Poetry Prompts for Spring
Poets often hail the seasons by writing odes to them, and spring is no exception.
Rebirth itself is a common theme in poetry, so the spring season, with its fresh skies and new shoots, is a great inspiration for composition.
Spring is also alive with imagery. From budding flowers to torrential downpours, the entire season provides a wide canvas of color, shape, and sound. And all of these things find their way into poetry.
Read Then Write. Rinse. Repeat.
I’ve recently had several conversations with poets who do not read poetry. This, I understand since I was once a young poet whose reading repertoire was limited to Dr. Suess and Shel Silverstein, despite the fact that I was winding my way through my twenties.
There are a myriad of reasons why aspiring poets should read poetry on a regular basis – that’s an entire blog post (and one you can look forward to in the near future).
Today, we’ll skip the reasons and before digging into our poetry prompts, we’ll just take a few minutes to enjoy three essential poems about spring from a few of the greats.
Springtime Poetry
Spring
Song, from Act V, Scene 2 of Love’s Labors Lostby William Shakespeare (1598)
When daisies pied, and violets blue,
And lady-smocks all silver-white,
And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue
Do paint the meadows with delight,
The cuckoo then, on every tree,
Mocks married men, for thus sings he:
“Cuckoo!
Cuckoo, cuckoo!” O word of fear,
Unpleasing to a married ear.When shepherds pipe on oaten straws,
And merry larks are ploughmen’s clocks,
When turtles tread, and rooks, and daws,
And maidens bleach their summer smocks,
The cuckoo then, on every tree,
Mocks married men, for thus sings he:
“Cuckoo!
Cuckoo, cuckoo!” O word of fear,
Unpleasing to a married ear.
Today
by Billy Collins
Former US Poet Laureate Billy Collins reads his poems while accompanying animation brings his words to life.
A Little Madness in the Spring
by Emily Dickinson
A little madness in the Spring
Is wholesome even for the King,
But God be with the Clown -
Who ponders this tremendous scene -
This whole Experiment of Green -
As if it were his own!
And Now… Your Poetry Prompts
As always, these poetry prompts are simple and straightforward. Choose one of the three lists and write a poem using every word in that list. Or, to really challenge yourself, try using all the words from all the lists in your poem. You can even mix and match the words on these lists however you want.
Flower Buds
- pepper
- cream
- titanic
- lure
- smash
Blue-Gray Skies
- telling
- rinse
- foul
- harbor
- horses
Mud and Muck
- clean
- squeak
- scoop
- woolly
- bully
Share Yours
If you write a poem using these prompts, feel free to post it in the comments. Or, post it on your blog and then come back here and drop a link the comments.
Keep writing (and reading) poetry!
If you have any poetry prompts or writing exercises to share, feel free to post them in the comments or send them in as a guest post.
Poetry Prompts for Winter
Poetry prompts and writing exercises are a great way to get a little creative writing done when creativity is elusive.
They’re also perfect for challenging yourself as a writer to incorporate new ideas and themes into your work.
You can use these on a day when you’re not feeling especially inspired or as a way to work on something a little different from your usual writing fare. Write a long poem, a short poem, a haiku, or a pantoum.
As long as you get the creative writing flowing and have fun with it, you’re doing it right!
These poetry prompts can be used for other types of writing too. Try using them in a short story, a blog post, or a bit of creative prose.
Poetry Prompts
Write a poem that contains all of the words in each list, including the title word. That’s it! Pretty simple, right?
Winter’s
burnt
spacious
metropolis
pacing
fiery
cannon
Snowy
green
loudly
tub
swims
sultry
sharp
Season
hilarious
elegantly
hips
fern
listless
twisting
Create Poetry Prompts
You can also create your own poetry prompts by flipping through the dictionary and selecting words at random. For the poetry prompt exercises on Writing Forward, I usually try to find words that have nothing to do with each other and I try to include a range of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs to make the poetry writing just a little more challenging.
If you try these poetry prompts, feel free to share your poems in the comments. And keep on writing!
Poetry Prompts for Language Lovers
Poets have a unique relationship with language. For a poet, language is more than a tool for communication; it’s a set of paints and paintbrushes that can be used to create scenes and images that resonate with readers.
A poet must then foster a loving relationship with language, learning its secrets, understanding its idiosyncrasies, and mastering its structure, then bending it to the poet’s own will.
Today’s poetry prompts pay credence to language, and encourage a more thorough mastery of grammar, sentence structure, and all things wordy.
Poetry Prompts
The exercise is quite simple. From the list of poetry prompts below, select at least five words or phrases and then use them to write a poem of your own. If you want to challenge yourself, choose more than five – go for ten or fifteen, or see how many you can squeeze into one poem.
You can also challenge yourself by writing a poem that is not strictly about language, writing, or poetry. Use these words as symbols, metaphors, or personify them to give them new meaning.
You’ll find that some of these words lend themselves quite well to alternative meanings. “Dash,” for example could mean running quickly rather than a punctuation mark that looks like hyphen. Give yourself room to be creative with these poetry prompts.
- Poetry prompts
- Words
- Dash
- Preposition
- Modifier
- Oxymoron
- Lexicon
- Period
- Verb
- Palindrome
- Phrase
- Definition
- Etymology
- Homophones
- Simile
- Conjunction
- Possessive
- Apostrophe
- Run-on
- Tense
Feel free to come back and post your poem if you decide to use these poetry prompts to make a poem of your own. Even if you don’t attempt this exercise, be sure to keep on writing!
Got any poetry prompts or writing exercises to share? Leave a comment!
Poetry Prompts for Lovers
Hello lovers.
Oh yes, I stole that line from Matthew Dryden. Hopefully, he’ll forgive me, especially since they say that the greatest artists don’t borrow. They steal.
Poetry is one of the oldest forms of self-expression. You can express thoughts, ideas, and feelings in a poem that are otherwise difficult, or even impossible to say in any other form of communication.
And poetry has long been the language of lovers. Millions of writers have used poetry to declare their affections, their obsessions, and even their heartbreaks.
But Love Poems Are SO Cheesy
It’s easy to scoff at a love poem. Many love poems use the same words, present overly familiar images, and convey similar sentiments. That’s what makes them SO cheesy.
Writing a unique and compelling love poem is always a challenge. After all, the more something’s been done, the more difficult it becomes for anyone to do it well.
Luckily, poetry prompts can help.
Poetry Prompts
The exercise is simple and straightforward. Choose one set of poetry prompts and then write a poem using all the words in the list. If you’re feeling up to the challenge, then try to write a single poem using all the words from all the lists. Or, mix and match at will. The choice is yours.
I’ve even included some cliché terms for those of you who are fans of those cheesy love poems.
See if these don’t bring out the lover in you.
Cheese Please
- heart
- roses
- red
- fire
- eyes
Erotica
- thighs
- twisted
- stars
- nibble
- parched
Obsession
- haunt
- water
- waste
- push
- slick
Heartbreak
- long
- dream
- back
- breathing
- where
Moving On
- toes
- bright
- forget
- plant
- wiggle
Spread the Love
Once you write your little ode to the one you cherish, go ahead and send it – just in time for Valentine’s Day. You can also post the pieces you write based on these poetry prompts in the comments.
Have a lovely weekend and keep on writing!
If you have any poetry prompts to share, feel free to post them in the comments!
Poetry Prompts for Music Lovers
Poetry prompts are a great way to break through writer’s block.
Some days, ideas just don’t come easily. You may find yourself staring at a blank screen or doodling in your notebook with nothing to write about.
If you’re a poet and a music lover, then these poetry prompts are perfect for you. Plus, they’re super easy. Simply choose any of the lists below and write a poem that includes all of the words on the list.
Add to the challenge by including the list title or by combining two or more lists for a longer or more interesting poem.
Poetry Prompts
The Composer
- Measure
- Signature
- Staff
- Baseline
- Key
The Player
- Instrument
- Notes
- Chord
- Band
- Play
The Singer
- Vocal
- Lyrics
- Riff
- Stage
- Microphone
The Listener
- Radio
- Song
- Ears
- Tune
- Listen
The Dancer
- Music
- Rhythm
- Stretch
- Kick
- Hips
Enjoy these poetry prompts, and feel free to post your poems in the comments.
Keep on writing!
Do you find poetry prompts useful? Got any poetry prompts or poetry writing ideas to share? Leave a comment!
Poetry Prompts for the End of the Year
The end of yet another year is just around the corner. It’s a busy season packed with holiday shopping, gatherings with friends and family, and getting ready for the new year ahead.
When things get busy, it’s important for writers to keep their heads in the clouds. Don’t forget about your dreams! Don’t let your poetry fall by the wayside lest you forget to return!
Maybe you don’t have time to sit and write the way you usually do. Maybe your head is spinning with all the things you have to get done. That’s fine. Just set a few minutes aside and let these poetry prompts walk you through a brief writing session.
We’ll even keep the focus on things that are going on right now – things like food, holidays, gifts, goals, and the new year.
Poetry Prompts
To use these poetry prompts, simply pick one of the lists below and write a quick poem using all of the words in the list. The lists are categorized to make choosing a little easier. Select the one that speaks to you, and then get busy writing.
If you’re not as busy as everyone else, and are feeling up for an even bigger challenge, then try making one poem with all the words from all the lists. Up the ante by using the list titles as well. Or, if you’re feeling lazy or have an itch to break the rules, go ahead and mix the lists up and just pick whatever words you want.
Just remember to have fun.
Holiday
- red suit
- festival of lights
- gift
- winter solstice
- merry
Food
- baking cookies
- gravy
- morsels
- forks and napkins
- platter
Gifts
- shopping mobs
- bows and baubles
- wrapping paper
- gracious
- big sale
End of the Year
- the past
- looking ahead
- future
- calendar
- celebrate
New Year
- beginning
- champagne
- tomorrow’s plans
- hangover
- day off
More Tips for Using Poetry Prompts
As you work through these poetry prompts, keep the following tips in mind:
- Try to write about something unexpected. If you choose the “Holiday” list, then make your poem about anything BUT the holidays.
- Mix two or three lists of poetry prompts together and take out some words or add in a few of your own. Then, write your poem.
- Use the five list titles rather than the words in the lists.
As always, enjoy your poetry session and keep on writing!
If you give these poetry prompts a try, feel free to post your poem in the comments.
Scary Poetry Prompts
Poetry prompts are great for those times when you have the creative itch but just can’t seem to reach around to scratch it. Hey, we can’t be inspired every single day.
Writing exercises like poetry prompts challenge us while stirring our creativity.
And these ones are just in time for Halloween.
All Hallow’s Eve
Halloween’s comes from an ancient Celtic festival, which is called Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season and the time of year when people slaughtered livestock for the coming cold months.
Because it marked a new cycle, this festival was viewed as a kind of new year celebration. It was also the time of year when the fog between our world and the world of the deceased evaporated, which meant the dead could move about in our world and wreak havoc.
During this festival, people wore costumes. Maybe they were trying to mingle with evil spirits. Maybe they were trying to pacify the dearly departed. Or, perhaps they were disguising themselves so they wouldn’t fall victim to ghostly pranks.
Poetry Prompts
These poetry prompts honor the tradition that is Halloween. Love it or hate it, it’s right around the corner and before you know it, those little witches and goblins will be gobbling up all your candy else you suffer with a trick.
The rules are simple and you can change them as you see fit. Choose one of the word groups below and write a poem that contains all the words and phrases on the list. Or, scramble the lists to come up with new ones of your own.
Feeling really creative? Write a single poem containing all the words from all the lists below. Good luck.
Sheer Horror
- scythe
- fresh flowers
- bloody corpse
- dainty
- screaming
- deadly
- discovery
Ghostly Ghouls
- haunted visions
- mimicry
- safe
- knock-knock
- dragging
- lifeless
- from the chase
Kids and Candy
- frills
- trickery
- little beggars
- dentists
- chasing sugar
- costumed
- clever
Your job now is to have fun with these poetry prompts, and feel free to share your poems in the comments, or if you post them somewhere, drop a link.
And keep on writing!
Got any poetry prompts or writing exercises to share? Leave a comment!
Five Poetry Prompts, a Writing Exercise
This year, I’d like to get back to writing poetry regularly. I used to write poetry every single day, and as a result I have hundreds of poems in notebooks and in the writing files on my computer.
For the past few years, I’ve only written a few poems here and there, because the focus of my writing has shifted dramatically.
Poetry prompts are a great way to trigger creativity and sometimes they inspire a truly wonderful piece of poetry.
For today’s exercise, I chose a few poems I’ve written over the years and selected five words from each poem. The objective is to write your own poem using all of the words from any one of the groups below.
Of course, one poem with all of the words would be fantastic! Any combination will do, really, so pluck the words as you will. I think it would be fun to compare the ones I wrote to any of the ones you write from this exercise. Will they be about the same topic, or have a similar sensibility?
Five Poetry Prompts
Poetry Prompt #1
- steel
- theory
- saving
- imitation
- chisel
Poetry Prompt #2
- mirror
- hazardous
- dandelion
- famine
- committed
Poetry Prompt #3
- tapestry
- sings
- eye
- din
- collide
Poetry Prompt #4
- slippery
- fantasy
- casting
- chameleon
- lives
Poetry Prompt #5
- deadline
- boom
- children
- shallow
- dirt
If you try these poetry prompts, feel free to post the poem you’ve written in the comments section. Hopefully we’ll get some good responses, and next week I’ll write a follow-up examining the similarities (or differences) in the poems that resulted from these poetry prompts. Have fun!
Update:
As promised, I am posting a couple of the poems from which the poetry prompts above were extracted. I’ve chosen two of the five, and selected those that were used most frequently in the exercises that were shared in comments and via e-mail.
Thanks to everyone who participated! Stay tuned for more writing exercises.
On His Mirror
Hazardous aches gnaw at his bitter spine,
flake snorting dandelion wine.
Standing in line for somebody’s torture,
a mendacious enterprise.
Buying and feeding the famine inside,
waiting by the trailer,
wifebeater
bow-legged
hammering needles into his lines.
Substitute lemons for limes,
in your cold corona,
committed to becoming the rail on his mirror
so he can eat you from the inside.
Slippery Fish
A response to “The Fish” by Ahmad Shamlou
That slippery fish you see, dancing
in poetry is a lie, I say
she is a fantasy, a pretty mermaid
beckoning you and casting shadows on your sea. Certainty,
she is the golden coin inside the fishbowl.
We all want a piece.
Consider instead the chameleon, shifting
her colors, rolling with the moon. She is
the water inside your fishbowl. She is
the goddess of the sea, in which lives
your mermaid
Certainty.
Do you have any poetry prompts you’d like to share? Post your prompts in the comments.
