creative writing poetry lesson

• How to write a story
• How to write a novel
• How to write poetry
• Dramatic writing
• How to write a memoir
• How to write a mystery
• Creative journaling
• Publishing advice
• Story starters
• Poetry prompts
• For teachers

How to Write Poetry

Do you want to learn how to write poetry or how to improve as a poet? Would you like step-by-step advice on how to get poetry ideas and turn them into poems? You're in the right place! Find answers to these questions:

• "What should I write poems about?"
• "How should I decide the right form for my poem?"
• "What are common mistakes that new poets make, and how can I avoid them?"
• "How do I write free verse/blank verse/sonnets/haiku etc.?"

How to Write Poetry - Table of Contents

Definition of Poetry . What is poetry, and how is it different from other types of writing? Here's our take on these questions. Poem Structure . How should a poem be divided into lines? ("At random" is the wrong answer to this question!) Here you'll find some better ideas about choosing the right structure for your poem. Poetry Meter . What poetic meter is, and why you should care. An easy-to-understand guide to the rhythmic side of poetry. Rhyme Schemes . Rhyme is an important tool in your poetry toolbox. Why do some poets intentionally choose rhymes that aren't exact? What's the rhyme scheme of a limerick? Find out here! How to Write a Poem - Poetry Techniques 1 . A step-by-step guide on how to write poetry. Advice on what to write about, how to get started, and choosing the right words. How to Write a Poem - Poetry Techniques 2 . Advice on how to write well about abstractions such as Love and Death, how to choose a form for your poem, and a checklist to improve your poetry writing. How to Write Poems - Poetry Techniques 3 . Can you guess the most common problems which damage the work of new poets? Find out how to write poetry without falling into these traps. Types of Poems - How to Write a Sonnet . A clear explanation of the sonnet form, plus poem starters for writing your own sonnet. Types of Poems - How to Write: Acrostic Poems, Blank Verse, Sestinas . Explanations of these poem types with ideas for trying them yourself. Download a free poetry tool to help you write sestinas.

Poem Types - How to Write a Narrative Poem or Ballad.  Explanations and examples of narrative poetry. Advice on writing your own narrative poem or ballad and poetry prompts to get you started. Poem Types - How to Write a Limerick . Limericks are a lot of fun to read and write. Get started here. Poem Types - How to Write a Haiku . Haiku is a Japanese poetry form which captures a moment in just a few words. Learn how to preserve your own insights and memories by writing haiku. Poem Types - Found Poetry . Writing found poetry is a kind of treasure hunt. Learn to discover poetic material in surprising places and turn it into poems. Poetry Ideas - Write about an Animal.   Here are some ideas to get you started, plus animal poem examples to inspire you. Interview: Michael Klam on Poetry Slams . Poet, teacher, and translator Michael Klam spoke to us about poetry slams, performance poetry, and literary translation. Interview: Karl Elder on Language Poetry . Karl Elder offers his view on the limitations of language poetry and the "aesthetic of chance." Interview: Jessie Carty on Narrative Poems . Jessie Carty talks about her poetic influences and her experience as the editor of a literary magazine.

Get Writing Tips By Email. We'll keep you inspired! Get a Poem a Day from the Academy of American Poets.

Online Writing Course - Essentials of Poetry Writing. In this 8-week course, you'll learn techniques for writing powerful poems.

© 2009-2024 William Victor, S.L., All Rights Reserved.

Terms -  Returns & Cancellations - Affiliate Disclosure  -  Privacy Policy

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Lesson of the Day

Ways to Read, Write, Teach and Learn Poetry With The New York Times

Here are 30 ideas for helping your students appreciate poetry — and experiment with it themselves.

‘Poem (I lived in the first century of world wars)’ by Muriel Rukeyser

I lived in the first century of world wars. Most mornings, I would be more or less insane. The newspapers would arrive with their careless stories. The news would pour out of various devices, interrupted by attempts to sell products to the unseen. I would call my friends on other devices. They would be more or less mad for similar reasons. Slowly, I would get to pen and paper, make my poems for others unseen and unborn. In the day, I would be reminded of those men and women, brave, setting up signals across vast distances, considering a nameless way of living, of almost unimagined values. As the lights darkened, as the lights of night brightened, we would try to imagine them, try to find each other, to construct peace, to make love, to reconcile waking with sleeping, ourselves with each other, ourselves with ourselves. We would try by any means to reach the limits of ourselves, to reach beyond ourselves, to let go the means, to wake. I lived in the first century of these wars.

By Katherine Schulten

“Thank goodness for poetry,” writes Sindha Agha, the video artist who made the piece at the top of this post. “A poem is a timeless place, an immaterial plot of land where we can gather across generations to breathe and feel, deeply and safely.”

We agree, and, as The New York Times keeps publishing news and features about poetry and poets , it is both our job and our joy to help people teach and learn with the bounty — during April, which is National Poetry Month, or anytime.

Below, you’ll find an updated and improved version of a list we’ve been keeping for years . We hope it will help even the most verse averse find something to enjoy.

Here Are Some Ideas For...

Reading, teaching and appreciating poetry, writing and playing with poetry, connecting poetry to the news.

Find a Favorite Poem

This Book Review piece asks well-known people like John Green, Shonda Rhimes, Alan Cumming and Stephen King, “What’s Your Favorite Poem?” and links to answers including Yeats and Gwendolyn Brooks.

Ask your students to find a favorite poem and write or talk about what it means to them. For more inspiration, they might visit The Favorite Poem Project and watch videos like this one .

#TeachLivingPoets

The #TeachLivingPoets movement is about “complicating the canon and empowering students through poetry.” You can follow along or contribute on Twitter , and, as you’ll see throughout this post, you can also find all kinds of work by living poets in The Times.

One great place to start is the weekly Poem column in The New York Times Magazine. There you’ll find accessible work by contemporary poets, all of it chosen and briefly introduced by a poet-editor like Reginald Dwayne Betts or Naomi Shihab Nye who gives the piece a bit of context. In this lesson plan, Reading Poetry With the Poem Column, we suggest nine pieces to begin with, and many ways to work with them.

Start a Meeting or a Class With a Poem

Did you know that the journalists who work for The Times’s National desk often started their meetings with a poem ? Here’s why, according to a 2020 piece written by their former editor:

When the National desk gets together to discuss stories, it can be a grim half-hour. We dissect natural disasters. We reconstruct mass shootings. We delve into political scandals and all manner of domestic tumult. Recently, though, we added a new feature to our morning meetings aimed at inspiring us and boosting our creativity before we embark on another long day of editing the news. We read a poem. I got the idea from an unlikely source: my son’s high school English teacher, Anne Baney. During parent-teacher night, she explained how she reads a poem at the beginning of every class from “Poetry 180,” an anthology of contemporary poems compiled by Billy Collins, the former poet laureate of the United States. The room turns quiet when she reads, she told us. If she ever forgets to start off the day with a poem, her students remind her. They like it. And, it turns out, so do we.

We borrowed the story above as an excuse to ask students back in 2020, “ What Role Does Poetry Play in Your Life? ” Nearly 200 answered, telling us about why and when they turn to poetry, how it inspires or helps them, and what verse they love best. Your students might add their own thoughts since the post is still open to comments.

What poem could start your next class or meeting? Brett Vogelsinger has some ideas. Mr. Vogelsinger is a teacher in Pennsylvania who begins every class all year long with a poem, usually having his students focus on one small aspect of it before moving on. For example, here is how he has taught Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening .” This idea and the ideas of teacher-contributors from all over can be found on his Go Poems blog , which, for six years now, has published brief strategies for sharing a #poemaday in classrooms during National Poetry Month.

Navigate Difficult Times

‘Democracy’ by Langston Hughes

Democracy will not come today, this year, nor ever through compromise and fear. I have as much right as the other fellow has to stand on my two feet, and own the land. I tire so of hearing people say let things take their course, tomorrow is another day. I do not need my freedom when I’m dead. I cannot live on tomorrows bread. Freedom is a strong seed, planted in a great need. I live here too. I want freedom just as you.

The Muriel Rukeyser poem at the top of this post comes from a 2021 feature in which Ms. Agha, the video artist, and several contemporary American poets created videos of verses that helped them “puzzle through their feelings” about the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Though the Rukeyser poem was written in 1968, and the Langston Hughes poem above was first published in 1949, they both “reach across time and circumstance” to speak to us today.

Watch any or all of the three videos — the two embedded in this post, plus “Barracks Home” by Toyo Suyemoto — and ask your students to think about how they connect with our struggles today.

Then, skim the comments from readers . The piece asked, “What’s a line from a poem that has helped you navigate a difficult time, or encapsulates your outlook on life?” Over 200 people shared their thoughts. What new poetry can your students discover this way? And, what lines from poetry have helped them navigate difficult times? If they are stuck for an answer, another Times feature from 2020 asked 16 poets what poem they turn to in times of strife . In it you’ll find links to verse by Dante, Robert Hayden, Audre Lorde and more.

And if your students are inspired by the video poems we’ve embedded here, you might go a step further and challenge them to make their own.

To go even deeper with this theme, please see the section below about “Connecting Poetry and the News.”

Read Closely

Do you teach “Musée des Beaux Arts,” the W.H. Auden poem based on the Bruegel painting shown above? The Times has created a rich interactive , part of its Close Read series , in which the poet and essayist Elisa Gabbert helps readers literally and figuratively “zoom in” on specific details of both the poem and the painting to learn more.

To go along with it, we’ve published a lesson plan that prepares students for the experience via their own close readings, then suggests taking the learning further by using Ms. Gabbert’s work as a mentor text for analyses of the poem or painting of their choice — or for writing their own ekphrastic poem s.

And if they would like to experience another poem this way, invite them to follow this interactive from the Close Read series that explores Elizabeth Bishop’s “One Art.”

Stop Scrolling, Start Paying Attention

Here’s an idea from the writer Elliott Holt, as described in her piece “ My Secret Weapon Against the Attention Economy ”:

On the first day of every month, I pick a poem, and then I read that poem every day that month. I can’t take credit for this idea; my friend Jenny suggested it to me years ago, after someone proposed it to her. That first year, I joined Jenny in reading Wallace Stevens’s “The Snow Man” in January. Repetition led to revelation: Every day, I noticed new things in the text. By the end of the month, I knew the poem by heart.

She wrote, “Revisiting the same poem every day is the antithesis of the attention economy; instead of scrolling along the surface, I’m diving deep beneath it.”

What would your students choose as their “poems of the month”? Could you make time during every class period this month for them to revisit their poems and dive deeper? Do you think they would find it meditative — a relief from our noisy world — the way this writer did?

Recite, Memory

Since ancient times, humans have memorized and recited poetry, writes Molly Worthen in this Opinion essay :

Before the invention of writing, the only way to possess a poem was to memorize it. Long after scrolls and folios supplemented our brains, court poets, priests and wandering bards recited poetry in order to entertain and connect with the divine. For individuals, a poem learned by heart could be a lifeline — to grapple with overwhelming emotion or preserve sanity amid the brutalities of prison and warfare.

She suggests that, though the practice is currently out of fashion in schools, everyone should memorize a bit of poetry as “a lifeline — to grapple with overwhelming emotion or preserve sanity,” as well as to “find your kindred spirits across the centuries.”

If your students tried the exercise above, in which they read the same poem daily for a month, they may have already accidentally memorized a poem that is meaningful to them. But if not, what verse would they choose that would provide a “lifeline” or connect them to a “kindred spirit”?

Dismantle the Barriers Between Rap and Poetry

If your students love rap, there is no better article for them to read than this 2021 Magazine piece about what rap and poetry have in common. Here is how the writer, Adam Bradley, introduces the idea:

Today, a new generation of artists, both rappers and poets, are consciously forging closer kinship between the genres. They draw from a common toolbox of language, use the same social media platforms to reach their audiences and respond to the same economic and political provocations to create public art. In doing so, rappers and the poets who claim affinity with them are resuscitating a body of literary practices mostly neglected in poetry during the 20th century. These ghost appendages of form — repetition, patterned rhythm and, above all, rhyme — thrive in song, especially in rap.

Invite your students to annotate as they read this rich analysis. Then, to go even deeper, you might have them check out “ American Poets on the Hip-Hop Songs That Most Inspire Them ,” a companion piece in which The Times asked some of the poets mentioned in the article about the hip-hop songs they return to again and again. (Please preview, however, to make sure the songs are appropriate for your students.)

Finally, you might try having your students analyze some of their own favorite raps (including their own or those of other students) for their poetic elements, using either the short appreciations by the poets or paragraphs from the longer analysis by Mr. Bradley as mentor texts.

Ask, “What’s Going On in This Poem?”

You may already be familiar with our popular, weekly “What’s Going On in This Picture” photojournalism exercise . Well, in 2016 we experimented with a live, moderated “What’s Going On in This Poem?” discussion , using the same three questions we apply weekly to photos. This time, though, we asked participants about “ Taking It Home to Jerome ,” a poem from the Magazine’s weekly column :

What’s going on in this poem?

What do you see, read or hear that makes you say that?

What more can you find?

Because the discussion took place on our old site, you can no longer see the comments, but trust us when we say that those three simple questions opened up a world of possibility for students as they built on one another’s responses.

Try it yourself. We’ve suggested the same exercise in our lesson plan focused on W.H. Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts,” but, of course, you could use it with any piece. (And for more “quick and easy ways into a poem,” check out these methods recommended by the teacher and writer Susan Barber.)

Give a Poem to a Friend

“Poetry prevents everybody from feeling lonely,” Nikki Giovanni says in this video.

“If I had a friend in the hospital, I would read a poem,” she said. “But then, friends who get married, they read a poem. And then friends who die say, ‘Read this poem at my funeral.’” She added: “Poetry is there with us, a part of us. Poetry is something we carry in our hearts.”

Challenge students to think about someone they know who might need the gift of a poem. What poem would they give this person, and why?

Connect Across Cultures

A 2022 article, “ ‘Why Was I Born a Girl?’ An Afghan Poem Inspires U.S. Students ,” tells the story of Fariba Mohebi, an 11th grader who learned that most Afghan girls would not join boys returning to school under Taliban rule. In her despair, she wrote a poem called “Why Was I Born a Girl?”

Here is what happened next:

Fariba’s poem found its way to Timothy Stiven’s A.P. history class at Canyon Crest Academy, a public high school 8,000 miles away in San Diego. It was relayed via Zoom calls between Canyon Crest and Mawoud, a tutoring center Fariba now attends in Kabul, where girls sit in class with boys and men teach girls — testing the limits of Taliban forbearance. Periodic Zoom sessions between the Afghan and American students have opened a window to the world for girls at Mawoud, hardening their resolve to pursue their educations against daunting odds. The calls have also revealed the harsh contours of Taliban rule for the California students, opening their eyes to the repression of fellow high schoolers halfway around the world.

Our related lesson plan invites your students to learn more and respond. They might pair it with the 2012 piece “ Why Afghan Women Risk Death to Write Poetry, ” to understand the power of verse in a place where poetry has “long been a form of rebellion for Afghan women, belying the notion that they are submissive or defeated.”

Celebrate the Work of Amanda Gorman

When Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history , read “The Hill We Climb,” and “ wove history and the future into a stirring melody ,” for many it was the highlight of President Biden’s inauguration, and educators everywhere dropped what they were doing to teach the poem.

But, as Ms. Gorman later revealed, it almost didn’t happen:

The truth is I almost declined to be the inaugural poet. Why? I was terrified.

Read the poem — perhaps with the help of our companion lesson plan that draws from a range of related pieces to introduce the poet and put “The Hill We Climb” in context — then read “ Why I Almost Didn’t Read My Poem at the Inauguration ” to learn why Ms. Gorman thinks of fear “not as cowardice but as a call forward, a summons to fight for what we hold dear.”

What messages does she have for all of us? Which feel most resonant for you and your students in this moment?

Or, Find Verse by 10 More Young Black Artists Who Are Responding to the Moment

In October 2020, The Times spotlighted 10 young artists whose work was responding to “this moment in America.” In “ Listen Up: These Young Black Poets Have a Message ,” you can read, and hear, powerful verse about fire season, protests, the coronavirus, God, sexuality, hope and more. And you can find ideas for teaching with the collection in our related lesson plan .

Discover #poetsofinstagram

Do your students know Rupi Kaur? In December 2021, The Times reported that her debut poetry collection, “Milk and Honey,” had been on the best-seller list for 190 weeks. Three years earlier, Carl Wilson, a Times critic, wrote about the “Instapoet” phenomenon in “ Why Rupi Kaur and Her Peers Are the Most Popular Poets in the World ”:

Kaur established herself not in poetry journals but on platforms like Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram (where she has 1.8 million followers, and posts glamorous shots of herself). And she’s only the biggest of several popular “Instapoets” who have graduated from being retweeted by Kardashians to publishing books, including Tyler Knott Gregson, Lang Leav, Amanda Lovelace and the pseudonymous Atticus. Collectively, to differing degrees, they lean to aphoristic, confessional and inspirational verse, often brief enough to fit into a tweet, or to be overlaid on a photo or an illustration like Kaur’s own eye-catching line drawings — an outline of a pregnant woman’s belly, say, with the legend, “we are all born / so beautiful / the greatest tragedy is / being convinced we are not - rupi kaur.” There’s a parody meme on Twitter to break any banal statement or quote into short lowercase lines and sign it “- rupi kaur.”

What do your students think of Rupi Kaur’s work? It might be a good jumping-off point for asking questions like: Is this “greeting-card verse” or “real” poetry? What is “real poetry” anyway? Why? Do they follow other #poetsofinstagram ? Are Instagram and other social media “saving” poetry ? Would they ever publish their own verse there?

Learn How Poetry Can Act as “a Way of Being in the World That Wasn’t Made for Us”

The Opinion section’s Disability column explores the lives of people living with disabilities. In 2018 the column published a collection of new work from 10 poets with disabilities , each illustrated with a drawing like the one you see above.

Here is how the poet Jennifer Bartlett introduces the collection:

In my view, poetry is the most organic art form; it does not require money or physical labor. A poem doesn’t need to follow any particular grammar rules; it is the record of one’s own experience of the singular mind and/or body, a singular voice. For many of us, it is also a way of “being in the world,” a world that in many ways was not made for us and actively resists our participation. Through poetry, we are able to remake and reinvent that world.

Do these poems resonate with your students? How well do they think the art matches each piece? And what other art in any genre, past or present, can they think of that might fit Ms. Bartlett’s description — expression that is a way of “remaking” a world that might have been uncomfortable for, or even hostile to, the artist?

Ask: What Voices Are Missing?

Though poetry may be more popular than ever , there are still voices missing, especially in the mainstream world of published verse.

In a Saturday Profile , Vivian Wang writes about Chen Nianxi, one new artist who has risen to fame as a “migrant worker poet,” adding a perspective from China’s often-invisible laborers to the cultural conversation.

For more than 15 years, he labored in gold, iron and zinc mines across China, detonating explosives by day and scrawling poems on the backs of newspapers at night. Now, though, he has published two critically acclaimed books of poetry, and sometimes feels like an outsider in the glamorous world he has entered.

Whose voices are missing from the poetry you teach or your students read? How can you invite a greater range of work into your classroom?

Help Us Create an April 2022 Collaborative Poem on “Small Kindnesses”

Update, April, 2022: More than 1,300 students responded to this invitation, and you can now read ‘Small Kindnesses’: A Collaborative Poem by Teenagers From Around the World .

What minor, gracious things do others do for you that make you happy?

Invite your students to answer this question via our Student Opinion forum . With help from the poet Danusha Laméris, we will choose lines from their responses to be part of a collaborative poem we’ll publish sometime in late April or early May.

The inspiration for this collaborative piece comes from Ms. Laméris’s poem “ Small Kindnesses ,” which appeared in The Times Magazine in 2019. As our forum suggests , your students might read the poem first, then think about how they might contribute their own lines to a work on the same theme.

Collaborative poetry is, of course, an old tradition with which many teachers are familiar. You might introduce the idea to your students by sharing with them the game “ Exquisite Corpse ,” which the French Surrealists invented in the 1930s, or the epic collective poem “ La Familia ” that Juan Felipe Herrera, the U.S. poet laureate from 2015 to 2017, created with lines submitted by people all over the country. Or you might invite them to listen to or read some collective poetry produced by National Public Radio, where Kwame Alexander, N.P.R.’s “poet in residence,” has created crowdsourced poems responding to the coronavirus pandemic , the murder of Ahmaud Arbery , anti-Asian hate and more .

Make Poetry From the Print Paper

4 Poems You Can Create From Your Newspaper

April is National Poetry Month. Celebrate by making verse from your print newspaper.

Here are four ideas from the poets Leah Umansky and E. Kristin Anderson →

A golden shovel poem. Find a headline in the newspaper. Then, write a poem in which each line ends with a word from the headline.

Here’s how to make a golden shovel poem.

A found poem. “​​The hardest part about writing a poem is choosing the right words,” writes Leah. Try a found poem, where you cut and paste words from the newspaper into a poem.

Here’s how to make a found poem.

A cento poem. Cento is a Latin word, meaning “patchwork.” In this type of poetry, you’ll patch together lines from articles, headlines, quotes or even photo captions to create a poem of your own.

Here’s how to make a cento poem.

An erasure poem, also known as a blackout poem. Find an article in your newspaper. Then, eliminate all the words around a poem you’ve found within the text. You can use a marker, Wite-Out or even glitter.

Here’s how to make an erasure poem.

Find more ideas for teaching and learning about poetry on The Learning Network :

Check out the suggestions above for ways to get playful with the print New York Times or any other newspaper. For more detail on two of the ideas — blackout poetry and found poetry — see the next two ideas below.

Create a Blackout Poem

One April, The Times challenged readers to create so-called blackout poems by redacting words from articles via a fun online tool .

In 2019, we challenged students to do it, too, for our 10th Annual Spring Poetry Contest for Teenagers . The winners are wonderful . Have a look, then try it at home with The Times or any other print source that’s around.

Or “Find” Poems Instead

From 2010 to 2018, we ran a Found Poem Contest every April, in which we challenged teenagers to use any article they liked from any edition of The Times, past or present, to create verse simply by rearranging the words.

Every year, teachers across the curriculum participated. We’ve had science-themed winners on the cosmos and fruit flies ; current-event-focused finalists on topics like the Syrian refugee crisis and the Boston Marathon bombing ; and history-steeped verse that used archival reporting on events like the sinking of the Titanic and World War II .

To inspire your students to create their own, have them look through the work of some past winners . For instance, here is “Amy,” by Epiphany Jones, which was created with some words “found” in a 2011 obituary, “ Amy Winehouse, British Soul Singer With a Troubled Life, Dies at 27 ,” and a 2007 article on the singer, “ Disillusioned Diva With Glimmers of Soul .”

Match a Picture and a Poem

The Times has often posed this challenge to poets and photographers. For instance, the image above is part of a series by Zora J. Murff, who took the photos in the Near North Side neighborhood of Omaha. They illustrate a poem by Adrian Matejka called “If You’re Tired Then Go Take a Nap” and can be found in this collection of five more poems and the photos they inspired.

T Magazine did something similar for many years, pairing a never-before-published poem with a newly commissioned work of contemporary art — bringing aesthetic life to the written word.

Invite your students to look at these examples and then make their own, perhaps working in pairs or even across English and art classrooms. They can write their own new poems and let them inspire artwork, or they can choose published poems and do the same.

Write Poetry About a Place — or Bring Poetry Somewhere Unexpected

Many teachers will already know the George Ella Lyon list-form poem “Where I’m From.” As Mr. Lyon writes, “People have used it at their family reunions, teachers have used it with kids all over the United States, in Ecuador and China; they have taken it to girls in juvenile detention, to men in prison for life, and to refugees in a camp in the Sudan.”

To take the notion of writing poems about place further, you might show students how your local area has inspired work from various artists, the way Hartford, Conn., inspired Wallace Stevens . Then, invite them to write poems about a place they remember from their own lives, or give them a common place to consider, like the school or the town park. Finally, plan a site-specific celebration, like a reading or poetry walk in the area, or poems projected on structures, written in chalk on sidewalks or otherwise displayed. You might also collaborate with dancers, musicians and visual artists to perform or present their related work at the event.

Or post poems in unexpected places the way David Ellis does with his “ driftwood haiku ”:

A German shepherd tied to a rusted gate, blackfish simmered with tomatoes on a grill, a scuba diver emerging from the waters of the Bronx: These are the scenes that inspire the poetry of Mr. Ellis, the self-proclaimed Bard of City Island. He composes haiku on seashells and driftwood about the daily serendipity of the mile-and-a-half-long island, leaving them around the neighborhood for people, like the woman who reads his poems every morning when she walks her dog. His works, locals say, add unexpected reflection to their day. Last January, Mr. Ellis self-published a book of haiku called “ Beach in City Island ,” and he is now working on a children’s edition, which his [6-year-old] son is illustrating.

For example, students might leave poems around your school — perhaps inspired by these subway poets . Ask students to choose poems they have studied in school or elsewhere (or their own original works), then print and tape them to cafeteria tables, bathroom mirrors or hallway walls, or even write them in chalk on the sidewalks. How do people respond? What can they learn from that?

You might show students the Everyday Poems for City Sidewalk project in St. Paul or the Poetry in Motion program in the New York City subway for an idea of what kinds of poems work well as public pieces.

Write Verse to Cope With the Undead

Read about some anthologies of poetry that explore a coming zombie apocalypse and have students create their own undead-inspired verse, whether via limerick, haiku or sonnets.

Are zombies metaphors for things like capitalism or racism? See what some in the article contend, then find evidence in popular culture for or against that interpretation.

Revise to Envision Other Possibilities

To persuade your students to write, rewrite, edit and polish their work to make it ready for the world to see, share with them “ Poetry in Action .” In this feature, six contemporary writers, including Billy Collins and Jenny Zhang, share images of their own poems in progress and discuss the revisions they made. Above, you can see “Ceremonial,” by Eduardo C. Corral. Here is what he says about his process:

This is a draft of my poem “Ceremonial,” which I wrote in 2012. Revision is my favorite part of writing. Revision helps me envision other possibilities for the language on the page. I know a poem is done when I can identify three distinct pleasures: linguistic, emotional and intellectual. I wanted to privilege emotional pleasure in this poem, though. The annotations reflect that desire.

Match Poetry With Nonfiction

From 2010 to 2016, we ran a regular feature called Poetry Pairings. In each, we matched a poem selected by the Poetry Foundation with an article from The Times that in some way echoed, extended or challenged the poem’s words and themes.

You can find the full collection here and use our related Teaching and Learning Ideas for Any Poetry-News Pairing with any entry.

After reading a few, challenge your students to do what we did: match a poem to a piece from The Times or any other news source. How does reading them together deepen and broaden them both?

Post a Poem in Place of the News

To celebrate the opening of the National Museum of African-American History and Culture in 2016, The Times ran Langston Hughes’s poem “I, Too” by itself on a full page of the print paper.

Two people who worked on the design explain why in this piece . As the art director says, “Langston Hughes’s words are so powerful, there was no need for design adornment. In this case, less proves to be more.”

If The Times were to give over another whole page to a poem right now, what should it be and why?

Consider the Role of “Verses vs. Virus”

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, The Times has featured pieces about how poetry can help us cope. In March 2020, for instance, the Opinion section featured a piece by Sarah Ruhl, “ Broadway Is Closed. Write Poems Instead ,” that discussed the power of language to heal:

During the 1590s plague, when the theaters were shut, William Shakespeare apparently chose to write poems instead. From his “Venus and Adonis,” penned while the playhouses were closed and writers were essentially quarantined, came this somewhat strange compliment: “The plague is banished by thy breath.” Should we theater people — writers, players and audiences alike — be staying home now and writing and reading poetry as a curative for the next month? Books, unlike group events, carry no germs.

Elsewhere in The Times that month, you could find a poem by Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell, who was working in a Boston emergency room. Called “ The Apocalypse ,” it mixed images of spring with images of “the battleground” of the virus.

In June 2020, as the pandemic continued to rage and the Black Lives Matter movement brought millions of people into the streets, the Book Review asked two prominent American poets, Claudia Rankin and Jericho Brown, to write original poems responding to “this historic moment in our country.” Here, Claudia Rankin recites her poem “ Weather. ”

And here, Jericho Brown recites “ ‘Say Thank You Say I’m Sorry’ ”:

‘Say Thank You Say I’m Sorry’

In late November 2020, The Times asked poets laureate across the country why the people in their states would be thankful, even “in a nation battered and brought low by rampant disease and division.” In this piece , you can find links to the results, which might inspire your students’ own poems of gratitude.

Finally, on our own site, we have run multimedia contests during the pandemic that invited teenagers to show us, in words and images, audio and video, what it has been like to be a teenager during this time — trapped inside, going to school over video and missing coming-of-age milestones. Take a look at the winners from 2020 and 2021 to find poems like Suhaylah Sirajul-Islam’s “okay,” Aaron Zhang”s “Winter” and more.

The pandemic has been a fact of our lives for over two years now. What do your students want to express about that, and how?

Parse Politics With Poetry

“Like virtually everything else in the Trump era, poetry has gotten sharply political these days,” The Times wrote in 2017. The article continues:

Writers are responding to this turbulent moment in the country’s history with a tsunami of poems that address issues like immigration, global warming, the Syrian refugee crisis, institutionalized racism, equal rights for transgender people, Islamophobia and health care.

Our “moment” has not become any less turbulent since then. How might your students use poetry to express their reactions to what is happening in the world today? What published poetry can they find that helps them make sense of it?

Some possibilities: reading the work of the former United States poet laureate Tracy K. Smith or listening to the podcast The Slowdown , which she hosted for two seasons before the poet Ada Limón took over.

In an essay on politics and poetry, Ms. Smith writes that political poetry has become a means of owning up to the complexity of our problems, and she introduces the reader to some poets, like Justin Phillip Reed and Evie Shockley, who are doing it well. She writes:

Poems willing to enter into this fraught space don’t merely stand on the bank calling out instructions on how or what to believe; they take us by the arm and walk us into the lake, wetting us with the muddied and the muddled, and sometimes even the holy.

Invite your students to find or create political poems that address the issues they think are important — and that do so in a way that “take us by the arm and walk us into the lake.”

Read Poetry in a Time of War

As the Russia-Ukraine war began in February, “ We Lived Happily During the War ,” by the Ukrainian American poet Ilya Kaminsky, took off on social media. In a related guest essay for the Opinion section, he writes :

Since the war began, I have received emails from journalists asking me to explain my poem “We Lived Happily During the War,” which went viral on the day Vladimir Putin’s troops began bombing my birth country. The poem was published on Poetry International in 2013, the same year the Maidan protests began in Ukraine. Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine’s president at the time, was trying to lean closer to Putin and crush protests. Ukrainians rejected him; Putin stole Crimea; and the war in Donbas began.

Your students might read the essay to learn about the origins of his poem, then move on to the poem itself. Together, they might answer the question Mr. Kaminsky poses: Why do so many find poetry comforting in times of crisis? Then, challenge them to seek more poetry that offers wisdom, comfort or courage for times like ours, perhaps even creating a class anthology of their favorites.

Does Poetry Matter? And What Is It, Anyway? Discuss:

If you have come this far, and your students have read, written, performed and celebrated a range of poetry — both their own and others’ — they might be ready to debate a final question: Does poetry matter?

What evidence might your students use to make their cases?

To help, here are a few pieces from The Times that address the question:

The Opinion section’s Room for Debate column is no longer being published, but it once challenged seven experts to discuss this question , and some of the answers are a kind of poetry in themselves.

Elsewhere in the Opinion section, William Logan asks, “ Poetry: Who Needs It? ”

In “ A Poet’s Boyhood at the Burning Crossroads, ” the writer Saeed Jones describes how, when he was a teenager, poetry helped him “shatter silence into language.”

Do you teach poetry with a Times article or feature? Let us know!

Katherine Schulten has been a Learning Network editor since 2006. Before that, she spent 19 years in New York City public schools as an English teacher, school-newspaper adviser and literacy coach. More about Katherine Schulten

Trending Post : 12 Powerful Discussion Strategies to Engage Students

9 Fun Poetry Lessons to Add to Your Next Unit

Did you land on this post while searching for ways to make poetry less painful…more exciting…more interactive…more creative? Maybe you’re starting your first poetry unit, or maybe you need a way to engage students who claim to dislike it. In this post, you’ll find nine fun poetry lessons for secondary.

1. Creative Writing

Help students study the importance of text structure as they write nonfiction-inspired poetry. Try blending elements of prose, verse, picture books, and concrete poetry to help students understand the power of word choice and aesthetics.

This would also be an opportune time to fit in the concepts of rhythm and rhyme. Studying how words are arranged can help students understand the impact of author’s craft on the overall reader’s experience.

In this activity, students read a nonfiction text (selected by you or by them!), identify their key takeaways, and respond creatively using poetry! Read more about this lesson plan here .

2. Music Analysis

Poetry lessons wouldn’t be complete without music lyric analysis!

I incorporate music into every poetry unit because it makes the genre more relevant to reluctant students. Reading poetry is an opportunity to practice analysis and annotation skills. Songs change in popularity, and each class has a different culture, which should be taken into consideration when selecting music.

One of my favorite lessons using poetry is when I introduce the presence of figurative language in verse with the song “ My Heart’s a Stereo .” It’s a fun way to explore the concept of an extended metaphor. Follow up this lesson with the poem “All the World’s a Stage,” which is part of  As You Like It.

Use this free song analysis activity to guide your discussion.

3. Mood and Tone

Mood and tone can be difficult concepts for students to grasp. I try to re-visit the concepts multiple times throughout the year with various types of literature.

Visuals help! For example, analyze mood and tone by comparing the way the author plays with word choice to the way an equalizer adjusts the sound frequencies of a song.

This engaging poetry lesson  requires students to think critically and symbolically about how mood is represented by color and how tone is controlled through the equalizer. The poet’s diction is the focal point of this creative task, which can be applied to any poem. Want a recommendation? Try using it with “The Highwayman.”

4. Picture Inspiration

Want students to write poetry? Pictures are an excellent hook. Previously, I wrote about 13 ways pictures can inspire students to write poetry . You can find detailed ideas in that post.

Consider: wordless picture books, old family photos, cartoon strips, social media. Texting couplets are also engaging. The possibilities are inspiring.

Download the picture-based poetry resource featured below to help differentiate poetry writing for your students.

5. Close Reading

Looking for more traditional poetry lessons? Sometimes we kill a poem by asking students to read it and analyze it for everything under the sun. I’ve had more luck with close reading and poetry when I focus on one specific target.

With this lesson , students read and re-read short poems, analyzing them through a specific lens. For instance, how does the poet’s word choice impact the reader’s overall experience? How do the connotations and denotations of important words establish the mood?

6. Paired Texts

Surprise your students by pairing poems with nontraditional texts, like short films. Here are five recommended pairings to get students thinking. What I love about this poetry lesson is how it incorporates diverse perspectives, which increases the rigor. As a result, students typically come up with some impressive responses.

Students enjoy poetry more when they can connect the themes to their own lives and to other modern literature. That’s an important benefit of approaching poetry through a paired-text analysis approach.

7. Play Games

Once students have been introduced to the terminology you are using during your poetry unit, don’t be afraid to give them a poem and turn them loose with a game. It’s a social way to think critically about a poem, and as they talk, you have the freedom to roam around and overhear common misconceptions. In doing so, you’ll have a better idea of what concepts might require a follow-up lesson.

This poetry challenge covers structure, figurative language, types of poems, and sound devices. Students can play it with many different poems. Not sure they’re ready for independent play? Play as a class by projecting the game and dividing the students into groups.

Looking for a figurative language game students can use to practice literary terms? Try figurative language Truth or Dare , or, for a more advanced class – Get Schooled !

8. Re-Read with Color

This reading strategy is fun, and it can be used with any text. It’s one I came up with as I was brainstorming ways to pull the main idea from a text and then get students to see how that idea is developed by smaller details.

Next time you want students to process important information from a poem, try asking them to re-read with color . Basically, students will pull out the central idea, then text evidence, and finally connect the poem to life. You can give students different prompts as well.

Each time they read through the poem, they look closely at another layer of meaning.

9. Write First

I’m often surprised at how much more willing my students are to participate when I’ve given them an opportunity to process their thoughts in writing before a class discussion. If you are seeking higher engagement, try giving students some time to reflect on questions before engaging with peers.

These poetry journal prompts each focus on a different important concept and can be used with any poem. Try using them after a class discussion as a way for students to synthesize their opinions.

Poetry lessons can be fun. Spice up your next poetry unit with some of these activities, and drop your own favorite approaches in the comments.

RELATED RESOURCE

Grab this creative poetry analysis resource to spice up your existing unit. Use these analytical graphic organizers and written response tools to get your students thinking critically about any song or poem.

Get the latest in your inbox!

45 Lesson 13: Sound and Rhythm in Poetry

Musicality of Poems

Poems have a musicality to them. They are meant to be read aloud to hear the sound, the rhythm, and sometimes the rhyme. How do poets create sound and rhythm in their poems? Through several literary devices.

Assonance 

Assonance is the repetition of the same vowel sound in words near each other.

Consonance 

Consonance is the repetition of the same consonant sounds in words near each other

Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sounds at the beginning of words near each other.

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia means a word resembles the meaning sound it represents.

Rhyme requires two or more words that repeat the same sounds.. They are often spelled in a similar way, but they don’t have to be spelled in similar ways. Rhyme can occur at the end of a line, called end rhyme, or it can occur in the middle of the line, called internal rhyme.

Rhythm, of course, is the beat–the stressed syllables in a poem. Poets have a variety of possibilities for building that rhythm and ending lines.

Meter is the countable beat that a poet or reader can count. The rhythm will have equal intervals. Count the beat in William Blake’s poem “The Lamb.”

The Lamb Author : William Blake ©1789

Little Lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee? Gave thee life & bid thee feed By the stream & o’er the mead; Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing, wooly, bright; Gave thee such a tender voice, Making all the vales rejoice? Little Lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee?

Little Lamb, I’ll tell thee, Little Lamb, I’ll tell thee: He is callèd by thy name, For he calls himself a Lamb. He is meek, & he is mild; He became a little child. I a child, & thou a lamb, We are callèd by his name. Little Lamb, God bless thee! Little Lamb, God bless thee!

Also, look for alliteration, assonance, consonance, and end-rhyme.

Caesuras are a break, pause, or interruption in the line.

End-Stopped Line

An end-stopped line occurs like natural speech; it ends at the end of a line.

Enjambment 

Enjambment, the opposite of the end-stopped line, does not pause at the end of a line. It continues on without a pause into the next line. For example, poets may break between the subject and a verb, an article and a noun, or between a helping verb and an action verb. In the poem “Endymion,” John Keats uses enjambment. Read this excerpt–the first five lines:

Endymion Author : John Keats ©1817

A thing of beauty is a joy forever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness; but still will keep A bower quiet for us, and a sleep Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

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

Share This Book

Getting Details...

Degree Programs: There's Still Time to Apply. Apply Now!

1-866-berklee, int'l +1-617-747-2146, [email protected], searching..., or check out these faqs:.

• CHANGE CERTIFICATE: When a student wants to change their lower-level certificate to a higher-level certificate (or vice versa) prior to the completion of the program. There are no additional fees for this option other than the cost of additional courses, and you will only earn one certificate upon completion.
• STARTING A NEW CERTIFICATE: When a student wants to earn more than one certificate by having the courses from their lower-level certificate waived into a higher-level certificate. In this case, an additional $175 registration fee is required.

Financial Aid

• Attained at least a 2.70 cumulative GPA in concentrate courses
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00
• Fulfilled all program requirements AND completed a minimum of 120 credits for a single major or 165 for a dual major
• Completed a minimum of 60 institutional credits for a single major or 105 institutional credits for a dual major
• Fulfilled all financial obligations to the college

Transfer Credits

Online undergraduate-level course, creative writing: poetry.

Authored by Pat Pattison

Course Code: OLART-215

Next semester starts June 24 Enroll by 5 PM ET. Limited seats available.--> Enroll by 5 PM ET. Limited seats available.-->

3-credit tuition, non-credit tuition.

Creative Writing: Poetry is a course for writers—songwriters, poets, and anyone who wants to write more effectively. The course—authored by Pat Pattison, who developed the curriculum for the only songwriting major in the country at Berklee—will give you specific tools to help you craft and control your writing. You will be taken through a step-by-step process, each step handing you another tool to give what you say more power. You'll learn how to enhance your ideas through arranging lines into odd or even numbered line groups and creating either a feeling of tension or resolution with the composition itself, independent of the poem's meaning. You'll learn placement, timing, focus, and especially how to use rhythm in language expressively.

• Write clearly and strongly
• Precisely control form and composition
• Counter-point lines against phrases to create musical effects
• Use language rhythms to create tension and resolution
• Understand the relationship between poetry and music
• Deeply understand prosody, the fundamental principle underlying not only poetry, but art in general

Need guidance?

Call ,  Text ,  or  Email us

Lesson 1: Prose vs. Poetry

• Prose: Phrase Lengths
• Sentence Construction: Simple Sentences
• Compound Sentences
• Sentence Types
• Lines with Multiple Phrases
• Units of Composition

Lesson 2: Managing End-Stops 

• Creating Subordinate Clauses
• Stable and Unstable Groupings
• "Days" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Instability
• Student Poetry Examples
• Switching Line Order

Lesson 3: Managing Caesuras 

• Frontal, Medial, and Terminal Caesuras
• Creating Tension
• Emerson's Handling of Caesuras
• Creating Motion

Lesson 4: Managing Enjambment

• Moving from Light to Heavy
• Other Movement
• Managing Enjambment

Lesson 5: Writing in Iambic Pentameter

• Stressed and Unstressed Syllables
• Iambic Pentameter
• Blending Languages
• Why Pentameter?
• English Poetry
• Groove and Variation
• "Distractions" by Emma Joy Hanley
• "The Woman with Fire Engine Nails" by Caroline Harvey
• Learning your Craft

Lesson 6: Substituting in Iambic Pentameter

• Substituting in Iambic Pentameter
• Themes and Variations
• Creating Emotion
• "After Long Silence" by William Butler Yeats
• Substitutions in "After Long Silence"
• Going Against Expectations

Lesson 7: Writing in Blank Verse 

• Writing in Blank Verse
• "Birches" by Robert Frost
• "Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
• Compositional Tools
• "Spring" by Elisa Lomazzo
• "Christmas Cheer" by Ian Henchy

Lesson 8: Blank Verse Again 

• More on Blank Verse
• Blank Verse and Substitutions
• "A Wake" by Ryan Toll
• "Still" by Rachel Borovik

Lesson 9: Using Rhyme

• Using Rhyme
• Sound in Poetry
• Rhyme Schemes
• Perfect Rhyme
• Consonance Rhyme
• More on Consonance Rhyme
• Rhyme Schemes Revisited
• "Ode to the West Wind" by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Lesson 10: English (or Shakespearean) Sonnet

• English or Shakespearean Sonnet
• "When I Have Fears" by John Keats

Lesson 11: English (or Shakespearean) Sonnet Continued

• Modern Sonnets
• "Putting in the Seed" by Robert Frost
• "Baby Running Barefoot" by D. H. Lawrence

Lesson 12: Italian (or Pertrarchian) Sonnet        

• The Italian (or Petrarchian) Sonnet
• The First Eight Lines
• "In Memoriam"
• The Italian Sonnet Road Map
• "Mezzo Cammin" 
• "Grief"
• "Design"
• The ccdeed sestet
• e. e. cummings
• e. e. cummings Variation

Requirements

Prerequisites and course-specific requirements .

Prerequisite Courses, Knowledge, and/or Skills All students enrolled in this course must know English well enough to:

• Easily understand recorded videos and written class lessons
• Participate successfully in written and oral class discussions
• Read, write, and study without being hindered by language problems
• Possess intermediate or advanced grammar skills related to punctuation and verb conjugation Though the course uses a rudimentary musical vocabulary, no musical training is required.

Textbook(s)

• No textbooks required

Student Deals After enrolling, be sure to check out our Student Deals page for various offers on software, hardware, and more. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

General Course Requirements

Below are the minimum requirements to access the course environment and participate in Live Chats. Please make sure to also check the Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements section above, and ensure your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements for all software needed for your course. 

• macOS High Sierra 10.13 or later
• Windows 10 or later
• Latest version of Google Chrome
• Zoom meeting software
• Speakers or headphones
• External or internal microphone
• Broadband Internet connection

Instructors

Pat Pattison is a professor at Berklee College of Music, where he teaches lyric writing and poetry. In addition to his four books, Songwriting Without Boundaries  (Penguin/Random House), Writing Better Lyrics, 2nd Edition (Penguin/Random House), The Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure (Hal Leonard), and The Essential Guide to Rhyming (Hal Leonard), Pat has developed several online courses for Berklee Online. He has written more than 50 articles for various blogs and magazines, including American Songwriter , and has chapters in both The Poetics of American Song Lyrics (University Press of Mississippi) and The Handbook on Creative Writing (Edinburgh University Press).

Eric Leva is a songwriter, singer, producer, and classically trained pianist from Massachusetts. Leva has studied at the New England Conservatory of Music and Berklee College of Music. Following his studies, Leva spent time in New York City to hone his craft and develop his writing. A songwriting award from the ASCAP Foundation eventually sparked a move to Los Angeles to pursue more collaborations. His recent releases include Kesha, DNCE, Wes Period, and Rozzi.

Sarah Anne Stinnett is a multi-disciplinary artist and educator. Since 2017 she has served as Teaching Assistant for Harvard Extension and Harvard Summer Schools in the subjects of speech, communication, and social media. At Lesley University she is Teaching Assistant for Musical Theater Writing and instructs curriculum in collaboration, voice, and performance. Her core tenets in teaching are as in life: employ unparalleled curiosity, to do is to discover, and a life of learning and imagination is impelled by the study of the masters before.

What's Next?

When taken for credit, Creative Writing: Poetry can be applied towards the completion of these related programs:

Related Certificate Programs

• General Music Studies Professional Certificate
• General Music Studies Advanced Professional Certificate

Related Degree Majors

• Bachelor's Degree in Music Production
• Bachelor's Degree in Music Business
• Bachelor's Degree in Music Composition for Film, TV, and Games
• Bachelor's Degree in Electronic Music Production and Sound Design
• Bachelor's Degree in Interdisciplinary Music Studies (Create Your Own Major)
• Bachelor's Degree in Songwriting
• Bachelor's Degree in Guitar Performance
• (Pre-Degree) Undeclared Option
• Bachelor's Degree in Songwriting and Producing Music

Related Music Career Roles

Employers look for skills learned in this course, when hiring for the following music career roles:

Music Journalist

Proofreader

Contact our Academic Advisors by phone at 1-866-BERKLEE (U.S.), 1-617-747-2146 (INT'L), or by email at [email protected] .

Enroll by May 13 and Save up to $300

Get instant access to free music resources, access free music resources, free sample lessons.

Take our online school for a test drive with our free sample course, featuring 12 lessons from our most popular courses.

Degree Handbooks

Download free course materials designed to provide you with marketable skills in music.

Online Course Catalog

Browse more than 200 unique 12-week courses in a wide variety of musical interest areas.

News and Exclusive Content

Receive the latest in music trends, video tutorials, podcasts, and more.

Already have an account? Log in to get access.

Berklee is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

Berklee Online is a University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) award-winner eighteen years in a row (2005-2023).

We use cookies to improve your experience on our sites. By use of our site, you agree to our cookie policy .

Proof of Bachelor's Degree to Enroll

Proof of a bachelor's degree is required to enroll in any non-degree, graduate-level certificate or course .

Ready to submit an unofficial copy of your transcript?

International Students

See the Enrolling in a Graduate Certificate or Individual Course page for more information.

How to Write a Lesson Plan on Poetry

Written by Dan

Last updated February 20, 2024

Teaching poetry can be an exciting and engaging way to introduce students to the complexity and beauty of language. Poetry allows students to explore the nuances of language, evoke emotions, and develop a deeper appreciation for the written word.

Through a well-prepared lesson plan, teachers can help students appreciate the intricate art form that is poetry by fostering their creativity and enhancing their understanding of various linguistic elements.

Related : For more, check out our article on  Poems About The Moon  here.

To create an effective lesson plan on poetry, it is crucial for teachers to first have a clear understanding of what poetry is all about. This means delving into the different styles and forms of poetry and exploring the rich history that shapes the tradition of poetic expression.

Understanding these aspects can help teachers develop a comprehensive and engaging curriculum that not only introduces students to various works of poetry, but also challenges them to analyse and interpret their meanings.

Equipped with this deep understanding, teachers can then begin to construct their lesson plans.

Creating a diversity of activities that cater to different learning styles, such as incorporating creative writing exercises and discussing specific forms of poetry, ensures that students can actively participate in lessons and develop their own voices as poets.

Furthermore, enhancing the classroom experience by including multimedia and interactive discussions can spark students’ interest and encourage them to immerse themselves in the world of poetry.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

• A well-prepared lesson plan enables students to appreciate the language and emotions in poetry
• Teachers need to understand various styles, forms and history of poetry to create an engaging curriculum
• An effective lesson includes diverse activities, creative writing exercises, and a stimulating classroom environment

Understanding Poetry

Elements of Poetry

In order to teach poetry, it’s essential to understand its basic elements. Poetry covers a variety of topics and is expressed through several poetic forms .

It can have a structured or free-flowing structure , which comprises elements like rhythm , rhyme , and syllables .

Exploring the meaning of a poem involves examining its metaphors , similes , and personification . Different poetic techniques are used to enrich the text and evoke the reader’s imagination .

This table provides a framework for writing a lesson plan on poetry, detailing the essential components and offering tips for effective lesson planning. It can be adapted to suit different educational contexts and student needs.

Types of Poems and Poetic Devices

There are numerous poetic forms, such as sonnets , haikus , limericks , and tanka poems . The table below provides an overview of these forms and their features:

In addition to these forms, there are also free verse poems that don’t adhere to a specific structure or rhyme scheme.

Poetry also relies on devices like alliteration , assonance , and rhyming words to create sound effects and meaning. For instance, alliteration involves the repetition of consonant sounds, while assonance focuses on vowel sounds. Utilising these devices can transform the flow and impact of a poem.

Related : For more, check out our article on The best Activities To be Taught In A Poetry Lesson  here.

Developing Vocabulary

A crucial aspect of understanding poetry is the use of an extensive and varied vocabulary .

Engaging with new words and phrases not only allows readers to comprehend the poem’s intended meanings but also helps them appreciate the beauty of the language.

When teaching poetry, encourage students to explore unfamiliar words and examine their etymological origins.

Educators can effectively guide students in exploring the nuanced world of poetry by developing a firm grasp of these fundamental components and applying them throughout the lesson plan.

Developing The Lesson Plan

When crafting a lesson plan on poetry for secondary schools, teachers need to employ a variety of teaching resources and strategies. Here, we outline some necessary steps to create an engaging and comprehensive lesson plan.

Firstly , determine the learning objectives for the lesson. Be specific about what you want students to gain from studying poetry.

These objectives should align with the broader literacy goals of the curriculum. It is beneficial to consult resources such as the National Poetry Day or the Poetry Foundation websites for inspiration.

Next, consider incorporating a stimulus as a poem, a video, or an audio recording to spark students’ interest.

Activities like close readings and golden shovel exercises, wherein students create a new poem using words from an existing one, can aid in building their understanding of poetic elements.

Subsequently, integrate writing activities throughout the lesson, allowing students to practise composing poetry in various forms. This may include:

• Writing haikus
• Crafting sonnets
• Experimenting with free verse

To ensure a well-rounded learning experience, include analysis and discussion elements. Encourage students to explore themes, literary devices, and poets’ language techniques.

For example, organise a Poetry Out Loud session, where students actively engage in recitations, discussions, and peer feedback.

Moreover, utilises technology and online platforms to enhance the teaching experience. Websites such as Poets.org and National Poetry Day offer valuable lesson plans, activities, and resources.

Finally, establish a checklist for the lesson, outlining clear instructions and expectations. This may include:

• Reading and understanding the chosen poems
• Participating in group activities
• Completing writing tasks
• Engaging in class discussions

A well-crafted lesson plan on poetry effectively utilises resources, promotes engagement, and caters to students’ diverse learning needs.

By incorporating various writing activities, analysis and discussion tasks, and technological support, teachers can create a comprehensive and enjoyable learning experience for their students.

Enhancing Classroom Experience

When teaching poetry, creating a classroom atmosphere that encourages creativity and expression is essential. One approach to foster this environment is through communal storytelling .

Please encourage your students to share their personal experiences, emotions, and ideas with their peers. This process will establish a safe space for them to express their thoughts openly, ultimately creating a more engaging and fulfilling learning experience.

Incorporate different forms of poetry writing within your lesson plan. For instance, introduce your students to the concept of a found poem .

A found poem can be a creative and constructive way to explore new ideas in poetry as they transform existing texts, like book pages or newspaper articles, into something new and original.

Moreover, consider integrating a poetry journal activity as part of your lessons. Ask students to regularly write and reflect on their experiences with poetry during the course.

This will help them track their progress and better understand the subject matter.

Performance poetry provides another engaging and immersive approach to enhance the classroom experience.

Allow students to exhibit their work during classroom performances or even host a poetry slam event, which can be an exciting way for them to showcase their creations and talents.

By incorporating performance, students can realise the potential of their work and how it resonates with an audience.

• Utilise communal storytelling
• Teach various forms of poetry writing
• Include performance poetry activities

Venturing outside the classroom can provide new perspectives and inspiration.

Plan field trips to local poetry events, open mic nights, or workshops with guest poets to expose students to different styles of poetry and creative expression.

Introducing your class to the wider poetry community will help them appreciate the diverse world of poetry and inspire them to create and share their unique pieces.

Incorporating Creative Writing

Creative writing plays a significant role in teaching poetry and enhancing students’ creativity. Employing various techniques and exercises can stimulate their imagination and encourage them to express themselves uniquely.

One fundamental element of creative writing in poetry is the use of imagery . Teachers can introduce students to various forms of imagery, such as visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory.

To inspire students, teachers may provide a list of evocative images or encourage them to find images in their surroundings. For example, they could create a table for students to fill in with their imagery ideas:

Another effective technique is to promote collaboration among students. Group activities can encourage shared ideas and experiences, resulting in a richer and more diverse artistic expression.

Teachers might organise poetry workshops where students can work in small groups to brainstorm ideas, create images, develop metaphors, and critique each other’s work.

To ensure students engage with their imagination , the teacher can prompt them with open-ended exercises or themes rooted in personal experiences.

For instance, they could ask students to write a poem about a cherished memory, explore a new perspective on a familiar object, or imagine the world from an ant’s point of view.

Finally, allowing students to express themselves through various poetic forms and styles is crucial to fostering creativity in their writing. Teachers should present poetic forms – such as sonnets, haikus, and free verse – encouraging students to experiment and find the style that resonates most with them.

Similarly, introducing students to poets from diverse backgrounds and showcasing different poetic traditions can broaden their understanding of the limitless possibilities of poetry.

Incorporating creative writing techniques into a poetry lesson plan can help foster a deeper appreciation for poetry and stimulate the students’ creativity, imagination, and self-expression.

Dealing With Specific Poetry Forms

When writing a lesson plan on poetry, it is essential to address the varying forms of poetry. Each specific poetry form presents different constraints and characteristics that can spark creativity and develop different skills in students.

This section will briefly discuss some popular poetic forms, including haiku, sonnet, limerick, tanka, free verse, found poem , and golden shovel .

A haiku is a traditional Japanese form consisting of three lines with syllable counts of 5-7-5.

It often focuses on capturing the essence of nature and seasons. Teaching haiku can encourage students to observe their surroundings closely, and concisely convey their impressions.

The sonnet is a 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme and meter, typically iambic pentameter.

There are two main types of sonnets: the Shakespearean (or English) sonnet, with a rhyme scheme of ABABCDCDEFEFGG, and the Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnet, with a rhyme scheme of ABBAABBACDECDE.

Sonnets traditionally explore themes of love and beauty, helping students develop their skills in expressing emotions and structuring thoughts within strict guidelines.

A limerick is a humorous five-line poem with a rhyme scheme of AABBA, where lines 1, 2, and 5 generally have 7-10 syllables and lines 3 and 4 have 5-7 syllables.

The light-hearted nature of limericks can engage students while still demonstrating the importance of rhythm and rhyme.

The tanka poem is another Japanese form, similar to the haiku, consisting of five lines with syllable counts of 5-7-5-7-7.

It often explores emotions or themes beyond those found in haiku, allowing students to dive deeper into their experiences and feelings while maintaining a tight structure.

Free Verse Poem

With no fixed rhyme scheme or meter, free verse poems offer the utmost freedom, allowing students to explore their creativity without form constraints.

When teaching this form, emphasis can be placed on the importance of line breaks, imagery, and other poetic devices.

A found poem is created by rearranging and re-contextualising existing text from various sources, such as newspapers, books, or advertisements.

This form encourages students to develop their skills in interpreting and appreciating language and explore new ways of combining and presenting ideas.

Golden Shovel

The golden shovel is a newer form that pays tribute to an existing poem by incorporating its words into a new composition.

Each word from the original poem is used as the last word of each line in the new poem. This form can teach students the importance of intertextuality and creative reinterpretation of literary works.

Incorporating these different poetic forms into a lesson plan ensures a diverse and engaging exploration of the vast world of poetry, helping students develop various skills and a deeper appreciation for the power of language.

Related Posts

About The Author

I'm Dan Higgins, one of the faces behind The Teaching Couple. With 15 years in the education sector and a decade as a teacher, I've witnessed the highs and lows of school life. Over the years, my passion for supporting fellow teachers and making school more bearable has grown. The Teaching Couple is my platform to share strategies, tips, and insights from my journey. Together, we can shape a better school experience for all.

Join our email list to receive the latest updates.

Add your form here

Poetry Out Loud

Lesson plans.

Poetry Out Loud is not intended to replace classroom activities like creative writing. In fact, the two naturally complement each other. For that reason, we have created a number of optional writing activities and lesson plans for teachers.

Do you have some great Poetry Out Loud lesson plans? Email us at [email protected] to share your ideas!

For further ideas on poetry instruction, visit the  Poetry Foundation’s Learning section.

 “My English class would practice with each other every week, getting tips and tricks from our teacher before the class competition. My main focus was always ensuring that I had a deep understanding of the author’s intended tone and purpose.” Ella Weinmann, 2023 New Hampshire Champion

Downloadable PDF Lesson Plans

Poems Put to Use  (PDF) Students write about poems being put to use and, in the process, imagine the practical advantages of poem memorization and recitation.

The Tabloid Ballad  (PDF) This lesson teaches students about the typical metrical forms and narrative structure of the ballad by having them write ballads based on comic, even outrageous source material.

The Tone Map  (PDF) As students learn to name the tones of voice that the poem moves through, they learn to describe mixed emotions and to distinguish subtle shifts in tone and mood. 

Poetry, Celebrity, and the Power of Connotation  (PDF) Students learn to recognize some of the most common strategies that poets use when writing about historical figures. With these in mind, students then hunt up and present other poems about historical figures.

Golden Shovel   (PDF) Students learn to read and write poems through a new form.

In Another’s Voice  (PDF) This lesson focuses on poems that enter into a voice other than the poet’s, perhaps not even a human voice, so that students can explore the dramatic possibilities within a poem.

Keeping Score  (PDF) In this lesson, students practice close readings of poems by analyzing the style—what musicians call the “dynamics” —of the poem: its volume, speed, language, syntax, lineation, and punctuation.

Poetry As Ceremony   (PDF) This lesson focuses on poems that have the sound of ritual, often with an incantatory rhythm that can guide students in memorization and performance.

Visualizing Voice  (PDF) In this lesson, students will practice close reading by deciding points of emphasis within a poem.

Line Dancing  (PDF) This exercise will help students become more comfortable with line breaks, to think about the ways in which they can inform not only the meaning of a poem on the page, but also how understanding line breaks may aid in the performance of poetry out loud as well.

Lesson Plans by Eileen Murphy that complement Poetry Out Loud

Sonic Patterns: Exploring Poetic Techniques Through Close Reading Students use the idea of a composed memory and their knowledge of sonic patterns to draft, revise, and share their own original text.

Speaking Poetry: Exploring Sonic Patterns Through Performance Students engage in a variety of vocal activities and performance techniques based on word sounds and then prepare a recitation for small group performances and compare their interpretative choices as part of the reflection process.

• National Poetry Month
• Teach This Poem
• Poems for Kids
• Poetry for Teens
• Lesson Plans
• Resources for Teachers
• Literary Seminars
• American Poets Magazine

Main navigation

• Academy of American Poets

User account menu

lesson plans

Page submenu block.

• literary seminars
• materials for teachers
• poetry near you

The Academy of American Poets presents poetry lesson plans, most of which align with Common Core State Standards, and all of which have been reviewed by our Educator in Residence with an eye toward developing skills of perception and imagination. We hope they will inspire the educators in our community to bring even more poems into your classrooms!

Lesson Plans for Spring

Celebrate warmer weather, the departure of winter, and the beginning of spring with these lesson

Lesson Plans about Family

The following lesson plans feature poems poems exploring many different kinds of family relations

Lesson Plans about Social Justice

The following lesson plans feature poems exploring the themes of social justice, identity, and human rights.

Lesson Plans about the Environment

Browse this selection of lesson plans featuring poems about the environment, nature, and science.

Poetry Lesson Plans about History

Browse poetry lesson plans featuring poems about many different aspects of American and world his

Lesson Plans by Theme

Find poetry lesson plans organized by theme, occasion, and class subject, including lesson plans featuring poems about social justice, the environment, and many other topics.

Lesson Plans about Politics

The following lesson plans feature poems and activities related to politics, America, the electi

Newsletter Sign Up

• Academy of American Poets Newsletter
• Academy of American Poets Educator Newsletter

6 Creative Lessons to Inspire Secondary Writers

Looking for outside-the-box ELA teaching ideas? This roundup from TeachWriting.org has valuable ideas for everyone, covering everything from differentiation ideas…to engaging mini lessons…to maker spaces…and more!

Let’s dive into the ideas linked below to find inspiration you can use to engage middle and high school students. Here are six different posts containing creative lessons, resources, and activities to inspire secondary writers.

PICTURE-INSPIRED POETRY

Read about THIRTEEN ways Reading and Writing Haven uses pictures to inspire students to write poetry . Heading into a literary analysis, poetry, or creative writing unit? These ideas will be especially useful!

Ready to dive into poetry analysis and written response? Add some zest to your typical lesson plan with this visual one pager that scaffolds students analysis of key poem or song elements.

Scaffolded poetry analysis one pager from Reading and Writing Haven

SUSPENSE WRITING

In this post, Teach BeTween the Lines shares FOUR mini-lessons for teaching suspense writing , including character analysis, sensory images, literary devices, and more.

Dive into a spooky-type short story and character analysis with “The Most Dangerous Game.”

“Most Dangerous Game” Character Analysis Workbook from Teach BeTween the Lines

MAKER SPACE

This creative lesson to inspire secondary writers is a newer approach . Turn your writer’s workshop into a maker space with these unique ideas from Spark Creativity.

It’s true! Creative writing doesn’t have to be intimidating. Engage students with this short story maker assignment .

Short Story Maker Space Assignment from Spark Creativity

REFLECTION ACTIVITY

Bespoke ELA’s post is all about the recursive nature of writing. It goes all directions: forward, backward, and sideways. Support secondary writers by teaching them to be reflective throughout the process.

Use these FREE task cards by Bespoke ELA at the end of a Writer’s Workshop to emphasize that an essay can be edited and revised at any time. Communicate to students that writing is a continual, recursive process, not linear.

Writing Workshop Wrap-Up Task Cards from Bespoke ELA

CREATIVE WRITING

Teaching a creative writing unit or class? In this post , Language Arts Classroom writes about THREE creative writing assignments you can use with students; how-to articles, children’s books, and movie scripts.

And! Help students organize their writing with a creative angle: cookies! These graphic organizers will help students with brainstorming, narrowing ideas, and more.

Cookie Organization Graphic Organizers by Language Arts Classroom

WRITING MINI LESSONS

One of the most popular ways to incorporate lessons that inspire secondary writers is writing workshop. The problem? Without training, it’s hard to figure out how to get started.

Amanda Write Now’s post covers various angles to consider when setting up a writing workshop. Specifically, this article features “how-tos” for FIVE of her favorite workshop mini lessons .

Writing Workshop Launch Lessons from Amanda Write Now

related posts:

Are instagram captions a teaching genre, 5 creative reading response activities, 10 unique and creative reflection techniques.

Want to adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open practices.

Patterns in Poetry

Some poems come in specific patterns–a specific form, such as sonnets, villanelles, and concrete poems. These forms have specific rules that the poet must follow.

The sonnet is written in iambic pentameter. What’s that? It’s a specific rhythm. Each line has ten syllables with five pairs of iambs. Iambs are an unstressed syllable paired with a stressed syllable, so it will have the beat like this:

daDA / daDA / daDA / daDA / daDA

The Shakespearean sonnet has fourteen lines with a specific rhyme pattern. Each pair of words that rhymes alternate a line for the first 12 lines. For example, Line 1 and Line 3 end in a rhyme, and Line 2 and Line 4 end in a rhyme.  The last two lines have their own rhyme. The rhyme scheme looks like this:

a b a b c d c d e f e f g g

Read William Shakespeare’s sonnet “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer Day?” Look at the specific traits of the form: the iambic pentameter rhythm and the rhyme scheme.

Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer Day Author : William Shakespeare ©1598

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date: Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimm’d, And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance, or nature’s changing course untrimm’d: But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st, Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st, So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Other types of sonnets include the Petrarchan, a fourteen-line sonnet with the rhyme scheme of abba, abba, cde, cde.

Blank Verse

Blank verse is a poem that does not rhyme, but it has five stressed beats per line.

The villanelle contains five stanzas with three lines each, which is called tercets. The sixth stanza has four lines, which is called a quatrain. The total number of lines needed for a villanelle is 19 lines.

The villanelle also has two repeating lines. The first line in the first stanza repeats in the sixth, twelfth, and eighteenth lines. The third line in the first stanza repeats in the ninth, fifteenth, and nineteenth lines.

The villanelle follows this rhyme scheme: aba, aba, aba, aba, aba, abaa.

Check out this form in Dylan Thomas’ poem “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night.”

Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night Author : Dylan Thomas ©1951

Concrete Poetry

Concrete poetry, also called visual poetry, takes on the shape of the topic being written about. The lines and words are typed specifically to create a design and enhance the meaning. For example, read and study the format of George Herbert’s poem “Easter Wings.”

Easter Wings Author : George Herbert ©1633

Free verse poetry has no form, meaning it has no stressed beats per line. This is the most common type of poetry that is written today.

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

Share This Book

• Funny Poems
• Poems by Subject
• Funny Poems by Email
• Classic Poems
• Poems by Reading Level
• Poetry Minute
• Nursery Rhymes
• Poems by Length
• Famous Children’s Poets
• Surprise Me!
• Poems by Poetic Technique
• Other Poetry Websites and Resources
• Poetry Writing Lessons
• Rhyming Dictionary
• Lists of Rhyming Words
• Poetry Activities
• Poetic Terms Dictionary
• About Kenn Nesbitt
• School Author Visits
• Event Calendar
• Contact Kenn
• Custom Poems

Poetry Writing Lessons for Kids

There are many different ways to write poems as well as lots of techniques you can learn to help you improve your writing skill. Here are many of the poetry writing lessons for children that I have created to help you become a better poet, including how to write funny poetry, poetic rhythm, poetic forms and other styles of verse, as well as lesson plans for teachers and video lessons.

How to Write Funny Poetry

• Chapter 1: Writing Poetry
• Chapter 2: How to Rhyme
• Chapter 3: Choosing a Topic
• Chapter 4: Making it Funny
• Chapter 5: Types of Funny Poems

Rhythm in Poetry

• You Can Scan, Man
• I Am the Iamb
• Okie Dokie, Here’s the Trochee
• More than Two Feet

Poetic Forms

A poetic “form” is a set of rules for writing a certain type of poem. These rules can include the number of lines or syllables the poem should have, the placement of rhymes, and so on. Here are lessons for writing several common poetic forms.

• How to Write an Acrostic Poem
• How to Create Book Spine Poetry
• How to Write a Cinquain Poem
• How to Write a Clerihew
• How to Write a Concrete or “Shape” Poem
• How to Write a Diamante Poem
• How to Create a “Found Poem”
• How to Write a Free Verse Poem
• How to Write a Haiku
• How to Write a Kenning Poem
• How to Write a Limerick
• How to Write Lyric and Dramatic Poetry
• How to Write a Sonnet
• How to Write a Tanka Poem
• How to Write a Triolet

Other Poetic Styles

There are many different styles of poems. These are not “poetic forms” because they don’t usually have firm rules about length, syllable counts, etc., but they are common enough that many well-known children’s poets have written poems like these.

• How to Write an Alphabet Poem
• How to Write an Alliteration Poem
• How to Write an Apology Poem
• How to Write a “Backward” Poem
• How to Write an Exaggeration Poem
• How to Write a “Favorite Things” List Poem
• How to Write a Funny Epitaph Poem
• How to Write a Funny List Poem
• How to Write a Traditional “Mother Goose” Nursery Rhyme
• How to Write a Fractured Nursery Rhyme
• How to Write an “I Can’t Write a Poem” Poem
• How to Write Nonsense Verse
• How to Write an Onomatopoeia Poem
• How to Write an Opposite Day Poem
• How to Write a “Playing With Your Food” Poem
• How to Write a Repetition Poem
• How to Write Riddle Rhymes
• How to Write a “Roses are Red” Valentine’s Day Poem
• How to Write a Silly Song Parody
• How to Write a Tongue Twister

Reciting Poetry

• How to Host an Open Mic Poetry Party
• How to Host a Poetry Slam
• How to Recite a Poem Like an Expert

Other Poetry Writing Lessons

• Can You Make Up Words?
• Describe the Sky – A Poetry Creativity Workout
• Evoking the Senses in a Poem
• Five Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block
• How to Start a Poetry Journal
• “Forced Rhymes” and How to Avoid Them
• That Doesn’t Sound Right to Me
• Twenty Fun Writing Prompts for Kids

Poetry Lesson Plans for Teachers

• Alliteration and Assonance Lesson Plan
• Onomatopoeia Poetry Lesson Plan
• Personification Poetry Lesson Plan
• Rhyme Schemes Lesson Plan
• Simile and Metaphor Lesson Plan

Video Poetry Lessons

• Awesome Acrostics – A video poetry writing lesson
• How to Rhyme – A video poetry writing lesson

Poetry Dictionaries and Rhyming Words Lists

When reading these lessons, you may come across some unfamiliar words. If you see a poetic term and don’t know what it means, you can always look it up in the Poetic Terms Dictionary. Poetry4kids also has a rhyming dictionary and a list of rhyming words you can use to help you write poems.

• Poetic Terms Dictionary for Kids

Rhyming Dictionary for Kids

• Rhyming Words Lists

Other Useful Poetry-Writing Lessons

There are loads of websites on the Internet that offer helpful lessons for children on how to write poems. Here are a few you may find useful:

• How to Teach Poetry Writing in Four Easy Lessons
• Poetry Worksheets and Printables

Member Login

Type any word here to find all the words that rhyme with it

Support Poetry4kids

Get Poems by Email

Visit My Other Websites

Find the Best Kids Books

What are you looking for.

ThinkWritten

101 Poetry Prompts & Ideas for Writing Poems

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

We may receive a commission when you make a purchase from one of our links for products and services we recommend. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for support!

Sharing is caring!

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.

Similar Posts

300 Fun Writing Prompts for Kids: Story Starters, Journal Prompts & Ideas

108 Romance Writing Prompts & Love Story Ideas

42 Fantasy Writing Prompts & Plot Ideas

7 Creative Writing Exercises For Writers

365 Creative Writing Prompts

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

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

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.

• Poetry Lesson Ideas

Recent Posts

Three high impact, low prep lessons for middle school ELA

Implementing Poetry March Madness

Integrating Poetry All Year Round

• International
• Schools directory
• Resources Jobs Schools directory News Search

Speed Writing Poetry: Interactive creative lesson

Subject: English

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

22 February 2018

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

A resource with an interactive creative lesson presentation where students build up a poem writing line by line guided by their teacher

Tes classic free licence

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

palomaroblesllana

Very good resource, thanks!

Empty reply does not make any sense for the end user

purplecardigan

Many thanks for your generosity in sharing this!

My year 9 and 10s loved working on this resource. They came up with some very good pieces. Thankyou!

ABIMARRIOTT

Lovely resource, a great starting point for anyone who wants to write poetry

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:

Accessibility links

• Skip to content
• Accessibility Help

Writing and Performance Poetry - Live Lesson

< Back to Live Lessons homepage

< Back to Primary Live Lessons

Explore writing poetry and celebrate National Poetry Day

This National Poetry Day Live Lesson for KS2/2nd Level pupils explores the theme of 'change' and includes reading, performance and critical analysis of similes and metaphors.

The programme, presented by CBBC Katie Thistleton, features award-winning performance poet, author and National Poetry Day ambassador Joseph Coelho and a special guest appearance from poet and author Tony Walsh .

Content is designed to work alongside our Joseph Coelho - Understanding Poetry resources on BBC Teach and features clips from the collection.

This programme was first streamed live to schools on National Poetry Day in October 2018. Please note that we are no longer reviewing emails and messages from schools for inclusion in the lesson.

How to use this resource

Check out our lesson guide for teachers and print out the student activity sheets below.

Download our guide to the Live Lesson

Activity 1: Similes and Metaphors

Activity 2: Alliteration

Post-lesson activity: Live Lessons collective poem

Supporting resources from Twinkl

Lower KS2 - Changes - Poetry Activity Pack

Upper KS2 - Changes - Poetry Activity Pack

Reading Aloud Activity Sheet

Haiku Activity Sheet

Poetic Techniques Activity Sheet

Limericks Activity Sheet

Tips and advice on poetry from our teacher panel

Advice, discussion and poetry teaching resources especially for teachers from our panel of specialists

Watch clips from the Live Lesson

Clips from the Live Lesson on similes and metaphors, rhyme, onomatopeia, alliteration and performance

Primary Live Lessons

Find out more about our Live Lessons designed for primary school students