day. Take students outside and challenge them to pick one thing that they think is beautiful (and yes, it should be a  thing,  not a person…). Get them to describe that item with the most vivid language possible. You could also challenge them to use only figurative language. Later, have them to pick their favourite phrases and build a poem around them.

If you’re teaching students how to write haikus, there’s no better place to be than in the great outdoors! Traditionally, haikus are written about nature, which makes this lesson the perfect opportunity for outdoor learning. I have this vision of finding a cherry blossom tree near my school and getting my students to sit around it as they write some haikus…

Half the fun of writing poetry is getting to share it. Have your students make a  poetry walk  on the school grounds with sidewalk chalk. Give them all a section of the sidewalk and let them write one of their favourite poems! For this activity, shorter poems like couplets and haikus are generally better. They’re easier for people passing by to read, and they’re easy to write with fat pieces of chalk.

Teaching Rhyme or Structure

Games for teaching rhyme.

Rhyme Challenges  are one of the easiest poetry activities middle school teachers can use to help students practice rhyme. Put a one-syllable word up on the board, break students into groups, and challenge them to come up with as many rhyming words as possible. Then, as a class, take some time to share all the words students brainstormed. To make this into a competition, coordinate with another teacher so your classes can compete

One thing to note: many students will find that coming up with multisyllabic rhymes are difficult. If you want to incentivise them to think out of the box, tell them each syllable is worth one point! These challenges are a great opportunity to model how you come up with rhymes. Personally, I do a mental run-through of the alphabet. For example, if I’m rhyming with “cat”, I’d think  bat, chat, drat, fat,  etc. 

Around the World  is another one of those fun poetry activities middle school students will love. Begin by having all but one of the students sit in their seats. That one student stands behind a classmate. This is the starting point. On the count of three, the teacher calls out a word. The student who is standing and the student sitting in front of them both try to think of a word that rhymes. Whoever comes up with one first gets to move on and stand behind the next student. The person who loses this round sits in the seat, whether that means they stay where they were seated or trade places with the person they were standing behind. The challenge is to see if any students can make it ‘around the world’ (around the classroom and back to the seat they started in).

Buzz In: A Game for Poetic Structure

If you’re teaching a poetic structure with rules, like limericks or haikus, here’s a fun way to practice them. I call it Buzz In,  but it’s really just gamified collective writing. Start off by picking a particular poetic form. For this example, let’s go with limericks. Choose three or four students to come up to the front and give each one buzzers or some way to signal when they’re ready. 

Tell students the first line of the poem they’ll be “playing”. For this example, let’s start with – “There once was a girl whose name was Ann.”

The first student to buzz in and share a second line gets to stay in the game. Perhaps they say something like, “who played in an angry rock band.” The students who did not buzz in first return to their desks.

• Call three more students up. Recite the two lines of the poem as it currently stands. 
• Whoever buzzes in first with the next line gets to stay. The others return to their desks.
• Continue until the poem is complete.
• See if students can break the class record for staying in the game for the most rounds! 

Analyzing Poetry Activities

Poetry puzzles.

• The first student to buzz in and share a second line gets to stay in the game. Perhaps they say something like, “who played in an angry rock band”. The other three return to their desks.
• Call three more students up. Recite the two lines that you have now (yours and the one from the student who won the last round).
• Whoever buzzes in first with the next line gets to stay, and the others return to their desks.

Cross-Curricular Poetry Analysis

If you teach multiple subjects,  consider tying poetry into a math unit on patterns . Patterning and rhyme schemes go hand in hand! You can even tie in math, poetry, and art, by having students represent the rhyme scheme of a poem in a visual arts piece.

Another way you can make your poetry unit cross-curricular is by having students  represent a poem through dance, drama, visual arts, or music . Students could come up with a short skit that showcases an event they think may have inspired their chosen poem. They could also create an illustrated poetry anthology. I have criteria and rubrics available for a poetry anthology project  here .

If you’re looking for guaranteed buy-in for your middle school poetry unit, bring in some music by sending students on a  Music Hunt ! Get them to look for songs that have examples of specific literary devices or follow a particular rhyme scheme. Let them play the song for their classmates (as long as it’s school-appropriate, of course), and demonstrate how it fits the criteria.

Poetry Books for Middle School

I ntroduce your students to the world of free verse poetry! It’ll blow the minds of kids who were raised to think   Cat in the Hat   was the height of poetic sophistication. Here are some free verse poetry books middle school students will love:

• Inside Out and Back Again  by Thanhha Lai
•  Forget Me Not  by Ellie Terry
• Other Words for Home  by Jasmine Warga
• Anything by  Kwame Alexander
• Here Was Paradise  by Humberto A’kabal

Looking for something shorter? Try out  Can I Touch You r  Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship . It’s a picture book written from the perspectives of a white girl and Black boy who are paired together for a poetry project… what a great anchor text for a poetry unit!

Just because you’re teaching big kids, it doesn’t mean that you have to ditch your rhyming picture books! Older kids enjoy a just-for-fun read aloud too. You can totally use simple poetry books for middle school lessons. Make your students work a little by pausing as you read and getting them to shout out their rhyme predictions. Some of my favourite go-to books for rhyme predicting are  Thelma the Unicorn ,  The Girl Who Thought in Pictures , and  The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes .  If you want to be extra tricky, you can cover the rhyming words with sticky notes.

Poetry Activities as Morning Work

If you’re into morning work, try some of these poetry warm up activities!

• Free verse  can be daunting for young writers who are used to thinking of poetry as words that rhyme. It’s almost like they’re intimidated by the lack of structure! Attempting it in small, manageable chunks with familiar topics makes it much less scary. For example, you might have students write a free verse poem about their happy place as a morning work activity.
• Finish This:  Begin by putting part of a poem on the board; it can be one you made up or something you found online or in a book. Challenge students to come up with the rest of the poem, then take some time to let volunteers share their completed poems with the class. It’s so neat to see all the different ways students run with the same text!

Poetry Teaching Activities: Gallery Walk or Pass-Along

 Middle school students are old enough to stretch themselves when it comes to poetry. We can start expecting them to move away from basic rhymes. And, for the love of all things literary, we can ditch those horrid “I Am” poems. Any poem that works as a fill-in-the-blank is not going to stretch your students as writers.

If we want students to write quality poetry that doesn’t sound like they used a template, we need to actually expose them to high-quality poetry. We need them to know that poetry can take many different forms. Here’s the thing, even the best poets in the world are not going to excel in every poetic form… and that’s OK. When teaching poetry, I think it’s important to let students experiment with a bunch of different poetic forms so they can find what makes their hearts sing.

This is where one of my favourite poetry teaching activities comes in:   poetry gallery walks !   This set of poetry gallery walk posters features example poems for nine different poetic forms. Before I  introduce a new poetic form, students can go on a poetry gallery walk to explore some examples. I always like to see if they can figure out the ‘rules’ of the poetic form as they go.

Students move at their own pace and don’t have to read all the examples, but they should read at least a few. Afterward, we debrief by talking about what the poems had in common and what made them different. We share favourite lines and see if anyone has questions or comments they’d like to share about the meanings of or words in the poems. I like this structure because it makes the students do the work of figuring things out on their own rather than just listening to me tell them the  ‘rules’.

If space is limited in your room, see if you can use space in the hallways or outside for your gallery walks! I often do mine outdoors; our portable is magnetic, so I just stick the posters in whiteboard pockets and hang them up with magnetic whiteboard clips. However, if space isn’t available, you can also do a poetry pass-along with these little poetry cards (see below)!

Looking for more poetry teaching ideas for middle school or upper-elementary?

If so, check out  this blog post  that outlines how to structure a middle school poetry unit!

Want to remember these poetry activities middle school students will love? Pin the imge below to save them for later!

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• Homework Hater's Haven: Exploring Poems about the Dreaded Assignment

Homework, a word that strikes fear and loathing into the hearts of students around the world. The very mention of it can lead to groans, eye rolls, and a sudden longing for freedom. But what better way to channel our frustration than through the art of poetry? Join us as we delve into the world of poems about hating homework, where writers express their disdain, frustration, and yearning for liberation.

Poem 1: "The Homework Curse"

Oh, wretched homework, my mortal foe Your cruel existence fills me with woe Endless equations, problems galore My sanity, you forever bore

Reading assignments that never cease My heart longs for a moment of peace Essays and projects, a never-ending plight Oh, how I despise you, homework, every single night

This short but impactful poem encapsulates the frustration and weariness experienced by countless students when faced with piles of assignments.

Poem 2: "Homework Blues"

The clock strikes midnight, my heart does sink Another night of homework, my spirit starts to shrink Math problems taunting, history notes mocking I yearn for freedom, my heart feels it's blocking

My friends outside, enjoying life's pleasures While I'm stuck inside, measuring out my endeavors Homework, you're a thief of time and joy A burden placed upon every girl and boy

This poignant poem beautifully expresses the feeling of being left out, as homework keeps us away from the joys of life and the company of friends.

Poem 3: "The Homework Rebellion"

Homework, hear my roar, my mighty plea I reject your chains, I long to be free No more hours slaving, no more tears shed It's time to rise, it's time to be ahead

Textbooks and notebooks, I'll cast them aside For I refuse to let you, homework, be my guide My mind craves freedom, my spirit seeks flight Homework, you've met your match, tonight

This empowering poem encourages rebellion against the shackles of homework, urging students to reclaim their time and prioritize their own growth and well-being.

In the realm of poetry, even the most mundane subjects can be transformed into works of art. Poems about hating homework provide a cathartic outlet for the frustrations experienced by students worldwide. Through poignant verses and powerful imagery, these poems capture the universal sentiment of longing for liberation from the clutches of assignments. So, the next time you find yourself drowning in homework, take solace in these poems and remember, you are not alone in your distaste for the dreaded task.

• Famous Poems About Weakness: Exploring Vulnerability in Poetry
• African Poems: Unveiling the Harsh Realities of Colonialism

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Nonfiction-Inspired Poetry: A Creative Writing Assignment

Poetry and nonfiction are quite possibly two of the most polarizing text genres for both teachers and students. People tend to gravitate toward them or away from them, but they are both so important in the ELA curriculum. Students need to be able to read and write about nonfiction and poetry. In today’s post, I’m sharing one of my favorite creative writing assignments for secondary ELA.

In the past, I’ve written about ways to make poetry engaging as well as how to write poetry inspired by pictures . Since poetry is not my favorite genre to teach, I’ve really had to do some research to find assignments that my students will enjoy. Reading and analyzing it is not really the issue. When I ask students to write poetry, they generally seem less than inspired.

I first learned about this type of poetry when I was reading  A Teacher’s Guide to the Multigenre Research Project . What I love about it is that it combines elements of found poetry, concrete poetry, and collages. In her book, Lutz calls this form of poetry a crot. Crots are snippets of thoughts…short fragments. As a creative writing assignment, the crot blurs the lines between prose and poetry, and the power rests on the author’s creativity in expression.

What I like to do with this type of creative writing assignment is ask students to respond to nonfiction (and fiction) texts thoughtfully during our poetry or multigenre unit. It really is a fun assignment to teach, to write, and to grade. Here’s how I introduce it to my students:

1. Read a nonfiction text.

So we begin by reading and annotating the source that we will use as inspiration for the crot. I love to allow students choice. Their passion about the topic brings out their best work. Still, I use a model to demonstrate. The example above references research from two different nonfiction articles as well as a Disney movie and Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem “We Wear the Mask.”

These crots, or collage poems, can be written without research, but the whole purpose as I use them is to present knowledge learned about a topic in an inspiring and nontraditional way. Still, they should be taking that information and using it to convey an original idea. When students use multiple sources, I ask them to unify the themes in their crot.

2. Teach students about white space.

One of the fun parts of writing poetry that consists of short snippets of thought is that the author gets to decide where to place those thoughts on the page. Placement should be strategic and even symbolic. I seize this opportunity to give students a brief lesson on marketing. Less is more.

3. Emphasize the importance of the artistic approach.

Crots that involve symbolic color, fonts with bold personalities, and uniquely arranged information will have a deeper meaning than those that are typed linearly in all 12 point Times New Roman font.

Have students do some research about what different colors might symbolize. Ask them to think about the content they are writing. How can it be arranged to represent differences in opinion, sequence, or cause and effect? Allow students the opportunity to add doodles, images, and even magazine word or letter cut-outs to their crots for added zest.

4. Be clear about expectations.

One of the mistakes I made the first time I asked students to write this nonfiction-inspired poetry was in not clarifying how many sources I wanted them to use and how much research I expected them to incorporate. I ended up with some students who only had one line from their crot that conveyed an idea from research. Be clear about what percentage of the poem or how many times you want a reference from the source.

Consider whether you want to teach students to use footnotes or endnotes. Traditional citations would be too intrusive for this context, but asking students to use superscript numbers or to provide an endnotes page can offer a polished effect that emphasizes the research component of the assignment.

5. Allow time for peer feedback.

One of the most powerful parts of writing these crots has been allowing my students time to discuss their work. They have such amazing ideas for one another regarding how to represent ideas more symbolically through color, arrangement, figurative language, and imagery. Consider supplying them with the rubric you intend to use while grading to focus their suggestions.

Students always enjoy looking back at the initial draft of their poems, noting how much they develop through the revision process.

If you are looking for a way to meaningfully engage students in critical thinking while writing poetry inspired by nonfiction source material, try this unique creative writing assignment. Hang their final products as artwork in your classroom. Surrounding ourselves with happy, bright poetry goes a long way in the battle to change reluctant students’ attitudes about the genre in general.

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You can find the assignment I use with students by clicking on the image below.

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• Prof. Mary Fuller

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• American Literature

Learning Resource Types

Reading poetry, assignments, session 1: recognizing patterns.

• Pound, Ezra. “ In a Station of the Metro .” In Personae . New Directions, 1990. ISBN: 9780811211383.

Write up a roughly 300 word introduction of yourself especially as in terms of your relationship with poetry. What is your background: prior knowledge, authors or works you like, don’t like or are curious about, good and bad experiences, things you’d like to learn or talk about in the class, things you know from other disciplines (linguistics!) that might be useful.

Session 2: Making Poetry in English

Print out the readings, mark them up, and bring with you to class next week. The assignment below gives questions to think about as you read the poems.

Assignment: Prose to Poetry

Session 3: From Evidence to Analysis

• William Shakespeare, “ Sonnet 116 .” Poetry Foundation.
•  Vendler, Helen. The Art of Shakespeare’s Sonnets . Harvard University Press, 1999, pp. 113-115. ISBN: 9780674637122. [Preview with Google Books .]

Read the sonnet (multiple times) and Vendler’s analysis. Come with questions.

Assignment : Informal Essay I

Session 4: Etymologies and Rhythms

Make a copy of the readings, mark them up, and bring with you to class next week. In the process, please glance at the poets’ bios and make a note of where and when they lived and any key facts—just the basics!

Assignment: Poetry Analysis I

Assignment: Etymologies and Rhythms

Session 5: Language as System(s)

• Dizikes, Peter. “ From Contemporary Syntax to Human Language’s Deep Origins .” MIT News Office . June 11, 2014.
• Dizikes, Peter. “ The Writing on the Wall .” MIT News Office . February 21, 2018.
• Sun, Jessica. “ Where Did Language Come From? ” Feb. 4, 2018. YouTube.
• Miyagawa, Shigeru, Robert Berwick, and Kazou Okanoya. “ Emergence of Structure .” Frontiers Research Foundation, 2013.

Read enough to get an idea about Miyagawa’s two major research projects.

Come up with questions to ask Miyagawa in class about:

• The research (points of clarification, but also why these projects, how did they come about, how are they finding evidence—anything is fair game).
• Language in general, from a linguist’s point of view (How do you make a sentence out of words? What is a sentence? How do we know where to put stress on words or syllables? Etc.).
• Issues with translation between languages. How different are human languages from each other, anyway?

Session 6: The Shape of Sentences and the Shape of Information

We’re going from words to sentences and looking at some more cool poems. Take a look at the class notes for session 6 (PDF - 1.2MB) .

Assignment: The Shape of Sentences

Assignment : Informal Essay II

Session 7: Reading Line Breaks

• Wordsworth, William. “ A Slumber did my Spirit Seal .” Poetry Foundation.
• Brooks, Gwendolyn. “ We Real Cool .” In The Bean Eaters . Literary Licensing, 2012. ISBN: 9781259274481. 
• Williams, William Carlos. “ The Red Wheelbarrow .” In The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams: Volume I, 1909-1939 . New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1991. ISBN: 9780811211871. 
• Williams, William Carlos. “ Poem (“As the Cat”) .” Poetry . July, 1930.
• Schussler, Jennifer. “ The Forgotten Man Behind William Carlos William’s ‘Red Wheelbarrow’. ” New York Times . July 6, 2015.
• Eliot, T.S. “ The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock .” In Collected Poems 1909-1962 Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1991. ISBN: 9780151189786.
•  Eliot, T.S. “ Reflections on Vers Libre .” In Selected Prose of T.S. Eliot Edited by Frank Kermose. Harvest Books, 1975. ISBN: 9780156806541. 

This week, the poems are mostly short and very spare, so that we can really bear down on the phenomenon of what it does to end a line (but not a sentence). Consider this: line breaks affect the rate at which information is delivered. Sometimes (as in the Wordsworth poem) they seem to contain their own information.

There is also some brief prose reading.

• Eliot’s comments will help you think about how to describe rhythm in poems that are not uniformly metrical, and you should find it useful to hear how a practitioner thinks about it. 
• Since you’ll be meeting Tyehimba Jess, let’s start hearing what he has to say.
• Williams’ poems are about as stripped down as Ezra Pound’s “In a Station of the Metro,” so it’s interesting to read an article that fills in what he was seeing and gives us some context. What can we do with the information?

Session 8: Fixed Forms, Rhymed and Otherwise

This week’s poems are fixed forms : forms with tight constraints on variables like number of lines, meter, line-length, rhyme, or line ending words. First, sonnets: by three sixteenth century authors participating in the vogue of writing long sequences of sonnets devoted to (mostly) unrequited love, and then by four twentieth century authors who use the form to different ends. Second, villanelles: another poem by Bishop, and one by Martha Collins (a wonderful poet who lives hear Harvard Square). Finally, a poem that invents a new form, initially as a tribute to Brooks and now used by other writers. Hayes has a weekly column in the NYT Magazine featuring a poem by someone else that he likes with a few sentences about why; if this tickles your fancy, check it out.

Assignment: Poetry Analysis II

Assignment: Sonnets and Rhythm

Assignment : Informal Essay III

Session 9: New Work in Computer-Generated Poetry

•  Montfort, Nick.  Truelist.  Counterpath, 2017. ISBN: 9781933996639.

Rather than ask that they read particular section or sections of The Truelist, I’d like to have each person in the class engage with several aspects of the project:

• The printed book (they don’t have to buy it, but read some from it, see the material artifact).
• The program that generated the book-length poem .
• My complete studio recording of the book .

If people want to read it all, of course, or read a few sections, that’s great.

Session 10: Sound Patterns and Sense

Take a look at the class notes for session 10 (PDF - 1.3MB) .

You know most of the drill (poems, poets, annotate). In a previous session, we looked at poems characterized by end-rhymes organized in predictable patterns. Today, we’re going to broaden the optic on repeated sounds. I would like you to look hard at either assonance and consonance (repeated vowel or consonant sounds) in the sonnet, or track the pattern of rhyming sounds especially but not exclusively at the end of lines in Herbert. It might be useful to know that Herbert was a clergyman (that is, he would have worn a collar, which becomes a sign of both the religious vocation and its demands for certain kinds of personal sacrifices). “Collar” is also a homonym of (sounds identical to) “choler,” an older word for “anger,” and this other word invoked by sound is also relevant.

Andrew Marvell was a contemporary of Milton’s; this short poem is among a number by this poet written in the persona of a mower (that is, a laborer who cut grass)—for reasons again having to do with poetic traditions of writing in the voice of “simple people” who worked with the natural world. Sylvia Plath is the only 20th poet in the reading. Coincidentally, the New York Times published an obituary for her today, part of a project to redress important and systemic omissions in their record. The bio on Poetry Foundation is probably more relevant for us, but here is the extended NYT piece if it interests you. 

Assignment: Poetry Analysis III

Session 11: Reading a Difficult Poem (1)

Assignment: Difficult Poem (Group Project and Presentation)

Assignment : Essay Revision

Session 12: Reading a Difficult Poem (2)

Some takeaways from our discussion of “The Waste Land,” parts 1-3:

The poem links together myth and its own historical moment.

Myth: the Arthurian legend of the Fisher King—guardian of the Holy Grail, wounded and impotent because of a transgression at his court. While the king is wounded, the kingdom is infertile—they are waiting for rescue.

History: the moment is Europe after World War I—recovering not only from the material shocks and losses of a massive war, but the sense that an earlier political and social order was revealed to be bankrupt. No sense of agency for “fixing” the predicament, prospects for renewal not yet evident. Passion is dead, prophecy fraudulent, the living are almost dead, and the reader is also implicated in this situation.

At both high and low levels of society, relations between men and women have been thrown into crisis. In “Game of Chess,” no way out of a room that is stifling and artificial. Traumatized man is unable to use his voice, woman speaks only in imperatives, conversation is repetitive and seems to go nowhere. In the pub, a sense of being trapped, silenced, used up, abandoned. Loss of generative connections between human beings; a toxic environment.

This world is devoid of new meanings, and relies on scavenging scraps from the past. Conventional poetic forms highlight how much the present has declined from the past. Every rule violation is possible, but none are shocking—all is desensitized. Human behavior becomes mechanical while machines take on a threatening agency; language decays almost to the point of meaninglessness. Can the scavenged scraps be used to form a picture? Is there the possibility of a new design?

Assignment : Difficult Poem (Report on “The Waste Land”)

Session 13: How Do Metaphors Work?

We’ll be exploring the territory opened up by (for instance) the “if there were water” passage in Eliot’s “The Waste Land”: imaginative, counterfactual, and figurative language, aka, everything that is not being directly observed or declared to be so, aka, what’s in the poem that would not be in a photograph.

Assignment : Metaphors

Session 14: Guest Lecture: Tyehimba Jess

•  Jess, Tyehimba.  Olio . Wave Books, 2016. pp. 12-29. ISBN: 9781940696201.
• DuBois, W.E.B. “ Of Spiritual Strivings of the Negro People .” Chapter 1, of Souls of Black Folk .  CreateSpace, 2017. ISBN: 9781505223378.

A few weeks ago, we looked briefly at a corona of sonnets from Olio, written in the voice of the Fiske Jubilee Singers. These are distributed throughout the book, and they serve as punctuation between its sections. Each of these sonnets appears on a page with banners above and below listing the names of black churches where violence occurred, with a date.

Now we’ll read two extended sections from Olio, each centered on the historical figure of a particular musician: Thomas Wiggins, a blind pianist who performed while in slavery, and Sissieretta Jones, a soprano whose career took off in the early twentieth century. (Both are in Olio’s character list, and you can discover more at BlackPast .) As you may suspect from reading these two sections as well as the “Double Shovel,” each section of the book does something a little (or a lot) different with form, even while following the career of a historical person.

You’ll see poems in two voices, poems connected to each other by first and last lines, sonnets, free verse, transcripts of archival documents, and prose poems (that may not be an exhaustive list!). But Olio has some unifying interests across this virtuoso display of formal mastery. One is the set of ideas linking masking, persona, double-consciousness, double voices that you’ve seen in “Double Shovel” (and will also see in the two sections for today). Another is the set of ideas associated with freedom and constraint or bondage, as historical facts, artistic choices, imaginative experiences. Like many poets before him, Jess is interested in the conditions of making art, something that never happens in a vacuum. Music—the literal subject of this book—has since ancient times been a metonymy for poetry. So we are reading both a poetic documentary about history and a meditation on how to have, find, and use an authentic voice. Let’s use this class to identify some questions to ask the poet on Friday.

Session 15: How Does Allusion Work? (History)

Assignment: Poetry Analysis IV

Session 16: Guest Lecture: Charles Shadle

• Shadle, Charles. “ Six Dickinson Songs (PDF - 2.3MB) .” Courtesy of Charles Shadle. Used with permission.

Charles Shadle is a prolific and talented American composer who teaches advanced music theory and composition at MIT; he’ll be talking about six short poems by the 19th c. poet Emily Dickinson—a contemporary of Walt Whitman’s (and of the Civil War)—which he scored for soprano and clarinet. Interpretation of poetry takes many forms, and this is one of them—which will focus us quite a bit on sound and on hearing/voicing as interpretation, as well as on ideas about choice of texts and how the composer (and performers) understand them.

Dickinson’s poems may remind you, in some ways, of Shakespeare’s sonnets: they are at the same time general, private, and elliptical—that is, they are focused closer to the level of the self than the level of public or civic discourse, and largely work with vivid figures rather than objective description. At the level of form, they are radically innovative in ways it took decades for audiences to come to terms with, experimenting with syntax, rhyme, and punctuation; at the level of material production, Dickinson worked almost exclusively in manuscript, allowing her to create her own forms of punctuation, provide alternative versions of a line in a single final draft version, and to exert complete control over the appearance, order—and readership—of her work. The paper booklets considered as Dickinson’s final versions are held at Harvard’s Houghton Library. (The 18th century poet William Blake makes for an interesting comparison: Blake’s radical political and artistic vision led him to self-publish books that integrated text and visual art, each hand-colored by the poet).

Session 17: Guest Lecture: Kimberly Brown

•  Clifton, Lucille.  The Book of Light . Copper Canyon Press, 1992. pp. 11-13, 44-47. ISBN: 9781556590528.

Emily Dickinson lived in Amherst, MA, and attended the precursor of Mt. Holyoke. Our guest speaker, Kimberly Brown, is a professor of English and Africana Studies at Mt. Holyoke, as well as an MLK Fellow in Literature and WGS at MIT. Lucille Clifton (1936-2010) is her favorite poet. The NYT review of Clifton’s collected works comments that “[h]er verse was spare, plainspoken and shorn of rhyme, so much so that when she placed the words “salt” and “fault” together in one poem in the late 1980s, she was moved to warn readers of this potential speed bump by titling it “Poem With Rhyme in It.” Those qualities may have led one anonymous reader on Amazon to comment that she was “our modern-day Emily Dickinson.”

Session 18: Guest Lecture: Martha Collins, Translating Poetry

• Collins, Marth and Kevin Prufer, eds. Into English: Poems, Translations, Commentaries. Graywolf Press, 2017. pp. 71–75, 163–167. ISBN: 9781555877824. 

Assignment: Analytic Essay

Sessions 19–23: Student Presentations 

Assignment : Final Presentation Report

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Purpose of a Portfolio

The purpose of a portfolio is to showcase your final drafts and to do a self-assessment to evaluate what you have learned.

Organizational Instructions

The following is a set of instructions of what is expected in the portfolio. It is listed in the order that the portfolio should be organized.

• Title the portfolio with a creative title representing the entire collection of poems you’ve written. Example: Poems: Word Pictures
• Include your first and last name
• Include the name of the class: ENGL 1465–Creative Writing
• Include the due date
• Include a photo of yourself working on one of your poems on a computer.
• Font size should be 24 pt. or 36 pt. Choose a font size that makes the title fit on one line. Also, choose a font that is readable.
• The titles of the poems should be left-justified near the one-inch margin edge.
• Page numbers should be right-justified near the one-inch margin edge.
• Dots between the titles and page numbers are optional.
• Do not list the the title page or the table of contents page page on the table of contents page.
• Use an easy-to-read 12 pt. font.
• Step back and look at your poems critically.
• Write an evaluative essay (500-1,000 words).
• Which poem is your best work? Best work does not necessarily mean your favorite work. Best work means the one that is written well. How did you go about writing it? Why is it your best work? Cite specific examples from the poem to defend why you think it is your most effective piece.
• Which poem would you just as soon forget or trash? what problems did you encounter with it? Why is it your least effective piece? Cite specific examples from the text of the poem to prove why you think it is your least effective piece.
• What are you able to do as a poet that you couldn’t do before taking this class? Be specific by identifying more than one example. What in the class helped you the most with your writing?
• What did you learn about yourself by completing this portfolio?
• What are your writing goals for the summer?
• Make a section title page titled Final Drafts
• Imagery Poem
• Figure of Speech Poem
• Allusion or Symbol Poem
• Copy and paste the graded final drafts into the portfolio from the most effective to the least effective poem. Do not include the rubrics in the portfolio. You will need that information, however, for the next step.
• Revise all final drafts in the portfolio before submitting your portfolio. Follow the directions provided ont he graded assignment as well as the rubric. It’s a good idea to compare your original final draft submission with the graded final draft in order to understand what kind of revisions have been made by the instructor and what kind of revisions still need to be made.

Formatting Instructions

• The portfolio project must be typed in a Microsoft Word document (.docx).
• Use an easy to read 12 pt. font for all the sections except the title page.
• Use 1″ margins.
• Double-space the essay page.
• Single-space the poems.
• Put page numbers in the lower right-hand corner. When page numbers are at the bottom of the page, you do not need to include your last name.
• Leave the name heading on the final drafts of your poems in the top left-hand corner.

Introduction to Creative Writing by Lumen Learning is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Lyman Grant

Teacher and writer.

Poetry Assignments

Here are the assignments for poems and revision that we will follow this semester.  A guideline or two:   let’s start out this semester by producing new work.  Please do not send in an old poem–one that you wrote last month, last year, etc.  Let’s start out with new poems, poems that grow from the prompts, or poems that you develop because of other events in your life.  Next, let’s not rhyme in obvious ways.   Why?  because rhyming is distracting for the beginning writer. For the most part, let’s try to avoid song lyric type poetry.  Why?  again, it is a distraction from the skills of writing poetry.  Historically, song and poetry have a close relationship, but in the last hundred years that relationship has grown tenuous.  Besides, most song lyrics do not stand up as spoken (and read) poetry.  Think of it this way, this is a class based on the tradition of the American free verse poem.  If you want to write other kinds of poetry, I applaud you, but let’s begin focusing on building skills in writing poetry.  We can do that with American free verse.  Then later in the semester we will get to rhyme and set forms.

I Am/List Poem

A list poem is exactly what it sounds like, a poem that is made as if it were just a list.   You can start it off, “I am . . . “ and keep repeating the first two words for 10 or 20 lines, or find ways to vary the beginning. Try to keep from one and two word, factual answers: “I am a student. I am nineteen years old. I am waitress.” Make it a poem, not a questionnaire. “I am a pack mule for overpriced books./ a wild dancer in the disco of joy / a cart carrying delicious ginger bread pancakes.” Enjoy this. Include at least 20 different references.

Landscape Poem

Select a significant, specific landscape to you or that you know about, either natural or urban. This could be an exterior landscape, an interior landscape, or some of both. Try to make the reader feel what you feel when you are there or imagine you are there.

Family Poem

Select a family member or situation in your family. It can be a scene in a holiday, a moment of joy or sorrow, an appreciation, a warning. Try to stay objective in the presentation, focusing on telling others about the person or situation, rather than talking directly to the family member or members. Let your word choices and images convey the emotion that you feel and what to communicate.

Letter Poem

This is sort of like the family poem, but the idea is to write directly someone. So the poem is directed at a family member, a friend, a significant other, or even a famous person. Again, focus on images and concrete details. You will use the word “you” and perhaps even “I.”   There may be a story, a narrative, that finds its way into this poem.

This week, you will revise one or more of the first four poems. Revision should concentrate on imagery, figures of speech, and point of view. Of course, you are free to work on other matters as well. You will be provided with other suggestions for re-visioning the poem.

Ekphrastic Poem

An ekphrastic poem is a work that is a response to another work of art. After reading the poems for this week several times, select an artist/video to write about and respond to. The idea is to create a new work of art with your poem—not to write a review or critique. Use your creative mind, not your analytical mind. Talk to the painter (musician, etc) or to a character in the work. This week we begin workshopping, so you will also select three class members’ poems to respond to as comments on their threads on the discussion board.

Write a poem that is based somehow on a myth or fairy tale.  The poem might be personal–such as how the Cinderella myth has affected you or friends–or political–such has how you are fighting the giant–or a meditation on the story–what the prodigal son might feel.  You will also select three class members’ poems to respond to as comments on their threads on the discussion board.

History Poem

We all live in Time and we live in Community. With this poem, I want you to think about yourself as a human living a life as history is occurring. How do these event affect you? How are they changing you? What are they making you feel? Are you glad about that or not. The event you chose does not have to be one that you experienced. For instance, you could write about visiting a Civil War Battlefield. Or it could be an event from recent history: 911, the election of Obama, the passing of the guns on campus law by the Texas legislature. You will also select three class members’ poems to respond to as comments on their threads on the discussion board.

This week, you will revise one or more of the most recent three poems (ekphrastic, myth, history). As before, I will make suggestions about re-visioning the poem, and you will look as such matters as image and figures of speech. But you will also consider enjambment, line length, meter, rhythms, repetition. You will also select three class members’ poems to respond to as comments on their threads on the discussion board.

After reading the poems for this week several times, select a topic to write a ghazal about; think about a subject lending itself to repetition. Please write at least ten couplets. You will also select three class members’ poems to respond to as comments on their threads on the discussion board.

For your this poem, try your hand at writing a sonnet or another fixed form, such as sestina or villanelle.  Remember there are different kinds of sonnets to choose from.  And remember to try slant rhymes and connotation to avoid the sing-songy effect of exact rhymes.  Even though many of the sonnets or fixed form poems we read are older and have a more formal sounding vocabulary, try to make your language contemporary. Write the poem with your language. You will also select three class members’ poems to respond to as comments on their threads on the discussion board.

Open Choice

I know you have been waiting for this. Write any kind of poem you want in any kind of way you want. Maybe you have a poem in your workbook that you really like or some ideas there that you want to develop. This is your freebie. Enjoy. Experiment. Return to your favorite topics and approaches. You will also select three class members’ poems to respond to as comments on their threads on the discussion board.

Response to Mentor Poem

For this last poem, think about what sets apart the poet you’re reading about for your presentation, whether it is use of language, rhythm, content, or punctuation. Write a poem either borrowing from this poet’s style, while also referencing the poem, OR you can write a poem dealing with the poet’s history/themes. You will also select three class members’ poems to respond to as comments on their threads on the discussion board.

This week, you will revise one or more of the most recent four poems (ghazal, sonnet, open choice, or response to mentor). Remember that you need to revise at least five poems during the semester. As before, I will make suggestions about re-visioning the poem, and you will look as such matters as image and figures of speech, enjambment, line length, meter, rhythms, repetition. And you will consider rhyme, sound effects, etc. etc. You will also select three class members’ poems to respond to as comments on their threads on the discussion board.