Whether your students are avid poetry writers or new to crafting verse, we’ve got prompts that will inspire each and every one of them to think from a different perspective, contemplate new wonders, and enhance their sense of gratitude. Using poetic language not only allows learners to develop their literacy, but it also gives them an opportunity to reframe their thoughts and emotions in a new light. Be guided by our collection of 104 unique poetry prompts as you delve into the world of verse with your budding writers.
1. Capture your feelings about a sunrise in verse.
2. Illustrate in poetry your favorite season and why you love it.
3. Describe an object in the room, attributing it human traits, through lyrical prose.
4. Compose a haiku about a tranquil place.
5. Express your earliest memory in poetic form.
6. Craft a verse that integrates the words “whisper”, “light”, and “shadows”.
7. Pen a piece about a regret you carry.
8. Devote an ode to your most cherished book.
9. Speak from the perspective of a historical figure in verse.
10. Share a dream you had in rhythmic lines.
11. Formulate a limerick about a humorous incident.
12. Envision a place you have never visited but wish to, in poetry.
13. Explore your fears lyrically.
14. Create a piece that repeats a specific line thrice.
15. Engage in a sonnet to portray love.
16. Begin every line of your verse with the same letter.
17. Describe your favorite color through the art of verse.
18. Narrate about a meal that holds importance to you via a poem.
19. Include every family member’s name in your piece of poetry.
20. Chronicle a heroic deed in a ballad.
21. Express in verse the impact a piece of music has on you.
22. Share through a poem something you wish you had expressed.
23. Transform a mundane household task into an engaging poem.
24. Incorporate the phrase “the silence was…” in your poetic creation.
25. Speak about a special childhood toy in verse.
26. Formulate a villanelle about transformation.
27. Recall your first day of school through a poem.
28. Capture the essence of your favorite animal in verse.
29. Articulate a secret through a piece of poetry.
30. Incorporate the words “moon”, “horizon”, and “chase” in your piece.
31. Narrate a lie you once told in poetic form.
32. Explore a specific emotion without naming it directly in your verse.
33. Evoke the spirit of your hometown through poetry.
34. Detail a difficult decision you made in verse.
35. Transform your last text message into a poem.
36. Compose a pantoum about the passage of time.
37. Illustrate your favorite place in your house in verse.
38. Detail a thrilling moment of your life through poetry.
39. Chronicle a journey you embarked on in verse.
40. Celebrate a family tradition through poetry.
41. Employ abundant alliteration in your poem.
42. Describe your favorite piece of art in verse.
43. Narrate an incident of loss in your poem.
44. Recall a childhood friend through your verse.
45. Evoke the smell of your favorite food in a poem.
46. Chronicle an adventure in an epic poem.
47. Capture the vastness and mystery of the ocean in verse.
48. Recount an occasion when you felt like a fish out of water in poetry.
49. Describe a passion of yours through verse.
50. Weave the phrase “I remember” into your poem.
51. Narrate your least favorite chore in verse.
52. Celebrate your favorite hobby in a poem.
53. Chronicle a first—first kiss, first car, first job—in your poem.
54. Recall an old photograph in verse.
55. Write about an accomplishment that filled you with pride.
56. Express what makes you angry through a poem.
57. Share about a favorite family vacation in verse.
58. Remember a gift you’ve received in your poem.
59. Compose a ghazal about longing.
60. Recall a moment of solitude that had a profound impact on you in a poem.
61. Speak about a scent and its significance to you through verse.
62. Share a lesson you learned the hard way in a poem.
63. Narrate a major turning point in your life through poetry.
64. Describe your favorite character from a movie, TV show, or book in verse.
65. Recall the first person who broke your heart in a verse.
66. Celebrate a talent or skill you admire in a poem.
67. Discuss a current event through verse.
68. Evoke a specific texture in your poem.
69. Speak about an act of rebellion and its aftermath in verse.
70. Narrate about a daring decision you made and its consequences in a poem.
71. Compose a sestina about a significant object.
72. Articulate the melody of a song that’s stuck in your head through verse.
73. Write about a moment when communication broke down in a poem.
74. Share your favorite memory in verse.
75. Share about a revelation that took you aback in a poem.
76. Describe an unusual or unexpected encounter through poetry.
77. Capture your favorite sport or game in verse.
78. Form a poem about a personal trial and the lessons it taught you.
79. Celebrate a role model in your poem.
80. Discuss a natural disaster through verse.
81. Recount your first heartbreak in a poem.
82. Speak about a myth or legend through verse.
83. Capture the allure of the night sky in a poem.
84. Evoke the feeling of falling in love in verse.
85. Discuss a promise through poetry.
86. Chronicle a time you felt proud of yourself in a poem.
87. Compose a terza rima about transitions.
88. Discuss a habit you want to break in verse.
89. Recall a stranger you saw once and never forgot in a poem.
90. Speak about a childhood belief through verse.
91. Discuss a habit you’ve acquired during your lifetime in a poem.
92. Speak about a moment that made you change your mind about something in verse.
93. Chronicle a time you felt incredibly brave in a poem.
94. Celebrate a favorite element of nature—rain, wind, fire, earth—in verse.
95. Discuss a letter that was never sent in a poem.
96. Narrate a time you felt conflicted through verse.
97. Evoke a memory associated with a certain taste in a poem.
98. Speak about an important conversation you’ve had through poetry.
99. Discuss something you wish you could forget in a poem.
100. Chronicle a time you said yes in verse.
101. Narrate a time you said no through poetry.
102. Chronicle the worst day of your life in verse.
103. Express a moment of unexpected victory in verse.
104. Capture the essence of liberation in an experience in verse.
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