Have you ever felt the urge to write an ode to someone special, or maybe tell all your secrets in a poem? Here are some poetry prompts and ideas for your next poem-writing project!
One of my favourite things about writing poems is getting to know all the different ways you can put words together and make something new.
Poetry prompts are a great way to help you get started, and they can inspire this process in a whole bunch of new ways.
If you don’t have a poem in your repertoire, this is the perfect time to start one.
Use whatever medium and style you prefer—poetry, prose, haiku—but remember to keep it short and sweet!
Here is some poetry prompts for you to try. If you like them, please share the link with your friends!
Fun Poetry Prompts
- Write a poem that includes the sentence: I am so tired, I want to sleep for a week!
- Write a poem in which you describe the sky as blue and the grass as green.
- Write a poem about when you get older, you realize that life is short.
- There are two types of people in this world: those who like singing in the shower and those who don’t. Write a haiku on people.
- The morning is here, and I am ready to wake up. Write a poem about the process of waking up.
- Write a poem that I love the sun because it brings life to those around me.
- Write a poem about the coffee machine in the break room.
- Write a poem about how you want to eat a donut but can’t because you are on a diet.
- Write a poem about how you want to eat an ice cream cone, but you can’t because it’s too cold outside.
- Write a poem about a ladybug and the rain. The ladybug is sad because she has no friends to play with. The rain makes her sad because she can’t see the ladybugs again. But then there’s a little boy who hears something in his garden and thinks it’s a bird. He finds it, but it turns out it’s just a ladybug! He takes her home with him, and they have fun playing games together all day long!
- Write a story, contemplate what keeps you up at night, and think about it often.
Poetry Prompts for Children
Poetry is fun and rewarding to write! It’s a great way to express yourself, whether a child or an adult. You can write poetry about your favourite snacks, the weather, your pets’ — endless possibilities!
Poetry is also great for kids because it’s easy for them to understand. Here is some poetry prompts for children.
Write a poem which includes the sentence:
- I was eating an apple, and I saw a rabbit, and then he saw me!
- I got stuck in my tree, and the birds started singing, then the bees started buzzing, and the wind blew hard.
- The sun came up early, I got up late, and it was raining cats and dogs!
Or you can:
- Write your own poem about something you are interested in—a favourite animal or object, their feelings about school, or even something as basic as a person’s name!
- Pick out three favourite poems from a poetry book or audiobook and write down an original poem based on one of those three poems, using the same rhyme scheme and repetition of lines from the original poem (or one similar to it).
- Write your first poem about a dinosaur.
- Write a poem about the trees.
- Write a poem about a rainbow.
- Write a poem about a storybook character.
- Write a poem about your grandparents.
- Write a poem about your cat.
- Write a poem about snowflakes and rainbows.
- Write a poem about rainbows, butterflies and unicorns.
Deep Poetry Prompts
Deep poetry prompts can be intimidating, especially when writing for the first time. But don’t worry! With some practice and creativity, writing your deep poetry prompts is easy.
Deep poetry prompts are inspired by the things that interest you—the places you’ve been, the things you’ve seen, or the people you’ve met along the way.
They can be a single line of text, a word or phrase, or even an image. If it resonates with you or makes you think about something in an exciting way, then it’s probably a deep poem prompt.
Here are some deep poetry prompts:
- Write a poem about how you love your dog, but he’s always sad.
- Write a poem about how you want to learn more about the universe and how it works to understand what is possible.
- Write a poem on the way to remember your favourite places.
- Write a poem about a place you have never been to but would like to visit.
- Write how the world is a mysterious place. The more you know about it, the more you realize how little you know. There are so many fascinating things out there waiting to be discovered—but how do we do that? How do we get started on our quest for knowledge and understanding?
- Write a poem on the best way to keep going, asking questions and learning more about the world around us daily. We might not be able to see everything at once, but in time, that’s all right: we’ll see it all.
- Write a poem about how the world is a beautiful place, but something about it makes it seem bleak. The sky is always gray, the trees are always bare, and the ground seems to hold so much more than you could ever hope for. But then you look at your hands and see how strong they are—now capable of carrying all that you need to sustain yourself in this world—and you wonder why it doesn’t feel like enough. What if we were meant to be free? What if we were made for something greater than ourselves?
- Imagine that you are a tree, and the wind blows through you. Write a poem about that.
Write a poem that starts with:
- I am endless, and you are all I have.
- You are the darkness in my light, and I am the light in your darkness.
- The sun rises but does not burn me; it sets, yet it guides my way home at night.
- My heart is a bird’s nest with only two eggs in it—the first one is yours; the second one is mine.
Related : Memoir writing prompts
Daily Poetry Prompts
Poetry is a great way to express yourself and get in touch with your feelings. It can also be an excellent way to relax and unwind, particularly if you’re stressed or upset. If you are feeling creative, try writing poetry!
You can start your poem with these sentences:
- The first thing I saw was a puddle of blood in the street.
- It was everywhere like the sky had fallen, but it was all mine.
- I walked around in it until my feet were soaked and my legs were numb, but nothing could wash away the memory of what had happened.
- You are the light in my darkness. The hope in my despair. The joy in my heart. You are my everything. You are my everything, and I am yours.
Or you can write about:
- What does your day look like?
- A dreamy walk through a field of wildflowers.
- Your daily affirmations.
- You find a penny on the sidewalk and pick it up.
- You’re in the middle of a crazy party when you see that all your friends are wearing pants.
- You pass by a group of people playing volleyball, who call out to you to join them.
Dark Poetry Prompts
When you’re writing a poem, some things can help make the process more enjoyable. One thing is to write about something that makes you happy or angry.
Another is to write about something that scares you or makes you sad. You could also write about an event in your life that made you feel frustrated or angry—maybe even fear it will happen again!
Here are some dark poetry prompts:
- Write a poem that is dark and has elements of macabre.
- Write a poem that is dark but not macabre.
- Write a poem about death or about the dead.
- Write a poem about an unhappy ending.
- Write about the ability to see through the surface and into the heart of things.
- Write a poem about the power of words and their ability to hurt or heal.
- Write about the fragility of life and how everything can be taken away instantly.
- Write how the world is so dark, ironically.
- Write a poem that includes the sentence: Don’t ask me if you want to know the world’s truth.
- Write a poem that consists of the sentence: I wake up in the middle of the night and think, what if there was no darkness?
- Write a poem containing the sentence: Darkness is beautiful, but only if you know how to use it well.
- Write a poem containing the sentence: The world is so black, I can’t see it!
Advanced Poetry Prompts
Writing poetry can be a daunting task, too. It requires you to look at the world in a new way and try different things, which can be challenging if you’re always thinking about what kind of poem will make your teacher happy.
However, if you want to write better poetry, try these advanced prompts:
- Write a poem about something that makes you fearful. What keeps ringing in your head? What scares/worries/troubles/frightens away from writing? For example: Being alone at night after everyone has gone home for the weekend would make me afraid because I could get attacked by someone and there’s no one around).
- Write a poem about an experience that has been difficult for you but that you’ve learned from.
- Write a poem about something that has made you feel like a failure or not good enough.
- Write a poem about something that has made you angry or frustrated.
- Write a poem about something that has changed your life and how it’s affected you.
- Write a poem about something happening now (in the moment).
Short Poetry Prompts
- Write about your favourite book.
- Write about your first day at school.
- Write about a time you were happy.
- Write about a time you were angry and let it out. Let that emotion flow through your words, breathe into them and feel free!
- Write a poem about what you would bring to a desert island. What would be the first thing that comes to mind? Is there something specific that makes it unique to you?
- Write a poem about someone important from your past.
- Write a poem about something that inspires you.
- Write about something that inspires you or makes you feel good about yourself. You can use any form of poetry if it fits the guidelines above.
- Try some of these prompts: “I’m excited about writing poetry because I love doing it.” or “The best thing about writing poems is when people respond positively.”
- Write a poem about something that makes you scared.
- Write a poem on how fear is a powerful emotion. It can be used as a motivator but can also be damaging and destructive. The fear we experience in our lives is an integral part of survival and growth.
- Write a poem about something that makes you happy.
- You can write about a person, place or thing. You could write about an activity or even a memory. Maybe it’s your dream, or maybe it’s something else entirely! It doesn’t matter what the source of your happiness is—as long as it’s good for you and makes you smile, then go ahead and let the words flow!
- If you could be any animal, what would it be and why? Write a poem about it.
- Time travel is a popular topic in science fiction and fantasy stories. It can explore the past and future or even other planets. If you could travel in time, where would you go? Why? What would it be like there?
In a Nutshell,
Poetry is a beautiful way to express yourself and connect with others.
If you’re looking for inspiration, these poetry prompts will give you plenty of ideas!
I hope that this blog post has inspired you to start writing your own poems today.
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